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Coronavirus Advice | Fact or Myth

It's hard to escape the influx of advice articles and top tips for avoiding the new Coronavirus. But which of these many infection reducing suggestions, if any, actually work? Green Motion International are here to shed some light on some increasingly confusing advice.

With most of the population now staying at home and having more time on their hands, many have decided to utilise this extra time to research a variant of ways to ward off the Coronavirus. Below are some of the pieces of advice found online, that Green Motion International can confirm are Myths.

''You don't want to contract the Coronavirus? Ingest some drinkable silver!'' - MYTH

Drinking silver is one of the more unusual of the suggestions along with Cow urine being another questionable choice. Neither of these two methods have any clear scientific relation to the prevention of any virus but ingesting silver can, in fact, cause lasting damage to internal organs such as the kidneys.

''If you can hold your breath for 10 seconds, you have not contracted the virus'' - MYTH

This simple test has been successfully used for years to indicate those suffering from fibrosis-related diseases, these infections most commonly affect the respiratory system but can also cause damage to other areas of the body.

Despite influencing the bodies breathing, the Coronavirus does not have any fibrosis like symptoms. Therefore the 10-second breath-holding challenge is not an effective way to test for the Coronavirus. The main symptoms of the virus are a persistent dry cough and high fever-like state, if you have any of these symptoms sufferers have been asked to call your local public health department, in the UK this will be the non-emergancy 111 number.

''Homemade hand sanitizer is just as effective as that in the shops'' - MYTH

The obvious price difference and attraction of not having to the leave the house are definitely appealing, but unfortunately, the ingredients commonly used within homemade sanitizers won't stop the human body contracting any viruses or bacterias.

Homemade sanitisers are most commonly comprised of vodka and household antibacterial cleaners, neither of these products are useful for the protection for humans against bacterial infection. The percentage of alcohol in Vodka is too low to kill germs and household cleaning products are simply not safe to come in contact with flesh. If you are struggling to come by hand sanitisers, try visiting forums local to your area to see how others close by to you are finding these products.

''The Coronavirus lasts on surfaces for up to 30 days!'' - MYTH

Another myth. Government officials advise that bacterias leading to infections such as the Coronavirus can only survive on surfaces for around 72 hours. The effects of this can, of course, be reduced by taking measures such as regularly cleaning high contact points in your home and workspace (if you can leave your house to work according to government advice).

''If you eat enough garlic, you're less likely to catch the coronavirus'' - MYTH

Yes, garlic is known to have some amazing health benefits but it will not affect your likeliness to contract the Coronavirus. Garlic will, however, reduce blood pressure, so if you're feeling stressed during this time of uncertainty then maybe a garlic-infused meal is just what the doctor ordered. You can see some of the other anxiety-reducing tips Green Motion International have comprised for this tumultuous period, here.

''Drinking water every 15 minutes will reduce my chances of catching the Coronavirus'' - MYTH

Whilst keeping consistently hydrated is highly recommended by global health organisations, it is not proven to reduce the likelihood of contracting the Coronavirus. Some believe that regularly flushing out your system with water will quickly banish any virus related bacterias from your body, however, the coronavirus is contracted mainly through breathing so this is unlikely to prevent infection.

''Don't eat ice cream or anything else frozen'' - MYTH

There have been hundreds of people taking to the internet to report that eating frozen or chilled food will reduce your body temperature and therefore make you more susceptible to catching the Coronavirus.

This could not be more untrue! The temperature of your food will not have any direct effect on your probability of infection, however, it is being discussed by experts how the upcoming spring months may affect the virus' spread rate. You can read more about this here.

The only proven way to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus is to regularly and efficiently wash your hands as well as implementing social distancing. Green Motion International suggest that readers refer to the World Health Organisation for trustworthy and factual advice.

If you are now working from home but still need to travel or have a business that requires regular transportation, then please refer to the link below to explain how Green Motion International are able to assist whilst keeping you and your customers safe.

https://greenmotion.com/news/green-motion-providing-urgent-vehicle-rental-for-when-you-need-it