Fact check: ‘Makabuhay’ and other antibiotics can ‘cure’ 2019 novel coronavirus
- A video went viral on social media after claiming that makabuhay plant can be used to treat the 2019 novel coronavirus
- The man claimed that dropping the resin of the makabuhay on the eye is an effective cure
- However, it has been reported that the claim is false and just misleading the people
- Health experts in the Philippines debunked the claim and said that antibiotics cannot be used to kill viruses
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A video has been circulating on social media claiming that makabuhay or tinospora crispa plants can be used as “antibiotics” to cure the 2019 novel coronavirus.
However, KAMI learned that the claim in the video is false and just misleading the netizens.
In a report by French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), a man took a video where he was finding a makabuhay plant.
“Ang makabuhay ay number one na antibiotic. Napakahusay na antibiotic. Ito’y mapait ngunit hindi nakakalason,” the man in the video said.
He also added that the makabuhay plant can be dropped on the eyes to kill the viruses.
“Mas mabilis ang bisa nito ‘pag itong dagta nito, ‘yung katas, ay ipapatak nang direkta sa magkabilang mata,” he added.
However, San Lazaro Hospital spokesperson Dr. Ferdinand De Guzman has debunked the claim and clarified that the novel coronavirus cannot be treated with antibiotics.
“The novel coronavirus is a virus so an antibiotic would have no effect,” De Guzman said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jaime Purification of the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Herbal Medicine said that there is no scientific basis that makabuhay is an effective cure for novel coronavirus.
“Our indication for [medical benefits of] makabuhay is [only] for scabies,” Purification said.
“The eyes are a sensitive organ of the body. It’s dangerous because there are no safety studies,” he added.
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In a previous report by KAMI, the Department of Health (DOH) urged the public to refrain from attending mass events and going to large crowds amid the 2019 novel coronavirus scare.
The novel coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan and the death toll in China linked to the disease has risen to over 1,000.
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
