www.bbc.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.64.81  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

LET US KNOW YOU AGREE TO COOKIES

We use cookies to give you the best online experience. Please let us know if you
agree to all of these cookies.

Yes, I agree

No, take me to settings

BBC Homepage
 * Skip to content
 * Accessibility Help

 * Sign in
 * Home
 * News
 * Sport
 * Reel
 * Worklife
 * Travel
 * Future
 * Culture
 * MenuMore

Search
 * Home
 * News
 * Sport
 * Reel
 * Worklife
 * Travel
 * Future
 * Culture
 * Music
 * TV
 * Weather
 * Sounds

Close menu
BBC News
Menu
 * Home
 * Coronavirus
 * Climate
 * Video
 * World
 * UK
 * Business
 * Tech
 * Science
 * Stories
 * Entertainment & Arts

More
 * Health
 * World News TV
 * In Pictures
 * Reality Check
 * Newsbeat
 * Long Reads


COVID: IVERMECTIN, MILK AMONG INDONESIA'S UNPROVEN 'CURES'

By Shruti Menon
BBC Reality Check

Published20 July 2021
Share
close
Share page
Copy link
About sharing
Related Topics
 * Reality Check

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Residents in some areas of Indonesia have struggled to find oxygen supplies

With the surge of the Delta variant in Indonesia, misleading claims about
products claiming to be cures and preventions are on the rise.

Hospitals are struggling to cope with soaring numbers of patients and shortages
of oxygen, and people are increasingly desperate to get help for sick family or
friends.

We have looked at some examples of health misinformation being shared.


1. CLAIMS THAT AN ANTI-PARASITE DRUG HAS BEEN APPROVED

There have been growing numbers of Indonesians sharing claims about using the
anti-parasitic drug, Ivermectin.

Interest surged after local media reports said incorrectly that the Indonesian
authorities had granted it emergency approval.

But the drug is still undergoing trials, and is so far unproven as a cure for
Covid.



The reports were based on a 15 July statement issued by the Food and Drugs
Authority of Indonesia (BPOM).

But shortly afterwards, BPOM's head, Penny Lukito, told local media that no
emergency approval had been given to Ivermectin.



The confusion arose because the medicine was put on a list together with other
drugs, two of which did have emergency approval.

Ms Lukito explained that Ivermectin was included because it's undergoing
clinical trials at eight hospitals, but the results are not expected until
October and no approval has been given so far.

Ivermectin was already being promoted as a treatment by some public figures,
despite the World Health Organization's (WHO) warning that it should be used
only under certain clinical settings.

Health practitioner Reza Gunawan has been promoting Ivermectin on his Twitter
account, where he has more than 350,000 followers.



When we asked him why he was doing this, he replied: "Ivermectin is relatively
safe, low cost, effective, fast and easy to implement, and can complement the
ongoing vaccination programme."

He added that he is not a medical doctor.

The manufacturer, Merck, has said that there is no scientific study as yet that
proves Ivermectin works against Covid-19.

Dr Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist at Australia's Griffith University, has said
it should not be used unsupervised, and that there could be "very serious side
effects if it is not used under a doctor's supervision".

There are quite a few countries, including the UK, investigating it as a
possible treatment.


2. CLAIMS THAT A MILK BRAND PRODUCES ANTIBODIES

Several videos showing Indonesians rushing to buy up Nestle's Bear Brand milk
have gone viral.


Image source, EPA

This happened after claims emerged on social media and WhatsApp groups that
drinking this brand of milk could produce Covid antibodies.

The price of the milk shot up by 455%.

It is unclear where this claim originated, and there's no evidence that drinking
milk can produce Covid antibodies.

Nestle in Indonesia told the BBC that the company has never claimed their
product can generate a Covid antibody response, which can only come from a
vaccine or a previous infection.


3. IMMUNITY 'BOOSTERS' AND NATURAL REMEDIES

Social media posts are being widely shared about a product called propolis,
described as an immunity booster.


Image caption,
An example of a social media post promoting propolis to help fight Covid

These have been circulating on Twitter and Facebook, with many claiming that the
product helps protect you against Covid-19.

Propolis is a natural substance produced by bees and sold as an alternative
remedy to treat inflammation or sores.

