{"id":9002,"date":"2021-09-01T13:14:28","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T05:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=9002"},"modified":"2021-09-14T20:05:22","modified_gmt":"2021-09-14T12:05:22","slug":"earthworms-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/earthworms-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Citizens Advertise Using Earthworms To Treat Covid-19, Health Officials Warn Against Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ministry of Health warns against using earthworms to treat Covid-19<\/h2>\n
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The Covid-19 pandemic is a major threat in Vietnam right now. So far, the country has recorded 462,000 infections and 11,000 Covid-19-related deaths. Understandably, the people are concerned.<\/p>\n

And as we Vietnamese have an idiom that roughly translates to, \u201cwhen you\u2019re sick, you look everywhere for a cure,\u201d some citizens have started p<\/strong>romoting the use of earthworms in treating Covid-19<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

However, health officials have warned against this practice<\/strong>. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

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Citizens advertise that earthworms can help treat Covid-19<\/h3>\n
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\"earthworms\"
\nImage credit: Lac Dang<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In traditional Eastern medicine, earthworms \u2013 also fancily referred to as \u201cearth dragons\u201d \u2013 are an ingredient believed to have the medical properties to help treat high fever, joint ache, numbness in limbs, and various other conditions.<\/p>\n

Perhaps it is for this reason that some people have been advertising that earthworms can also help protect against Covid-19 symptoms. Recently, for instance, a well-known actress found herself in the center of controversies after she started promoting this practice.<\/p>\n

As Tu\u1ed5i Tr\u1ebb<\/a> reported, on 16th August, this actress posted on her Facebook page, which has over 2 million followers, the story of a Covid-19 patient who allegedly tested negative for the virus after consuming earthworms for 5 days.<\/p>\n

\"earthworms
\nAn actress advertises using earthworms to treat Covid-19 on her Facebook page<\/em>
\nImage adapted from Tu\u1ed5i Tr\u1ebb<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

For credibility, the post mentioned this patient\u2019s name, address, and phone number, but Tu\u1ed5i Tr\u1ebb<\/a> claimed that when they called this number, nobody answered the phone.<\/p>\n

This story has since been deleted, but the actress continues to post several other claims of the health benefits of earthworms on her Facebook page, which have received mixed responses.<\/p>\n

Some vouch for these claims. \u201cI tried it and my fever actually went away,\u201d one commenter wrote.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nImage credit: Nguy\u1ec5n Trang<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve tried and found it effective. I was positive [for Covid-19], but after 10 days of using earthworms my test came back negative,\u201d another agreed.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nImage credit: Ti\u1ebfn Lu\u00f4n Tr\u1ea7n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, others are more skeptical, saying they\u2019d only believe it if the poster shares a video of herself consuming the earthworms.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\u201cI\u2019d believe it only when the poster consumes earthworms herself.\u201d<\/em>
\nImage credit: \u0110\u1ed7 Mai<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Ministry of Health warns against using earthworms to treat Covid-19<\/h3>\n
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\"processed
\nProcessed earthworms used in Eastern medicine<\/em>
\nImage credit: S\u1ee9c Kh\u1ecfe & \u0110\u1eddi S\u1ed1ng<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Ministry of Health has spoken up against using earthworms to treat Covid-19, saying that it has not received any scientific reports proving that this practice is effective.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the complicated developments of the Covid-19 Delta variant in Vietnam, some individuals have capitalized on citizens\u2019 concerns about finding products that can help protect against the virus to post baseless, unverified, or inaccurate advertisements on social media, including the use of earthworms,\u201d said Dr. Tr\u1ea7n Minh Ng\u1ecdc, Deputy Director-General of the Agency of Traditional Medicine Administration, as quoted in a report by the Ministry of Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"health
\nDr. Tr\u1ea7n Minh Ng\u1ecdc<\/em>
\nImage credit: Ministry of Health<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Therefore, to ensure safety, the Ministry warns that citizens should not use medical products according to unverified advertisements on the Internet.<\/p>\n

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Be careful with what you consume<\/h3>\n
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Some might argue that even if earthworms can\u2019t help treat Covid-19, they are a medical ingredient that has health benefits. But while it\u2019s true that Eastern medicine has been using these worms for generations, they must be carefully processed to ensure hygiene.<\/p>\n

We cannot rule out the fact that shady individuals will try to flood the market with fake or low-quality products to take advantage of gullible consumers.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re feeling unwell, report to medical authorities to be treated, and stay away from unverified products on the Internet.<\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/p>\n