Over the last few weeks, a deadly new coronavirus has swept across China, infecting thousands of people and leading to huge travel bans.
Now, a scam message has started circulating on WhatsApp, which claims to reveal a cure for the virus.
The message has been doing the rounds this week, and suggests that garlic can cure the virus.
It was shared on Twitter by one user, who claimed it had been sent to him on the family WhatsApp group.
The message reads: “Pass it please. Good news, Wuhan’s corona virus can be cured by one bowl of freshly boiled garlic water.
“Old Chinese doctor has proven it’s efficacy. Many patients has also proven this to be effective. Eight (8) cloves of chopped garlic add 7(cups) of water and bring to boil.
“Eat and drink the boiled garlic water, overnight improvement and heading. Glad to share this.”
Unsurprisingly, the message is a hoax.
The NHS explained: “There is no specific treatment for coronavirus. Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the infection.”
If you receive the message, WhatsApp advises you delete it and do not forward it on to any of your contacts.
It explained: “We always advise you to block the sender, disregard the message and delete it.
“To avoid exposing your contacts to potential harm, please never forward these messages to them.”
