Are you taking social distancing seriously, or are you the type of person who thinks this will all blow over? With many confined to their homes and more and more “shelter-in-place” or “stay-at-home” orders from our government being issued, many are becoming weary and well, skeptical that this is all an over-reaction. On top of this skepticism there has been a host of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 and “potential” cures.

Do you feel like you are being fed misinformation? If your answer was no, then consider: a  Commissioner in Florida has recently faced backlash as he touted a claim at a recent public meeting that inhaling hot air from a hair dryer will kill the virus and keep you from being infected. President Trump has made claims that Chloroquine has been evaluated and approved by the FDA as a treatment for the Coronavirus. This drug has been approved to treat malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, but the FDA has come out and said that it has not been approved as treatment for COVID-19. This overzealous statement has already caused a fatality, as an Arizona man and his wife had ingested a form of chloroquine used to clean fish tanks in an attempt to self-medicate. The man has sadly passed away and his wife has been left in critical condition.

This type of deception trickles down to us, the general population. We’re spreading a host of propaganda over social media. WHO has had to put a “MythBusters” page on their website to try to stop this kind of false information from circulating.  I urge any reader to check with their health professional before trying any preventative measures they hear about.  With these false claims being distributed, many are thinking the virus is not as big of a threat as it really is. Here are some truths:

• Hot air from a hand dryer or hair dryer will not kill the coronavirus
• Drinking water every 15 minutes won’t wash the virus into your stomach, and your stomach acid won’t kill the infection.
• Holding your breath for 10 seconds will give you a clue if you have respiratory distress, but does not indicate you have COVID-19
• Vital Silver or any other “miracle drugs” won’t cure or kill the coronavirus
• Natural remedies such as lemon juice, essential oils, or vinegar, will not help prevent the spread of the virus.
• Air purifiers are not effective against preventing the coronavirus
• Eating a lot of garlic may ward off vampires, but will not be helpful against the coronavirus
• Heat has not been proven to kill or stop the spread of the coronavirus, nor has cold.
• Currently the only way to properly prevent the spread of COVID-19 is by social distancing, frequently washing your hands or using hand sanitizer when you can’t lather up and avoiding touching your face.

It leaves us to wonder why some aren’t taking this as seriously as others. Many countries are shutting down, closing their borders, and forcing their people to stay indoors. Governors and Mayors from southern Italy have recently released a video, angrily urging their citizens to stay indoors, one even threatening to bring flamethrowers to any graduation party.   Are we, as Americans, skeptical, uninterested, or just bored?