But let this be a warning. The good people of the Skeptical movement have been bringing a number of local versions of these scams to the attention of the relevant authorities.
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Coronavirus has dragged the woo-merchants out of the woodwork, especially among the chiropractic fraternity. The site linked below is just one of them.It’s just now a matter of waiting to see if those authorities pick up the ball and run with it … An Idaho chiropractor who previously posted videos advocating against vaccinations has been running Facebook ads falsely claiming his products can prevent infection from COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
In one promoted video, titled “How to PREVENT COVID-19 Virus from infecting you…” he wears a white baseball cap backward and advises people to use a “silver spray” instead of hand sanitizer. The spray does not contain alcohol and is ineffective protection against the virus — but he does sell it. The ad included links to his website. Or at least he did until recently. His homepage claimed that the website managing company Shopify removed one of his products. The shop was removed entirely after an inquiry from BuzzFeed News. |
Steven Baker said on his Facebook page that he was “uncovering controversial content, educating the masses,” but the videos he has posted go against the scientific consensus on how to behave during the pandemic.Social media networks have recently said they’re cracking down on COVID-19 misinformation. Facebook said it will not tolerate misleading ads, and Twitter has removed tweets containing bad information, including from heads of state.
Colloidal silver products sold online like silver water, silver cream, and silver spray have previously been targets of US authorities trying to stop false COVID-19 cures. This effort has included cease-and-desist letters sent to televangelist Jim Bakker and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
Baker, the chiropractor, is attempting to sell a similar substance. Although the promoted link doesn’t lead to an active page, the spray, supplements, and other products are still available on his website.
“To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus,” the World Health Organization says on its website.
Likewise, the FDA has said “there are no approved vaccines, drugs or investigational products currently available to treat or prevent the virus.”