Did doctors in China advise gargling salty water to prevent coronavirus? Fact Check

A message online allegedly from “doctors in China” claims to offer a list of things people can do to protect themselves from the coronavirus.

FALSE

The message is just another rehash of the false or unproven claims that gargling salt water and drinking warm water can prevent coronavirus. This list of “tips” claims to explain why China has managed to reduce the number of infections in recent days (while China’s infection rate really has declined, the message fails to even touch on the most likely reason why such a decline happened – a strict lockdown and social distancing measures.)

An example of the message can be seen below.

Doctors in China confirm.
This is 100 % accurate information,
This information is 100% accurate
Very effective for everyone.
Very effective for everyone
Why has mainland China greatly reduced the number of infections over the past few days
China has significantly reduced the number of infections in the past few days.
In addition to washing your hands with masks,
Besides wearing masks and washing hands
THEY JUST RINSE SALT 3 times a day
They also gargle salt water 3 times a day
Drink water for 5 minutes after finishing.
After that, drink warm water for 5 minutes
Because the virus can only hit the throat,
Because the virus initially only attacks the throat
Then hit the lungs again
Then just attack the lungs
When attacked by salt water.
When hit by salt water
The virus can die or stomach down in the stomach and destroyed in the stomach,
The virus will die or descend and disintegrate in the stomach
This is the only way to prevent the corovirus epidemic,
This is one way to prevent Covid19 from being used by people.
No medicine on the market
There is no medicine on the market
So don’t buy.
No need to buy
Doctor of child synthesive Wong:
The General Hospital stated
Before The Crown Pneumonia / virus reaches the lungs before the crown pneumonia / virus reaches the lungs
It will survive in throat for 4 days
The virus lives in the throat for 4 days
At this point people start coughing and sore throat.
At this time, the infected start to cough & sore throat.
If he could try to drink as much warm water and or
If you can drink as much warm water as possible nails or salt water
You can eliminate germs.
Can eliminate viruses
Send this message asap,
Hurry and spread this message.
Because you’ll save someone’s lives!
Because you will save someone’s life
Translated by Liu zankun on December 4, 2020
Translated by Liu Zan kun on April 2, 2020

As stated above, we’ve discussed the claims made in this message before, but will briefly recap.

Gargling salt water?

Gargling salt water has not been shown to prevent or cure coronavirus. The message uses the false premise that the “virus can only hit the throat”. This is untrue, and the virus can enter the body through the mouth, nose or eyes and can infect any part of the upper respiratory system.

No health organisation is recommending this course of action.

We have previously discussed this claim here.

Sponsored Content. Continued below...

Drinking warm water?

Again, no health organisation recommends drinking warm water as a way to prevent the coronavirus. Of course, drinking water is important since it keeps you healthy and hydrated, but it doesn’t prevent viral infections, and absolutely should not be used as an alternative to methods that are proven to work, such as social distancing and washing your hands and surfaces.

We’ve discussed this claim in more detail here.

Both of the above claims rest on the assertion that the virus can be “pushed” into the stomach and killed, which is just nonsense. Such claims also rely on the assertion that the virus will infect the throat – and only the throat – first, and again this is false. Also false is the facade that a viral infection can simply be washed away with warm or salty water.

Please don’t circulate information you see about coronavirus from copy and paste social media posts.