The world is currently experiencing a COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 (commonly called the novel coronavirus). Although the World Health Organization and many national and supranational governments are committed to fighting this virus and have published guidelines on how to stay healthy, misinformation and myths abound – especially on social media.

To help fight the spread of this fake news, here are ten COVID-19 myths debunked.

Myth 1: “I’m not infected. I feel fine!”

This claim is definitely false: people who are sick with COVID-19 can show a variety of symptoms, including fever and coughing, or they may not show any symptoms at all! A study carried out in the small Italian town of Vò tested all 3,300 inhabitants for the disease. The results showed that around half of those infected with the disease did not show any symptoms whatsoever!

This is why it is important for everyone to practice social distancing. The less time people spend together, the less likely you are to unknowingly pass on the disease to someone next to you.

Myth 2: “This new virus was created / genetically engineered by some government.”

You may have heard some people claim that the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 was created in a laboratory by the Chinese or American governments as a bioweapon. While both countries certainly do have laboratories that perform experiments on microbes which cause serious diseases, there is no real evidence to suggest that the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 escaped from a lab. The truth is that it would be incredibly difficult to design a virus so good at infecting people, even with the latest technology.

There is evidence, however, that shows that the virus is related to viruses known to infect bats, further supporting the theory that it evolved highly efficient ways of infecting people and crossed the species-barrier from bats to humans (possibly via some other intermediate species).

Myth 3: “Be careful! Your pet can infect you too.”

There is currently little to no evidence that suggests that your pets (including cats and dogs) can become infected with the coronavirus and then transmit it to you. That being said, we do not know very much about the virus. So, if you think you have COVID-19, medical scientists have recommended that you limit contact with your pet, just like you would with all your other loved ones.

If there’s no one to care for your pet whilst you’re ill, make your contact as brief as possible and wash your hands both before and after you interact with them.

Myth 4: “Take some antibiotics … just in case.”

Antibiotics are used to treat infections and diseases caused by bacteria. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, and so antibiotics have no effect on it. Some patients suffering from COVID-19 may be prescribed antibiotics by their doctors to treat secondary infections caused by bacteria, but these antibiotics have no effect on the coronavirus itself.

Myth 5: “I should wear a facemask whenever I go outside to protect myself and others.”

This may not necessarily be a myth - the truth is that it’s actually quite complicated. Face masks are most effective at stopping the tiny droplets from coughs and sneezes from being blown into the air. This means that if you have symptoms, or are in regular close contact with someone who does, face masks can make a big difference.

The problem is that the general public is not trained in the correct use of a face mask, and so people may increase their risk of infection by wearing a poorly-fitted mask, by unnecessarily touching the outer side of the mask and then touching their face, or by disposing of the mask incorrectly. Masks should fit comfortably around the nose and mouth leaving no gaps, and should be removed from behind, and disposed of in a sealed bin bag.

A more pressing issue is that there may be a limited number of masks available, and so it is probably wise to ration them to people who need them most (such as public health workers, emergency services, etc.).

However, new evidence has emerged which indicates that the general public may benefit from wearing masks, particularly in cramped areas or places with poor ventilation. This is because the spread of the virus through speaking, sneezing, and coughing may be greater than first thought. Health authorities around the world are now rethinking their face mask policies. 

With that in mind, it is probably best to heed the current advice of your local health authorities on the matter. Maltese authorities say they are looking at the evidence but currently sticking to WHO guidelines, which only advise masks for sick people or healthcare workers.  

Myth 6: “I don’t need to buy hand sanitiser – I can just make my own at home.”

No, you probably can’t – at least not ones which are both effective and safe to use. Modern hand sanitisers and hand gels contain up to 70 per cent alcohol, along with chemicals called emollients which are included to make them safe to use on the skin. This ensures that the gel kills all microbes on your hand, but doesn’t harm you in the process.

Most recipes for home-made hand sanitisers use alcoholic beverages such as vodka which, although safe to touch, only have alcohol contents of around 40 per cent. This is not sufficient to make an effective hand sanitising product. Using products with higher alcohol contents could be dangerous as these may be corrosive.

Myth 7: “There are some miraculous mineral supplements that cure COVID-19!”

You may have heard some YouTubers and other social media celebrities claiming that chlorine dioxide (also called miracle mineral supplement or MMS) is a cure for COVID-19, cancer, the common cold, and just about any other illness you can think of.

It is, in fact, a bleaching agent used to sterilise surfaces and drinking water. Drinking MMS can lead to some serious health problems such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea: so much so that a number of national health agencies – including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – have issued warnings about the dangers of consuming it.

Myth 8: “Taking vitamin C supplements will stop you from catching COVID-19.”

Everyone should be getting their daily dose of vitamins in their diets, irrespective of the current novel coronavirus outbreak. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, broccoli, and potatoes.

Claims have surfaced that taking regular vitamin C supplements will stop you from catching COVID-19 and, while it’s certainly true that vitamin C plays several important roles in our bodies (like maintaining healthy skin, bones, and blood vessels), there’s no evidence that suggests that taking these supplements will stop you from catching the virus. So don’t overdo it! In some cases taking too much vitamin C can actually be harmful and cause stomach pain, diarrhoea, and flatulence. 

Myth 9: “I heard that colloidal silver could help prevent COVID-19.”

Colloidal silver (silver particles suspended in a liquid) has been peddled in the past as a cure for any serious illness including cancer, arthritis, and diabetes. In actual fact, silver is not a so-called essential mineral – you don’t need to include it in your diet and you certainly can’t develop a silver deficiency!

There just isn’t any medical proof that colloidal silver prevents or cures any disease. It can actually have some pretty nasty side effects, including permanently turning your skin blue (a condition called ‘argyria’).

Myth 10: “This is the first pandemic we are experiencing.”

Many people are panicked and scared by the fact that we are living through a pandemic which is commanding such a huge amount of attention worldwide.

While such anxieties are certainly understandable, it is important to remember that this is not the first pandemic the world – or indeed most of us – have lived through.

In 2009, the first case of the H1N1 virus (the virus responsible for what later became known as Swine Flu) was detected in Mexico. It quickly spread around the world and by June 2009, the WHO declared to it to be a pandemic which lasted about 20 months. The world has also been continuously dealing with the AIDS pandemic since the early 1980s.

Although pandemics are certainly scary, they are not a new concept, and we can limit the spread of COVID-19 by following the guidelines suggested by the WHO and national health agencies.

So what should we do?

We don’t currently have a cure or a vaccine for COVID-19. It’s difficult to stop a virus like the novel coronavirus from spreading, especially now that it has made its way all across the globe. There are however, a number of steps that we can take to help limit this spread:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for around 20 seconds. This length of time is roughly how long it would take you to sing the Happy Birthday song twice.

• Follow local health authority advice on whether to wear a mask. Should you be required to wear one, ensure that you use it safely and correctly. 

• Distance yourself from others as much as possible. This is especially important for those who are most vulnerable to the disease, which includes the elderly and people suffering from cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, and autoimmune disease.

• Avoid touching your face to limit the chance of transmitting the virus into your body.

• Get your advice from public health officials and reliable media sources.

Question any claims you read on social media sites and messaging platforms. It’s important to know the real facts so that you can take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Benji Fenech-Salerno is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London. His current research focuses on wearable nanoelectronics used in disease detection. 

Duncan V. Mifsud is a Ph.D. candidate at the Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, University of Kent and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. His current research focuses on astrochemical processes relevant to the Galilean moons of Jupiter.