A critically acclaimed German virologist has claimed drinking whisky can aid in warding off the COVID-19 infection.
Dr Juergen Rissland, who is the head doctor at the Institute for Virology at Saarland University Hospital in Germany, has gone against advice from the World Health Organisation that explicitly states drinking alcohol does not protect a person in any way from testing positive for COVID-19 and can in fact be dangerous.
While speaking on the show Health Issues, Dr Rissland answered a question from one audience member who wanted to know if it was a good idea to drink alcohol to kill any viruses he has possible swallowed.
“Yes, of course, that’s true,” the expert replied. “And the higher the percentage of alcohol, the better it is.
“For example, if you are a whisky lover, then that certainly isn’t a bad idea.
“But of course you need to bear in mind that you can’t do that every 15 minutes, that is something else to consider.”
The presenter interrupted to say “Are we really advising our viewers to drink high-proof alcohol?”
Dr Rissland continued by saying, “I would say it can’t do any harm although we need to remember that it’s not a guaranteed cure for the problem.”
The health professional later defended his claims and made it clear the virus was susceptible to alcohol due to it having a fatty coating.
This article originally appeared on Over60.