HOUSTON – Claim: There is a self-check that can be done every morning to see if you have the coronavirus by holding your breath. This is false.
No matter if you can hold your breath for more than 10 seconds, it doesn’t necessarily prove whether someone has the novel coronavirus.
Claim: drinking water every 15 minutes will kill the virus or keep your mouth moist enough to flush the virus.
If you do get sick, staying hydrated is a good idea but this one is false. Drinking water prevents dehydration, not viruses from entering your body.
Claim: Using a blow dryer to shoot hot air into your sinuses will kill the coronavirus.
The idea that heat kills the virus is being tested but this could be dangerous and it’s false since heat cannot kill the virus once it’s already in your body.
Claim: Parents who can’t find or afford baby formula right now, Enfamil and Gerber will send you a free case of formula.
The fact is we wish this was true, but it’s false. The origin of this claim is a panicky tweet shared thousands of times, but Gerber and Enfamil said they’re working with retailers to keep up supply, not send you free formula.
Facebook and other social media sites are trying to fact-check posts now. Unfortunately, bad information often gets shared faster than they can take it down.