No, Coronavirus Does Not Have pH Value. The Viral Message is Fake

Instead of creating awareness, the constant barrage of messages about the coronavirus has caused panic among the general public. It has led the WhatsApp University experts to come up with a number of homemade remedies to ward off COVID-19.

A fine example of a so-called “cure” is theadvice to eat more alkaline food items of higher pH value than the coronavirus. Because it will “defeat the coronavirus”, the viral message claims.

Fact Crescendo reached out to experts to know the veracity of the claim. It turns out that it is not true.

THE CLAIM

Many users have been sharing the message that reads: 

This is to tell all of us that the pH for the coronary virus varies from 5.5 to 8.5. What we need to do, to defeat the coronary virus, is to consume more alkaline foods above the virus’s pH level.

Some of them are:

 * Lemon – 9.9 pH

 * Lime – 8.2 pH

 * Avocados – 15.6 pH

 * Garlic – 13.2 pH *

 * Mango – 8.7pH

 * Tangerine – 8.5pH

 * Pineapple – 12.7 pH

 * Dandelion – 22.7 pH

 * Orange – 9.2 pH

Archive

FACT-CHECK

Fact Crescendo reached out to Dr. Sharad Kale, a veteran scientist from Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC). He told us that the viral message is completely false and riddled with unscientific information.

“The coronavirus does not have a pH. The statement itself is baseless. The information given in the message is scientifically wrong. That’s why it is pointless to say that alkaline food items can prevent coronavirus infection.” he said.

Oyewale Tomori, professor of virology with the WHO, told Africa Check that the claim about the pH of the new coronavirus was incorrect. “Coronavirus has nothing to do with the stomach, so how do these ‘alkaline foods’, like lemon, lime, avocado, and garlic, beat the virus?” he said while urging to ignore such messages.

[READ MORE: Inhalation of hot steam will NOT kill Coronavirus !]

What is pH?

pH is a quantitative measure of the acidity or basicity of aqueous or other liquid solutions. A solution with a pH less than 7 is considered acidic; a solution with a pH greater than 7 is considered basic, or alkaline. A solution with a pH of exactly 7 is considered neutral.

The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.

The Science of Fools

Take a look at the pH values of various food items listed in the message. You will find that Avocado has 15.6 pH and Dandelion is with 22.7 pH. This is beyond science!

Food items exceeding the range of pH scale is quite an imagination of the writer of this message. “Only a fool, who is unknown to basic science, can come up with such utter rubbish claim,” Dr. Kale expressed his amusement.

The other pH values given in the message are also not true. For example, lemon has a pH between 1 to 1.5, but the message says 9.9. 

Dr. Kale advised, “You can eat fruits as much as you like. But it would be futile to expect it to prevent coronavirus infection. For that, you need to follow preventive measures issued by the WHO.”

Fact Crescendo Marathi has previously debunked this claim.

No Medicine for Coronavirus Yet!

WHO clearly states that as on date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus. However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. Some specific treatments are under investigation and will be tested through clinical trials. 

CONCLUSION

The viral message claim about the pH of novel coronavirus is false and baseless. Novel coronavirus does not have its own pH. So, it is pointless to assume alkaline food can prevent the infection of the virus.

You can read Fact Crescendo’s other fact-checks about Coronavirus here.