Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just got an email my Lexington church's secretary sent the entire congregation - another member passed an article on to her from yet another member, with an article advocating gargling with hot salty water as a treatment for Corona. NO ONE CHECKED the effectiveness of such a treatment, which snopes.com lists as a hoax and the World Health Organization has also stated does not work!
It may help common colds, and soothe a sore throat - but folks, if you think you have corona virus, get tested, and if you do, follow genuine medical advise, which does NOT include "stay home and gargle with hot salty water for the first two days" and "grandma knew best".
This yarn seems to have originated with a couple of doctors whose specialty is heart and stroke issues, located in Washington state. You'd think by virtue of their location, they'd know better.
My church has a lot of older members, and I bet few of them know about snopes.com, which checks out and debunks fakery of various sorts. Not all of which is potentially life-threatening.
I have emailed the secretary and called the office of the person who passed this on to the well-intentioned member who re-sent it to the secretary, who then sent it far and wide...viral transmission, ironically.
I am so frustrated over this sort of gullibility among folks who should know better, good intentions or not.
It could be more of a "telephone" game type misunderstanding. The original message may have been that gargling with salt water would SOOTHE a sore throat (something that's been known for generations), but along the way some idiotic person didn't pay attention or was grasping at straws out of fear. Then passed it on incorrectly and it got traction.
It could be more of a "telephone" game type misunderstanding. The original message may have been that gargling with salt water would SOOTHE a sore throat (something that's been known for generations), but along the way some idiotic person didn't pay attention or was grasping at straws out of fear. Then passed it on incorrectly and it got traction.
Could be - but the message that I and other church members received including the article by the local doctor, under the letterhead of the Washington state doctors, with the suggestion that if someone is diagnosed with COVID-19, they should NOT contact their doctor but instead, stay home for two days and gargle hot salty water instead. That's potentially lethal advice.
If the suggestion was just to gargle with hot salty water to soothe a sore throat, I'd be fine with it. But that's not what it said.
I am pleased to report that the very well-meaning person who forwarded this to the church congregation also sent out a retraction and an apology within a couple of hours.
Snopes.com has a piece about this, which is apparently going "viral" among the gullible and vulnerable at present.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
