3 ms·

This is anecdata, so beware. For a full story, email me. I have minor symptoms, and have been self-isolating since Wednesday (18) because many people around me

This is anecdata, so beware. For a full story, email me. I have minor symptoms, and have been self-isolating since Wednesday (18) because many people around me were coughing on Monday (16) & Tuesday (17). The government here in NZ has not issued any lockdown instructions. Due to comments here on HN, I decided to buy 4x 1.5 litres of ordinary Schweppes tonic water. Panic buying had not yet struck (it has now, but mostly bread, pasta, and toilet roll). I shared one bottle around the office, and gave one to my homestay family. I've been drinking about 3 glasses per day, a litre at most. It's a sub-clinical dose for sub-clinical symptoms. The bitterness causes immediate sputum production in my mouth. Despite feeling a sore throat yesterday, I haven't yet started coughing. I'm advocating for it in direct messages to friends: not because it's some miracle cure for the virus, but because it eases the coughing symptoms and thus might slow the spread. The placebo effect is probably also very real: I feel like I'm doing something, and that calms me down.

SpikeDad 7y ago
I hope the admins here remove this post immediately. This is dangerously false advice based on absolutely nothing but one ridiculous presumption. If people listen to you they're truly ill informed.
- robocat 7y ago
  You are seriously overreacting. He is suggesting drinking a few glasses of tonic water, saying why it is helping him, and prefixed a warning. There is nothing dangerous in his suggestion, and it is obviously not given as a complete medical solution to the epidemic to use for your family.
  - SpikeDad 7y ago
    You didn't read it. He's giving people this advice. It's dangerous advice. I am not overreacting. This is a time for solid, real medical information and not anecdotal folklore.
    - exclusiv 7y ago
      It's tonic water. You are overreacting.
- jshevek 7y ago
  He is sharing his personal experience. He is not making unreasonable claims. His recommendation, to his friends, is not dangerous. No one should mistake this as an alternative to proper treatment.
- gjs278 7y ago
  I hope admins ban you for advocating withholding information

SpikeDad 7y ago

I hope the admins here remove this post immediately. This is dangerously false advice based on absolutely nothing but one ridiculous presumption. If people listen to you they're truly ill informed.

robocat 7y ago
You are seriously overreacting. He is suggesting drinking a few glasses of tonic water, saying why it is helping him, and prefixed a warning. There is nothing dangerous in his suggestion, and it is obviously not given as a complete medical solution to the epidemic to use for your family.
- SpikeDad 7y ago
  You didn't read it. He's giving people this advice. It's dangerous advice. I am not overreacting. This is a time for solid, real medical information and not anecdotal folklore.
  - exclusiv 7y ago
    It's tonic water. You are overreacting.
jshevek 7y ago
He is sharing his personal experience. He is not making unreasonable claims. His recommendation, to his friends, is not dangerous. No one should mistake this as an alternative to proper treatment.
gjs278 7y ago
I hope admins ban you for advocating withholding information