Fraudulent claims on treatments and cures for COVID-19 infection are flooding social media and other digital communications. Here, 6 samples of misinformation your patients may be reading.
On March 6, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to the 6 organizations below for "...selling fraudulent products with claims to prevent, treat, mitigate, diagnose or cure coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)."Cures or preventives promoted included essential oils and colloidal and ionic silver - substances claimed to have proven effective in Wuhan Province and throughout China to curb the spread of COIVD-19. The webites and social media accounts for all 6 have been stopped - but the dissemination of unfounded claims to the US consumers will not end soon. Please click through these examples of misinformation as illustrations of what your patients may be reading.Â
GuruNanda LLC. The company claims that essential oils have been recommended by authorities in Wuhan Province in China, origin of the novel coronavirus pandemic, to prevent infection. "Since the flu is spreading so quickly, we want to give 50% off for the essential oils . . . Simply type 'Corona' in the code box to save immediately.” FDA Warning Letter, March 6, 2020
Xephyr, LLC dba N-Ergetics. The organization claims that the home remedy colloidal silver "has worked effectively on coronaviruses...for the last 123 years."
“Coronavirus 2019-NCoVat, Treatment Has A Home Remedy. This Chinese Wuhan Flu Pneumonia has a non-traditional remedy that has successfully killed coronaviruses from the flu virus to pandemic diseases, in vitro, for over 100 years. . . . If colloidal silver has killed coronavirus strains in past laboratory test, then the current coronaviruses should also be killed. Protect your immune system try Colloidal Silver 1100 PPM Immune Support”
Quinessence Aromatherapy LTD. The company claims that a vareity of essential oils have been "clinically proven" to be protective against viruses and offers: “The most powerful anti-virus essential oils to provide defence (sic) against coronavirus include: â Basil â Bergamot â Cajuput â Cedarwood Virginian â Cinnamon â Clove Bud â Eucalyptus Globulus, Radiata and Smithii â Juniper Berry â Lavender Spike â Laurel leaf â Lemon â Manuka â Niaouli â Peppermint â Ravensara â Ravintsara â Rosemary â Sage â Tea Tree â Thyme Sweet and Thyme White.”
Vivify Holistic. The company claims that a Steven Buhner has widely studied coronaviruses and successfully treated them with his "protocols."
“Formula # 4 – Loose Leaf Tea Boneset (Only use if infected) Acute Dosage: 1 cup 6x /day Chronic Dosage: 2 cup 4x /day Antiviral action”
“Each 100 ml of product will last 16 days for a preventative dose and 8 days for an infection dosage. . . .Take Extracts #1 through #3 as preventative. . . .If you are infected, take all 4 products and use the infection dosage.”
Colloidal Vitality LLC. The company claims that, as is widely acknowledged in scientific and medical communities, "ionic silver kills coronaviruses." The web site also notes that "the Chinese are employing ionic silver" in their efforts to contain spread of the virus in that country.
“The Silver is flying off the shelves as folks stock up due to the increased awareness of the coronavirus.”
“Structured Silver allows a silver particle-cluster of silver to kill multiple bacteria, viruses, and yeast/candida pathogens throughout the body until it is safely excreted.”
The Jim Bakker Show. The central claim made about Silver Solution is that, while it has not yet been tested on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 infection, it has eliminated other coronavirus strain infections "within 12 hours, totally eliminate it, kills it, deactivates it."
“So the virus, like the coronavirus that we’re talking about … affects the lung tissue so what you can do … put it straight … in a nebulizer which then creates a steam and you breathe it in and it will go directly into your lungs where that virus is and any other infection.”
