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WHO official pushes back on virus myths

WHO official pushes back on virus myths
Posted at 1:52 PM, May 08, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-08 13:52:37-04

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization's emergencies chief is pushing back against misinformation that heating or cooling the body can help fight the coronavirus.

Dr. Michael Ryan said Friday he’d heard “various stories” suggesting it might be important “to be very hot or be very cold” to fight COVID-19.

“This has no impact on the virus,” he said.

Ryan's comments were the latest attempt to dispel urban legend and other speculation about how to defend against, counteract or seek miracle home remedy-style cures for the pandemic disease.

Ryan noted that viruses and infectious diseases often cause the body to have fevers.

“Having a temperature in itself is not necessarily a bad thing,” he said. “But also that temperature has to be carefully monitored, especially in children.”

“But the idea that temperature itself is affecting the way the virus will behave in the body is not true.”