Coronavirus
Representative image.

At least 300 people lost their lives and more than 1000 fell sick after drinking industrial alcohol with the belief that it will cure them of coronavirus which has already left over 2000 dead in Iran.

The poisonings took place after false remedies suggesting how one can cure coronavirus spread like wildfire across social media sites in the country.

As per reports, Iranian social media accounts in Farsi falsely suggested a British school teacher and others cured themselves of the coronavirus with whiskey and honey, based on a tabloid story from early February.

Mixed with messages about the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, some wrongly believed drinking high-proof alcohol would kill the virus in their bodies.

Although drinking alcohol is banned in Iran, people consumed alcohol containing methanol after buying it from bootleggers.

Medical staff in Iran is now facing difficulties as they have to treat patients who had been poisoned due to eating industrial alcohol in addition to those who have been infected with COVID-19.

Global experts believe the actual figure of casualties from alcohol poisoning in the country could be much higher than reported.

The Islamic Republic has reported over 29,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,200 deaths from the virus, the highest toll of any country in the Middle East.