MDEC Chairman Recommends 'Corona Cure' That Was Already Debunked Last Year
Responding to netizens’ comments, Dr Rais claimed that he only said it prevents “virus attack” and did not mention COVID-19, despite the image clearly stating 'corona'.
By Sadho Ram — 14 Jan 2021, 03:57 PM — Updated almost 4 years ago
Bersatu Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff, who is also the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation chairman since June 2020, is recommending people take a bogus 'corona cure'
Earlier today, 14 January, Dr Rais took to his Twitter account to share an image titled 'corona kashayam' that claims drinking a boiled mixture of turmeric, cloves, lemons, and ginger will cure coronavirus positive patients.
In his tweet, the MDEC chairman wrote: "Try this ... I have started ... May help to prevent virus attack !"
The so-called 'corona kashayam' originated in India last year
Back then, India's BOOM, an independent fact-checking platform that fights misinformation, already debunked the claim about the Ayurvedic/traditional concoction.
In its report, BOOM stated that it spoke to an Ayurveda expert who stated that "the mixture can be consumed as an immunity booster but should not be labelled as a cure for COVID-19".
The image tweeted by Dr Rais and the claim that went viral last year includes the same text.
According to BOOM, they found that while the ingredients mentioned in the viral image are effective against viral illnesses, there is no study that supports the effectiveness of the ingredients in acting against COVID-19
"Turmeric is known to have anti-viral properties but its exact mode of action is not scientifically explained. On similar lines, ginger was seen to stop influenza virus from replicating when used with other natural compounds in a 2013 study. Cloves traditionally known as laving were seen to exhibit anti-viral properties against the herpes virus. Lemons that are sources of Vitamin C have also been reported to improve immunity."
Meanwhile, Dr Rais has since responded to netizens' comments to say that the mixture is to "prevent virus attack" and that he did not mention COVID-19, despite the image clearly stating 'corona'
