Sorry to ruin a part of your quarantine routine, but science says drinking alcohol can actually make coronavirus worse. So, you better save your stash for later when this pandemic is over.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO)—contrary to "news" spreading online—alcohol doesn't protect against COVID-19. In fact, the organization wants alcohol access to be restricted during the duration of the pandemic.
"Alcohol consumption is associated with a range of communicable and noncommunicable diseases and mental health disorders, which can make a person more vulnerable to COVID-19," the WHO says. "In particular, alcohol compromises the body's immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic."
The WHO further advises those mentally at risk and vulnerable during self-isolation to avoid alcohol, adding that alcohol is responsible for three million deaths a year worldwide.
"Alcohol is consumed in excessive quantities in the European Region, and leaves too many victims. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we should really ask ourselves what risks we are taking in leaving people under lockdown in their homes with a substance that is harmful both in terms of their health and the effects of their behavior on others, including violence," WHO program manager Carina Ferreira-Borges says.
Suffice to say, now is not the time to hold virtual drinking parties.
