Forum Topic

The virus

I have just received what purports to be a paper circulated to medical staff saying that he virus is killed or less likely to survive in hot environments. Is this true? I am not a scientist and have no idea. The paper goes onto to say that we should drink hot liquids -  hot water being obvious1 and @ zero cost- to kill it and make sure our throats are always wet. We should avoid cold drinks and particularly ice( My Mrs v partial to that in her vino) . Is there merit in this? I have no idea but no doubt W4 can tell us. If just drinking hot water is going to keep the bugger at bay and yes ordinary water every 15 min to keep throat wet wh yhave not been told this? The paper goes onto support the soap and water theory too but why not the wet throat situation?. Maybe this is hype? I am just on my second very hot whiskey honey and lemon which I have been taking for the past 3 weeks- a more advanced version of the pure hot water theory and one that breaks all Sackler type rules- it tastes bloody good!!

John Martin ● 2417d13 Comments

The cat coronavirus is killed by sunlight/uv light so it's possible that this one will be too.  The stuff abut drinking hot or cold stuff is fake news.

Claire Moran ● 2417d

Very early on in this outbreak a relative who is a very experienced health professional told me that the aim would be to stave off the peak of infections until the weather improved. This is because people's immune systems are generally more effective if they are not cold.This doesn't mean that drinking hot water will help combat the virus but it can't do you any harm. You could argue that even if you think it helps that may boost your immunity.However, although the warmer weather will help a bit to slow the spread of the infection people in hot countries are suffering from it too so it won't put a stop to it. The best thing health wise that isolating people can do today is get out and boost their vitamin D while carefully exercising social distancing.The hot toddy is also has much to recommend it.

Mark Evans ● 2417d

Unless it comes from a trusted outlet (gov.uk / BBC / PHE) or it names its sources (none of this friend of a friend who is a doctor at a hospital social media posts) then ignore it.

Tom Trower ● 2417d

You might want to ignore the BBC as well.

Ken Munn ● 2417d

Tom is right. You should treat contributions like mine as exactly what they are, the potentially misinformed views of an amateur. Always best to go to reliable source for advice. Despite Ken's tinfoil hat views on the BBC they would be one. They may not get it exactly right in a fast changing situation but a worrying number of people currently believe Facebook provides all the answers which it very definitely does not.

Mark Evans ● 2417d

Calling into question the veracity of the BBC is a very dangerous thing to do at the moment. So much disinformation is being spread and if even a small number of people believe that what they are being told by reliable news sources can't be trusted there will be a meaningful increase in infection. There is so much dangerous nonsense going around on social media it is critical that key messages are not ignored.

Felicity Caborn ● 2417d

Anyway looking at the pictures of the Tube today the great shutdown is going to have no effect if the cattle truck situation ennures . This needs addressing as the tube must be the best possible breeding / transmission ground for the virus

John Martin ● 2417d

“the virus is killed or less likely to survive in hot environments. Is this true?”Currently an unproven fact according to Snopes.https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/coronavirus-warm-weather/?collection-id=238721Sipping water is false information.https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/drinking-water-prevent-coronavirus/?collection-id=241238

Colin Potter ● 2417d

Agree Colin
It is currently 28-35 C in many places in the southern hemisphere and the damned virus continues unabated. The ONLY solution at the moment is isolation.

N V Brooks ● 2417d

Thailand currently 31 degrees C, Myanmar currently 30 degrees C, both with confirmed cases. In the case of Thailand cases have escalated so I would imagine local transmission has taken place.

Matthew Swain ● 2417d

The World Health Organisation has a "myth-buster" page: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

Les Fletcher ● 2417d

James O'Brian has just tried to get Sadiq Khan to say why he has cut the number of trains but Khan weaseled out of answering by saying it was the passengers fault.

Viv Griffiths ● 2417d

Here's another one:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/51979410/coronavirus-more-myths-to-ignoreMeanwhile, it is best to ignore completely the morons who've adapted their pernicious, offensive and dangerous conspiracy theories to this latest crisis.And yes, on this site I mean (Holocaust Denier and David Icke fanboy) Michael Brown, plus his few acolytes who seem so deluded/frightened/uneducated etc that they give credence to his insane ranting.

Richard Cathcart ● 2417d