Lemons, hot water and bicarbonate can cure COVID-19? Fact Check

Messages online claim that drinking hot water with lemons will cure or prevent the COVID-19 disease.

FALSE

We have seen a rise in claims that various household items are sufficient enough to cure or prevent the coronavirus and resulting COVID-19 disease.

Such claims often involve touting folklore remedies, alternative medicine or natural cures that often have some success with milder conditions such as sore throats or the common cold.

The latest claim in this brand of rumour claims that hot water and lemons along with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) should cure or prevent the COVID-19 disease. Such claims are false.

An example as it appears on social media is below.

Drinking hot water with lemons will cure or prevent COVID-19; drinking hot water with lemons and sodium bicarbonate will “alkalize the immune system” and cure or prevent COVID-19.

Many variations of this message claim the so-called “cure” derives from Israel, a country – the message blindly claims – has had no coronavirus-related illnesses.

The first thing to note is that Israel has indeed been affected by the coronavirus, and at the time of writing Israel has had over 3000 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

As for the application of hot water, lemons and baking soda; there is no scientific basis for this so-called cure or preventative measure. While lemons and hot water is often hyped as a natural cure for lesser inflictions such as the common cold, this does not automatically qualify it as a cure or preventative measure for viral infections like the coronavirus. The same of course applies to other “natural remedies” such as consuming ginger and garlic and gargling warm salty water.

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No entities, including the NHS or CDC, mention using lemons or hot water (or baking soda) to cure to ward off the coronavirus. Claims like the one above that talk of “alkalising the immune system” are unscientific claims derived from baseless pseudoscience and unsupported “alternative medicine”.

There is currently no cure for the coronavirus and resulting COVID-19, and as such, any claim on social media touting a cure for the infliction should be treated with more than just a pinch of salt.

As for preventative measures, washing your hands regularly and thoroughly, avoid touching your face, limiting contact with unclean surfaces and social distancing are the most effective measures you can take to prevent infection. Consuming items like lemon and baking soda will have no negligible effect.