After the COVID-19 test turns negative, should we replace toothbrushes, lipsticks and other daily necessities? The December scientific rumor list is released. Let's hear what the experts say.

1. "After the COVID-19 test turns negative, do we need to replace toothbrushes, lipsticks and other daily necessities?"

Rumor content: After the COVID-19 test turns negative, all daily necessities that have been in close contact, such as toothbrushes, lipsticks, etc., need to be replaced to avoid reinfection.

Truth Interpretation: After recovering from COVID-19 infection, there is no need to replace daily necessities. On the one hand, the survival time of the new coronavirus on the surface of objects under experimental conditions is generally no more than 10 days. On the other hand, even if you come into contact with the same strain of virus that is still alive, the specific antibodies produced by the immune cells in the body can clear the virus, and you will generally not be infected again by the same strain in the short term. Therefore, after "passing the test", your lipstick, lip balm, toothbrush, and cup can all be used, not to mention other daily necessities, which do not need to be replaced.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

2. “You can prevent COVID-19 by taking medicine”

Rumor content: There are some special medicines that can be taken in advance to reduce the possibility of infection with the new coronavirus.

Truth Interpretation: At present (as of December 28, 2022), there are no drugs on the market in my country that can clearly reduce the possibility of COVID-19 infection. Whether it is the so-called COVID-19 special medicine that is hot-selling online, or some other cold medicines, it is impossible to prevent infection by taking medicine in advance. In the absence of infection, the indiscriminate use of therapeutic drugs to prevent infection may cause adverse drug reactions, and overdose of drugs may also cause liver and kidney damage.

Source: Toutiao refutes rumors

3. "You can't take ibuprofen after being infected with COVID-19, otherwise it will aggravate the condition"

Rumor content: Do not use ibuprofen if you have COVID-19. Using it will make you more susceptible to infection and worsen your condition.

Truth interpretation: The statement that "you cannot use ibuprofen if you have COVID-19, otherwise it will aggravate the condition" is just a hypothesis proposed by a study in early 2020. Several international authoritative organizations, such as the European Medicines Agency, have stated that "there is no evidence that there is a link between ibuprofen and worsening symptoms of COVID-19 infection" and "discontinuation of ibuprofen is not recommended." Therefore, if you have a fever and pain due to COVID-19, you can use ibuprofen if there are no drug contraindications. After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, you may have a fever or sometimes pain at the injection site. In this case, using painkillers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen will not weaken the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Source: Tencent is serious and scientific rumor refutation

4. "Drinking plain water is useless when you have COVID-19, only drinking electrolyte water is effective"

Rumor content: Electrolyte water can relieve the symptoms of COVID-19. Drinking plain water is useless if you are infected with COVID-19. You should drink electrolyte water instead.

Truth Interpretation: COVID-19 infection may cause fever, sweating, loss of water and electrolytes, and sore throat. Drinking water at this time is good for the body's recovery. For most people, it is enough to ensure adequate fluid intake. Boiled water, soup, and mineral water are all fine. It is not "drinking electrolyte water is effective". However, patients with diarrhea have more serious electrolyte loss, and drinking electrolyte water will help them. If the patient is unable to take in fluids on his own, he needs to go to the hospital. It is not recommended to handle it at home.

Source: Tencent

5. “It is impossible to be infected again within three months after being infected with the new coronavirus once”

Rumor content: After being infected with the new coronavirus once, it is impossible to be infected again within three months, so "the sooner the better" and "if you get positive once, you can have sex without worry for three months"

Truth Interpretation: The online rumor that "there will be no secondary infection within three months" is actually a misunderstanding of some secondary infection rules. Generally speaking, within three months after infection, the immune response brought about by the infection, such as neutralizing antibodies, remains at a high level, and the risk of reinfection is relatively low. However, blocking secondary infection is affected by multiple factors such as the difference in neutralizing antibodies produced by individuals, how long the infection has occurred, and whether new mutant strains have appeared. Under the influence of these different factors, we can only say that past infections can reduce the risk of secondary infection to a certain extent, but we cannot guarantee that there will be no reinfection within three months.

Source: Tencent

6. "Antigen test kits are inaccurate, and testing with orange juice can also result in positive results"

Rumor content: Antigen test kits are inaccurate and can test positive even when using orange juice. Similarly, you cannot eat oranges or tangerines before doing an antigen test, otherwise the test will be positive.

Truth Interpretation: The positive test result from orange juice is actually a false positive. The test kit is developed based on human samples and needs to be performed under appropriate pH conditions. The sample type is not suitable for testing antigens with oranges because under acidic conditions, the colloidal gold particles in the antigen detection reagent will non-specifically aggregate, leading to a false positive reaction. In addition, a positive test result from an unqualified sample does not mean that the antigen test is inaccurate.

Source: Tencent News Knowledge Officer, Scientific Rumor Refutation

About the Science Rumors List

Released by the China Association for Science and Technology, the list is reviewed by experts every month. Based on criteria such as timeliness and harmfulness, hot rumors are selected for special interpretation and pushed across the entire network.

Jointly published: Scientific rumor-busting platform, China Internet Joint Rumor-busting Platform, "Study to Strengthen the Country" learning platform

Platform support: Tencent Jiuzhen, Weibo Rumor Refutation, Toutiao Rumor Refutation, Douyin, Dad Review, NetEase Health

List of review experts (in order of the number of strokes of surnames)

Liu Guiyang Chief Pharmacist, Fourth Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

Chen Rui, Associate Professor, Institute of Communication Psychology, School of Journalism, Communication University of China

Jin Dong, Associate Researcher, Institute of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Gao Chao, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Tang Qin, Director and Researcher of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association

This article is produced by the "Science Rumor Refutation Platform" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting. This article is from the copyright gallery and is not authorized for reprinting.

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