Nearly 300 people in Iran have been killed after drinking a toxic chemical in the mistaken belief that it would save them from the coronavirus, according to local reports from the country. The Associated Press reports that thousands of Iranians have been chugging toxic methanol—an industrial alcohol—on the completely false basis that it protects people against the virus. News of the fake cure has reportedly spread like wildfire across social media in Iran, and people are deeply suspicious of official government advice not to drink methanol because it downplayed the virus crisis for days before it overwhelmed the country. Iranian media report nearly 300 people have been killed and more than 1,000 sickened by drinking methanol, and AP reported one case of a 5-year-old boy who was blinded after his parents gave him the poison. As of now, there is no known cure for COVID-19.
