WASHINGTON — Will drinking the so-called "Miracle Mineral Solution," cure you of the Coronavirus? Can you catch the virus from online packages? Are luggage carriers at risk?
There have been a lot of questions online about the Coronavirus, and that's why the Verify Team went to work to find the truth, debunking myths, and finding the truth.
Question 1: Can you cure this strain of Coronavirus by drinking something called "Miracle Mineral Solution?"
Answer:
No. MMS is a type of bleach. Please, don't drink bleach.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Process:
Across social media, users are promoting an idea that something called "Miracle Mineral Solution" can eliminate the risk of Coronavirus. The CDC and FDA strongly disagree.
This myth has surfaced before, as theories have surfaced that MMS can cure HIV, autism, cancer, and other illnesses.
"Ingesting these products is the same as drinking bleach," wrote the FDA in a press release from August 2019. "Consumers should not use these products and parents should not give these products to their children for any reason."
Question 2: Can you get Coronavirus from a package shipped from China?
Answer: Likely no. This strain of Coronavirus has "poor survivability" outside of a living source, according to the CDC. Even if someone coughed into the box, it would be highly unlikely that the virus survives the trip.
Source:
Process:
The CDC admitted that there is still a lot that is "unknown" about the newest strain of Coronavirus. However, the agency is reporting that it is incredibly unlikely that the virus can spread through a package.
"Because of the poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces," the CDC said. "There is likely a very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures."
The CDC said Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread through "respiratory droplets."
"Currently there is no evidence," the CDC wrote. "To support the transmission of 2019-nCoV (this strain) associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of 2019-nCoV in the United States associated with imported goods."
Question 3:
Are luggage carriers at risk of getting Coronavirus, if the suitcase came from the impacted region of China?
Answer:
Likely no. The CDC didn't want to speak in absolutes since this is a new strain of the virus. However, the "poor survivability" of the virus on surfaces, makes it unlikely that it would transmit through luggage.
Source:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Process:
This question first came from James Jorden, from St. Mary's City, Maryland, who reached out to the Verify Team with a question.
"Could luggage handlers at US airports catch and/or spread the virus," he asked.
To find the answer to this question, The Verify Team reached out to the CDC.
A spokesperson for the CDC said that they were hesitant to speak in absolutes since the virus is so new. However, he told The Verify Team that the virus has a "poor survivability" on surfaces, which makes it very unlikely that it would transmit through luggage.
This spokesperson said that it was a very good sign that there has not been a single case of someone getting sick in this way.
Do you have something you want To be Verified? Contact us at Verify@wusa9.com