Drinking large amounts of water can help prevent COVID-19

Question

This claim has been mentioned in various social media posts, but it lacks strong scientific backing.

Answer 1

According to mediabiasfactcheck.org, Aspen is a moderately left-leaning think tank that is accredited to report "highly factual" See mediabiasfactcheck.org's report on Aspen here

Aspen's claim is not saying that drinking water prevents contraction of COVID-19, they are instead saying that sustained, ample water intake while sick can help your body respond to and recover from COVID-19. When ill, your body loses water at a more rapid rate than when you are healthy. Aspen references increased sweat due to fever, coughing, and losses due to vomiting or diarrhea.

This paper acts as a nutrition guide and gives tips on how best to stay hydrated and nourished while fighting off COVID-19.

You said that various social media posts are referencing this article. If these social media posts are extrapolating from this Aspen paper that "Drinking large amounts of water can help prevent COVID" then they are misinformed / formed an incorrect message from this paper. Aspen never claims that drinking water prevents COVID-19.

Rating: False. Aspen never claims that drinking water prevents COVID-19 contraction. Anyone who references this paper in means to support the opinion of "drinking water prevents COVID-19" is drawing an incorrect conclusion.

Comments

Staying hydrated helps your immune system and can help prevent any sickness, but saying it will PREVENT COVID-19 specifically seems clickbait-y.

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I fully agree with your fact check. As I did my own research and discovered the same finding as you mention. I do believe that drinking water can help you not get AS sick as you may other wise I don't think it prevents the disease from contaminating you.

Answer 2

I factchecked this article and fully agree with your statement that it lacks the evidence. However with the article that I found (https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200319-covid-19-will-drinking-water-keep-you-safe-from-coronavirus) Proves that drinking water and staying hydrated does not do anything to prevent covid. In the article Kalpana Sabapathy a clinical epidemiologist explains that even if the mouth was moisturized the virus could go into the nose making the claim from the article that water prevents covid false.

Comments

I agree, and you have great evidence. I wanted to expand upon your evidence. Drinking water keeps your mucus membranes moist, and helps circulates your blood. It can reduce nausea. It allows for nutrients to be delivered to cells, mental clarity and organ function according to Upstate medical university. (https://www.upstate.edu/whatsup/2020/0513-staying-hydrated-is-important-in-sickness-and-in-health.php) However, as you stated it does not prevent you from getting any disease, or covid.