Fact Check: FB video by German scientist claiming chlorine dioxide can act against coronavirus is false
By Satya Priya BN Published on 27 May 2020 6:24 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Over 56 lakh people have been affected by Covid-19 pandemic, with death rate nearing to 3.5 lakh. Many of the countries, including India, have eased lockdown rules, in an effort to bring daily life to normal. A video of a German scientist recommending the consumption of chlorine dioxide as the cure for Covid-19 is in wide circulation on Facebook.
It has also been shared in Twitter too.
The person in the video is Andreas Ludwig Kalcker, who claims to be a researcher, and says that the solution against the Coronavirus is chlorine dioxide or CDS, a product that according to Kalcher comes from solution of sodium chlorite in water.
According to the explanation of the scientific assumption, this substance is prepared by mixing sodium chlorite with citric acid (lemon or vinegar). This generates a reaction that causes a yellowish gas, which then, according to his advice, must be mixed with water and consumed. Kalcker maintains in the interview that this preparation, due to its oxidizing effects, "burns" the virus. But he points out that, since it is a disinfectant, it must be taken in small doses to attack it, but it does not cause effect on the largest cells of our body.
When sodium chlorite is dissolved in water, it is known as MMS- Miracle Mineral Solution or Miracle Mineral Supplement.
Fact Check
The claim is FALSE.
According to the health agencies around the world, this advice is NOT only FALSE but also DANGEROUS.
Basically, sodium chlorite is a type of industrial bleach that is used in the paper and textile industries. It is also one of the compounds that is used, in small quantities, to purify water.
We found several references proving that chlorine dioxide is dangerous to consume, when we searched "Chlorine dioxide used for Covid-19. true or false??"
Chlorine dioxide is often used for disinfection of fruits, legumes and meat. It is also used sometimes in disinfection of mouth and gargling, in case of infection with any kind of pathogens.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/chlorine_dioxide_used_for_COVID-19_true_or_false
But according to FDA report which states that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to a seller that markets fraudulent and dangerous chlorine dioxide products known as "Miracle Mineral Solution" for prevention and treatment of "Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019" (COVID-19).
FDA has also previously warned consumers not to purchase or drink chlorine dioxide products sold online as medical treatments, as the agency is not aware of any scientific evidence supporting their safety or effectiveness and they pose significant risks to patient health.
Direct consumption of chlorine dioxide can cause serious effect on people, which include:
Respiratory failure caused by a serious condition where the amount of oxygen carried through the blood stream is greatly reduced (methemoglobinemia);
Changes in the electrical activity of the heart (QT prolongation), which may lead to potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythms;
Life-threatening low blood pressure caused by dehydration;
Acute liver failure;
Low blood cell counts, due to the destruction of red blood cells faster than the body can make it (hemolytic anemia), which requires a blood transfusion;
Severe vomiting; and
Severe diarrhoea.
In 2010, Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products has also issued an alert about MMS. The agency warned consumers that "when consumed, the products produce adverse effects which can be serious ".
Therefore, the claim made in the video is FALSE and also DANGEROUS.
