A study showed bleach and isopropyl alcohol can kill coronavirus in saliva or respiratory fluids in a few minutes.

The World Health Organisation strictly advises against ingesting bleach or disinfectants like isopropyl alcohol to cure coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states in a section dedicated to busting myths about the novel coronavirus that methanol, ethanol, and bleach are poisons, and drinking them can lead to disability and death. Methanol, ethanol, and bleach are sometimes used in cleaning products to kill viruses on the surface, but they should not be ingested. These chemicals do not kill the virus in the human body and can severely harm internal organs.

WHO advises disinfecting objects and surfaces- especially those that are touched regularly- with diluted bleach or alcohol to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.

Reference links

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

refutes

World Health Organization

refutes

World Health Organization

neutral

Have a question or correction on one of our fact-checks?

If you think a claim has been misjudged or requires correction, please send us evidence to support your error claim. We will revisit our evidence and verdict and conduct additional research to verify new information.

Fact Check of the Day

false

The BBC censored the crowd booing Boris Johnson at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.