With more than 7 million cases and 400,000+ fatalities until today, novel coronavirus has ravaged the world. With such outrageous numbers and unprecedented lockdown situations all over the world, it's only natural that people have made up several myths about COVID-19. Here I'm going to tell you whether they are true or false. I'm pretty sure that you must have heard most of them via WhatsApp forwards or Facebook groups and may even have tried some of the tips.

>> There's no Corona, it's only a conspiracy theory propelled by doctors and governments.

False, obviously. Coronavirus is real and quite deadly as it causes serious disease and it has taken hundreds of thousands of lives across the globe. So come out of denial and protect yourselves and your families by social distancing, avoiding the outdoor activities/meetups, and keeping good hygiene.

>> Antibiotics kill coronavirus and protect you from the disease caused by the virus.

False. Antibiotics can only kill bacteria. They do not kill any viruses. So broad-spectrum or not, no antibiotic has the ability to kill coronavirus.

>> Eating garlic protects from COVID-19.

False. Though garlic is a healthy food item that may have some antimicrobial properties but there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic protects people from coronavirus.

>> Only people above 50 years old and immunocompromised people are at risk of getting sick by novel coronavirus.

False. Though most susceptible to the virus are old and immunocompromised individuals with preexisting health conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, or, etc. but younger people can also get sick. As a matter of fact, thousands of younger people have died from COVID-19 across the globe.

>> COVID-19 can't be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates.

False. It was originally thought as other flu bugs go away in summer or in hot temperatures this new virus would also dissipate. But facts paint a different picture as many hot and humid places like Australia, Karachi, Mumbai, etc. have reported thousands of cases. It's now known that coronavirus can spread in any climate.

>> COVID-19 patients may have the disease all their life.

False. You can recover completely from the coronavirus disease. In fact, most of the people who catch COVID-19 can recover and eliminate the virus from their bodies. If you catch the disease, first isolate and quarantine yourself. If you've any symptoms make sure you treat your symptoms. If you have a cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care as soon as possible. Most patients recover thanks to supportive care and don't even require admission to the hospital.

>> Children and teenagers can't get sick by COVID-19.

False. It's a known fact now that all age groups can contract SARS-CoV-2. Although most patients have been adults, new studies suggest that children are just as likely to contract the virus but their symptoms tend to be less severe.

WHO notified the public on 15th May that in children and teenagers an inflammatory condition may be linked with COVID-19. The condition, called a multisystem inflammatory condition, has features similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome. This inflammatory disease has been seen more in North America and Europe.

>> Drinking and spraying bleach or disinfectants protects against COVID-19.

False. In fact, it can be extremely dangerous. So never ever spray or introduce bleach/ disinfectants into your body. These substances can be poisonous if ingested and cause irritation and damage to your skin and eyes. They can also cause damage to internal organs.

>> Thermal scanners can diagnose COVID-19.

False. Thermal scanners can only detect whether or not someone has a fever. And fever can be a symptom in a whole host of infections. Also, fever is only one of the symptoms of coronavirus so it's entirely possible that COVID+ patient doesn't even have fever.

>> Coronavirus can spread through parcels. 

False. Experts and scientists believe that the virus cannot survive on letters or packages for an extended period of time. The CDC explain that “because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures.”
Having said that, it's recommended to wash hands after discarding packages. Better safe than sorry.