Bali Uses Arak For COVID-19, LIPI: Alcohol Cannot Kill The Virus

JAKARTA - Researcher in the Microbiology of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Sugiyono Saputra, said that the results of research by the World Health Organization (WHO) alcohol or liquor cannot kill the virus or COVID-19.

This was conveyed by Suginono in response to the Bali Provincial Government (Pemprov) using arak as a therapy for healthy people but positive for COVID-19 or asymptomatic. In fact, the use of Balinese arak is claimed to be effective as an alternative healing.

"(Alcohol, red) It cannot kill a virus that has infected the body," Sugiyono told VOI, Wednesday, July 22.

In fact, if you consume alcohol the opposite happens. Because, alcoholic drinks have an impact on decreasing body immunity and cause other side effects. Thus, it will increase the potential for infection.

"Consuming alcohol will not kill the virus in the inhaled air, it will not disinfect the mouth and throat, it will not provide any protection against COVID-19," Sugiyono said.

In addition, alcohol cannot protect and disinfect someone from COVID-19. "If you release an official WHO statement, alcohol consumption cannot disinfect the mouth and throat and cannot provide protection," he said.

However, if the use of alcohol as a disinfectant, said Sugiyono, is proven to be effective in killing viruses or germs. The reason is, the virus cannot survive if it is exposed to substances contained in alcohol.

"If alcohol is used as a disinfectant, it can kill germs on the surface of the body or on the surface of objects," he concluded.

Semantara, Lung Specialist Doctor of the Friendship Central General Hospital (RSUP), Erlina Burhan said, there has been no research on the use of alcohol as a therapy for COVID-19. It's just that, he said, alcohol is not good for health.

"There is no research on this. So I cannot argue. Alcohol should not be good for health," he said.

Previously it was reported, the Governor of Bali Wayan Koster revealed that traditional Balinese therapy or medicine using the basic ingredients of Balinese arak which has been specially distilled has been tested on hundreds of positive people with COVID-19 who are being treated in a number of quarantine places.

"It has been tested by extracting kaffir lime leaves (lemon), then given eucalyptus oil. It turns out that now the recovery has improved considerably for those who are treated in quarantine," he said.

Koster claims that he initiated a therapy using Balinese arak for the treatment of COVID-19, then assigned a researcher to make a concoction made from Balinese arak that has been specially distilled.

"Initially, from 19 samples, 15 of which recovered, the samples were increased to 40, 100, and 200, almost 80 percent recovered with this treatment," he said.

For the treatment of COVID-19, he continued, the wine that has been extracted from kaffir lime is not drunk, but the vapor is inhaled using a certain tool that has been prepared (nebulizer). "Every time I want to sleep, I also breathe it," said the former member of the DPR RI 3 for the period.

After performing Balinese arak therapy for patients being treated at the quarantine, Koster said that the quarantine place, which initially had a shortage, even rented three hotels, now many are loose.

"What makes me happy is that the recovery is from a lot of this treatment. The one who carried out the laboratory test was Prof. Gelgel, but the wine was specially distilled," he said.