Methanol
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Hundreds of Iranians seeking a "magic cure" for coronavirus paid with their lives after drinking methanol.

Iranian media reported that at least 300 people died in the past few weeks after false reports claimed that drinking methanol would help them recover from coronavirus.

After over 2,500 people in the Islamic Republic died from the virus, and another 33,000 were confirmed carriers, many Iranians turned to "magic cures." One of these "cures" was drinking methanol, a flammable, poisonous and colorless form of alcohol which is used as fuel and anti-freeze, and which can be used as a lethal poison.

Many Iranians decided to try their luck, despite the fact that alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden in the Shariah-ruled state. As a result, 300 of those who drank the methanol died, and another thousand are currently hospitalized.

Hussein Hasnian, an Iranian doctor working with Tehran's Health Ministry, told AP that "the scope of the problem is much greater. I estimate the number of deaths to be 480, and the number of those who got sick from drinking methanol to be at least 2,850."

"Other countries have only one problem, and that is the new coronavirus pandemic. We are fighting on two fronts here. We need to heal those with alcohol poisoning, and also fight the coronavirus pandemic."

In one video shared on social media, a 5-year-old child can be seen attached to to a breathing monitor. The child had gone blind after his parents gave him methanol.