Recently, a rumor has been circulating in the districts of Bangui, claiming that “drinking boiled water with garlic can cure COVID-19.” Beware of this misinformation.
Verification Summary:
A rumor spreading in the districts of Bangui suggests that “drinking boiled water with garlic can cure COVID-19 in the Central African Republic.” The editorial team of the Central African Fact-checkers Association (AFC) verified this claim with experts and pandemic specialists and found it to be false.
No Scientific Evidence According to COVID-19 Specialists:
Dr. Ngagoh-Kassa Kainy Boniface, an Anesthesiologist-Resuscitator and head of the COVID-19 patient care center, explained to AFC: “There is no scientific evidence to suggest that drinking boiled water with garlic cures coronavirus, nor is there any medical research supporting this claim.”
In the fight against false information and rumors, the AFC interviewed Dr. Louis Médard Ouarandji, who stated that this is an unfounded claim: “This is completely false. I am aware of this rumor, but no scientific evidence has proven it. Vaccines are the only means to stop the spread of COVID-19. We regularly advise Central Africans not to believe in rumors but to protect themselves against COVID-19.”
Nothing on the official WHO website suggests that drinking boiled water with garlic can cure coronavirus.
In its FAQ on common misconceptions related to COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) addresses this question. It states, “Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic protects people from COVID-19.”
Princia Florence YALLA / AFC
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