It has been certified for sale in Indonesia since 2018 as a traditional medicine
and health supplement by the country's food and drugs regulator.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Propolis is a resin-like substance which bees use to build their hives

"British propolis", as it's known in Indonesia, has an official Instagram
account where claims have been made that it can help against viruses, but not
specifically Covid-19.

However, one post we saw on the official account talks about consuming this
product "in addition to wearing masks" and refers to "prevention from within by
increasing the body's resistance."

There is no evidence that it does anything to prevent Covid infections.

We contacted the company marketing the product in Indonesia to ask them about
it, but had received no response by the time of publication.

 * Fake 'Covid immunity booster' sold in shops
 * Fact-checking claims about India's Covid 'cure'

There've been lots of claims about "immunity boosters" during the pandemic, not
just in Indonesia but in many other countries.

We asked Dr Faheem Younus, who is head of infectious diseases at the University
of Maryland in the US and tackles health myths on his Twitter handle. about the
claims you can prevent Covid this way.

He says the term "immunity booster" is very general, and there's no evidence
these substances work against Covid.

We've also seen claims being shared on social media around using other natural
remedies against Covid in Indonesia.

For example, there have been suggestions that you should drink or inhale cajeput
oil, a plant-derived oil usually used to treat skin irritations, to prevent
coronavirus.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
There've been misleading claims plant-derived oils can prevent Covid

Again, this product is not shown to work against Covid-19.

The oil has properties similar to eucalyptus oil, and in fact if inhaled it
could cause respiratory issues and prove to be harmful.


 * Read more from Reality Check
 * Send us your questions


RELATED TOPICS

 * Coronavirus vaccines
 * Indonesia
 * Reality Check
 * Coronavirus pandemic





TOP STORIES

 * Live. 
   
   UK PM gets MP grilling over lockdown parties

 * Johnson told by own MP: In the name of God, go. VideoJohnson told by own MP:
   In the name of God, go
   
   Published1 hour ago

 * New images show scale of damage to ash-laden Tonga
   
   Published57 minutes ago




FEATURES

 * Biden's first year in office - in six charts
   
   

 * Olympics tempt businesses to ignore Uyghur abuses
   
   

 * Tonga tsunami: Before and after eruption
   
   
 * 

 * The resilience of a survivor of five suicide attacks
   
   

 * Why your new phone could disrupt flights and ground planes
   
   

 * The women facing rape threats on Clubhouse
   
   

 * BBC Future: How Arctic kids learn resilience
   
   

 * 'If I find a body, I recover a piece of my son' Video'If I find a body, I
   recover a piece of my son'
   
   

 * Health warnings over Tonga volcanic ash and sulphur
   
   




ELSEWHERE ON THE BBC

 * Frankie Boyle is as outrageous as ever!
   
   The best bits and unseen footage from his latest series
   
   

 * Cars are safer than they have ever been...
   
   So why are Britain’s roads becoming more dangerous?
   
   




MOST READ

 * 1Czech singer dies after getting Covid deliberately
 * 2New images show scale of damage to ash-laden Tonga
 * 3Face mask rules and Covid passes to end in England
 * 4Trump's alleged fraud detailed in new court papers
 * 5Britney issues cease and desist letter to sister
 * 6Millionaires ask to pay more tax
 * 7UK's 12 most-wanted suspects in Spain named
 * 8Further arrest in teacher murder investigation
 * 9Ringleader jailed in Belgium for UK lorry deaths
 * 10Biden's first year in office - in six charts







BBC NEWS SERVICES

 * On your mobile
 * On smart speakers
 * Get news alerts
 * Contact BBC News

 * Home
 * News
 * Sport
 * Reel
 * Worklife
 * Travel
 * Future
 * Culture
 * Music
 * TV
 * Weather
 * Sounds

 * Terms of Use
 * About the BBC
 * Privacy Policy
 * Cookies
 * Accessibility Help
 * Parental Guidance
 * Contact the BBC
 * Get Personalised Newsletters
 * Why you can trust the BBC
 * Advertise with us
 * AdChoices / Do Not Sell My Info

© 2022 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read
about our approach to external linking.