An infectious disease experts interview in China has been faked. The fake video was shared on Chinese social media which shows Zhong Nanshan a Chinese pulmonologist who discovered the SARS corona virus in 2003. In the first half of a sentence he says that “wearing a mask is still useful” to prevent and control the epidemic, but in the second half of the sentence it was changed to a recommendation of “drinking high proof alcohol to fight against the coronavirus”.
Baijiu companies and experts have refuted this rumor, saying that high proof baijiu can not replace medical alcohol for sterilization. At present, there is no specific food that can help to resist the new coronavirus.
In addition, an article published in 2013, claimed research had found that baijiu can effectively kill the avian influenza virus, with baijiu ad links contained within the article text. According to the article, “it had been found that due to the presence of superoxide dismutase in baijiu, the killing rate of H5N1 avian influenza virus had reached 100%. The article suggested that “people change their habit of drinking red wine and beer and swapping it for baijiu which could effectively resist and prevent avian influenza virus.”
A senior manager of a baijiu company in Sichuan told Beijing News, “There are great differences between baijiu and medical alcohol in terms of production technology, use and other aspects. Strong baijiu can not replace medical alcohol. It is suggested that consumers should not believe the rumors, and do a good job of prevention and control in accordance with the authoritative epidemic prevention measures issued by the national health and Health Commission.”
Medical alcohol is mainly used to disinfect the surface of direct contact objects, and the alcohol in baijiu is absorbed through the digestive tract and finally enters the blood after drinking, which cannot play the role of eliminating the new coronavirus. “No specific food can help us resist the new coronavirus, eat and drink normally, and maintain a reasonable nutritional status. Any food and health care products that claim to be able to help fight the new coronavirus are profiteers who fish in troubled waters. “