Many people are spreading the news that alcohol consumption can help prevent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). They say that alcohol can kill the virus just as hand sanitizers help in keeping the germs at bay.
However, the Health Ministry says, drinking alcohol or using it as hand sanitizers cannot prevent a person from getting infected.
“When we say hand sanitizers in English and when we translate that in Dzongkha, it comes out as Chang-Chu, alcohol. So people think that consumption of it can also help when it helps when applied on hands. I want to say that the consumption of alcohol will not help. And certainly, it is not the regular alcohol that will help as hand sanitizers. The actual hand sanitizers have a high content of spirit in it. Normal alcohol such as beers has only 8% alcohol content whereas actual hand sanitizers have up to 80 to 90%,” said Dechen Wangmso, the Health Minister.
Lyonpo added that the best way not to get infected is personal hygiene; washing hands regularly with soap and water.
Tshering Dhendup
