FALSE: WHO approves COVID-19 cure that can end virus 100%

At a glance

• Claim: The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a cure for COVID-19 that can 100% end the virus: a concoction of pepper powder, honey, and ginger juice taken for five consecutive days.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: There is no cure or treatment for COVID-19 as of May 2021. The WHO did not approve the supposed remedy and has warned against self-medication.
• Why we fact-checked this: The claim has been circulating on social media and in messaging apps.

Complete details

A forwarded message circulating on social media and in messaging apps claims that the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a concoction that can eliminate the effect of COVID-19 “up to 100%.”

The false claim says that the cure for COVID-19 is a concoction of “one teaspoon of pepper powder, two teaspoons of honey, and a little ginger juice taken for five consecutive days.”

It says that an Indian student from the Pondicherry University in India discovered this cure, and that “the whole world is starting to take this treatment” in 2021.

This is false.

As of May 2021, the WHO has not approved a cure for COVID-19. In a virtual press conference in April 2020, the organization said that while traditional home remedies may help alleviate certain illnesses, it should not be taken as a cure for COVID-19.

Home remedies for COVID-19 have been lurking around since the start of pandemic, but the WHO has consistently warned against self-medication.

The forwarded message does not mention the name of the student of Pondicherry University who supposedly discovered the cure. However, a related fact check from The Logical Indian in July 2020 said that Pondicherry University vice chancellor Gurmeet Singh had confirmed that the circulating message was not true. 

The Department of Health in the Philippines has also maintained that currently there is no licensed medication that cures COVID-19, but there are ongoing clinical trials that investigate the effectiveness of certain drugs for COVID-19.

Even the vaccines that have been granted emergency use authorization cannot cure COVID-19. What vaccines like Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson do is lower the chances of getting infected or prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

Rappler also debunked a claim in June 2020 that said a hot environment, ginger, and garlic could prevent COVID-19.

The Philippines has 1,193,976 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, May 26. Of these, 20,169 died while 1,127,770 recovered. – JD Moncada/Rappler.com

This article was written by a volunteer of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program, a five-week exclusive and hands-on training on detecting, investigating, and verifying online misinformation and disinformation.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.