"Try gargling with a mild salt water solution. German scientists conducted experiments on coronaviruses in the throat to demonstrate that gargling with salt water completely alkalizes the throat, creating a hostile environment for the virus that makes its survival difficult," reads a claim in Chinese shared here on Twitter on December 14, 2022.
An accompanying 58-second clip showing stock videos of medical professionals working in a lab and sanitising streets and buildings has been viewed more than 2,000 times.
Simplified Chinese text superimposed on the video reads: "German-style preventive measures end Covid-19."
At the video's 35-second mark, the Mandarin voiceover can be heard saying: "German scientists have assured the German Ministry of Health that if every German gargled daily with mild salt water, Covid would be eradicated within a week."
The claim began to circulate online after China abandoned its zero-Covid strategy on December 7.
The surge of Covid-19 cases that followed overwhelmed...
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