Unfounded COVID-19 panacea proliferates in Malaysia despite warnings from authorities

PETALING JAYA – Despite the warning from the Ministry of Health, false information about Covid-19 and false remedies for the disease are still rampant in Malaysia.

Herbs, healing oils, honey, and homemade concoctions – these are some of the “preventative drugs” that are talked about among Malaysians.

The state of Sabah, which has consistently recorded four-figure cases in Malaysia’s third wave of Covid-19 infections, appears to also be a hotspot for unsubstantiated cures and home remedies.

Covid-19 patients said they are often bombarded with misinformation about how to treat the virus, from a mix of water with lemon wedges and garlic cloves to drinking a locally distilled rice wine called montoku.

A former Covid-19 patient, who recalled how a family member shared “important” advice, described it as “nothing but nonsense”.

“The advice is to take a young coconut, mix its juice with lime and a tablespoon of salt before drinking it and see the result in an hour. It was supposed to cure me of the virus in just one hour, ”said the man, who did not want to be identified.

He said that while the “advice” sounded like nonsense, it was widely shared on his other WhatsApp groups.

“Imagine everyone struggling to find a cure for Covid-19 and all we need is this simple method,” he laughed.

Another patient, who had also recently recovered from the virus, said that among the many “great” ideas she has heard of, one stood out prominently in her mind.

“My aunt kept telling me to try montoku. She told me that someone she knows apparently recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital a few days after drinking montoku. How crazy is that? she said.

She said the aunt even told her to try to get someone to send her a montoku while they were protecting her in the hospital from the virus.

She said that although she understood her aunt’s concern, she stopped entertaining the relative after a few days after he became too upset.

“I only started talking to her again after I was released from the hospital,” the woman said.

Other weird remedies are mixing a raw egg with an orange-flavored soda and drinking it once before bed and again at dawn before taking a bath.

A viral post on Facebook had a man claiming that he cured himself of Covid-19 by drinking the concoction in addition to drinking warm water mixed with lemon juice three times a day, taking two Panadol in the morning, noon, and night, rubbing eucalyptus oil on your chest and smell it all the time for a few days.

A doctor at the Hospital for Women and Children in Likas, near here, said that while he had never encountered such questions from his patients, he advised those with such ideas to first obtain more evidence for his theories.

“For those who wish to believe in these remedies, they must first get more local scientific research from universities and specialists as proof,” he said.

He said that everyone can take supplements and foods that strengthen their immune system.

“But it is not advisable to blindly believe what you read on social media platforms,” ​​he said, adding that even then, supplements and foods that boost the immune system should be taken in small and adequate doses.

In a tweet on October 22, the Ministry of Health reminded Malaysians that “there is no cure for # Covid-19 so far. If there are parties that sell products that claim to be able to treat Covid-19, it is false ”.

However, it has not stopped the “snake oil vendor” from offering services to treat Covid-19.

In Kuala Lumpur, these vendors have put up a banner offering “telemedicine” and free services related to the “Covid-19 vaccine.”

An image of the banner was posted last month by a Twitter user named Hafiz, who was amused. When contacted later, Hafiz said the banner had been removed.

A chain message about how a mixture of coconut water, lime and salt can supposedly cure Covid-19 has been circulating in WhatsApp chat groups.

In July, a woman promoting an anti-Covid-19 bracelet for RM600 (S $ 197.1) a piece was hit with a compound of RM50,000 for her false claim.

Marketers now seem to be more aware of their claims, but some continue to promote their products as a Covid-19 prevention aid.

An online marketer promoting bottled olive and fig oil, who only wants to be known as Saiful, claimed when contacted that the remedies he sells can be used as a means to “prevent Covid-19 infection.”

“We are selling a miracle oil set, which can be used as a means to prevent Covid-19 infection and a remedy for those who have a stroke or cholesterol, with additional benefits for the health of the heart, intestines, kidneys and the lungs, “he said. reclaimed.

None of these claims are supported by medical or scientific evidence and neither did Saiful reveal the contents of the miracle oil set.

Even the Director General of Health, Tan Sri, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, became the target of these unfounded claims when, about two weeks ago, someone wrote on his Twitter account: “Please consume pineapple and lemon as juice . It can help prevent the virus in our body. #KitaJagaKita “.

The head of the Emergency and Trauma Department at Teluk Intan Hospital, Dr. Samsu Ambia Ismail, who was infected by Covid-19 in April, said that he was once recommended to try ketum juice as a treatment.

“The person did not even have a previous exposure to Covid-19, so how can you know that it can become a remedy?” he said in an interview.

Dr. Samsu said that although alternative medicine such as Ayurvedic or traditional Chinese treatment existed, there was no scientific evidence that he was aware of that could help fight Covid-19.

“People can opt for alternative medicine for health reasons, but they should not neglect proper medical treatment, especially when it comes to Covid-19.

“It is dangerous when Covid-19 patients are treated at an advanced stage, especially if they are in the high-risk group,” he warned.

Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association President Datuk, Dr. Zainal Ariffin Omar, said: “It is unethical and illegal. They are giving customers false hope and taking their money with the possibility of putting their life in danger. “

Most viral infections, according to Dr. Zainal, either resolved on their own or slowly cleared from the body through a person’s antibody developed by the infected person himself.

“Immunity, human resistance and the ability to fight the virus will depend on the health of the person, as well as the nutritional status and the presence of chronic or immunosuppressive diseases,” he said.

“Covid-19 infection is a viral disease; it is not bacteria that can be killed by antibiotics. Antiviral drugs do not kill the virus, but they inhibit its development. “

Dr. Zainal urged authorities to closely monitor vendors who claim their products could cure or prevent Covid-19 infection and to crack down on them.

For more news on the new coronavirus, click here.

What you need to know about the coronavirus.

For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

The Inquirer Foundation supports our leaders in healthcare and still accepts cash donations to be deposited into the Banco de Oro (BDO) checking account # 007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link .

Read next