By: Sunil Kumar
May 13 2020
False: 59 people in a church have died after drinking Dettol to prevent the coronavirus infection.
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
A South African story reported in 2016 about congregants who drank bleach has been falsely attributed as a 2020 COVID-19 story.
Claim ID 19981661
A South African story reported in 2016 about congregants who drank bleach has been falsely attributed as a 2020 COVID-19 story.An article published by the Kenya Today on 19 March 2020 stated that fifty-nine people had died and four were in critical condition after Prophet Rufus Phala gave his members Dettol to drink as preventive medicine for the coronavirus. There are no updates of this story available. Articles published by The Citizen and News24 in December 2016 state that Prophet Rufus Phala of AK Spiritual Christian Church in Makgodu, Limpopo, had made his congregants drink antiseptic liquid Dettol by saying that they would be cured of their illnesses. Therefore it is proved that a 2016 news story has been falsely claimed as a 2020 story. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.