Do P-500 Paracetamol / Acetaminophen tablets contain the dangerous Machupo virus?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : P-500 Paracetamol Contains Machupo Virus!
People are sharing a post and photo on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, claiming that the P-500 or P / 500 or Aeknil paracetamol tablets contain the dangerous Machupo virus!
URGENT WARNING!
Be careful not to take the paracetamol that comes written P / 500. It is a new, very white and shiny paracetamol, doctors advise that it contains “Machupo” virus, considered one of the most dangerous viruses in the world, with a high mortality rate. Please share this message, with all people on your contact list as well as family, and save a life or lives ….I’ve done my part, now it’s your turn … remember that God helps those who help others & themselves!
Forward as received.
Recommended : Does Panadol / Tylenol Stay In Our Body For 5 Years?
Truth : Paracetamol Tablets Do Not Contain Machupo Virus
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created to scare people about the safety of medications, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Paracetamol = Acetaminophen
First, let me just point out that paracetamol is known as acetaminophen in the United States, Canada, Japan, Venezuela and Columbia.
You may better know them by their trade names – Panadol is the GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) trade name for paracetamol, while Tylenol is the trade name owned by McNeil, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, for the same drug – acetaminophen.
Many people now call all forms of paracetamol / acetaminophen “Panadol” or “Tylenol”, whether it comes from GSK or McNeil or another company. In other words :
Paracetamol = Panadol = Tylenol = Acetaminophen
Fact #2 : Paracetamol / Acetaminophen Do Not Contain Machupo Virus
To be clear – paracetamol or acetaminophen tablets do not contain the Machupo virus.
This was confirmed by many health authorities like the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) [pdf download]:
Seperti kebanyakan virus yang lain, virus ini tidak boleh hidup dalam persekitaran yang kering seperti tablet paracetamol.
Like many other viruses, this virus cannot live in a dry environment like paracetamol tablets.
The Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) also confirmed that this is fake news:
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) would like to inform members of the public that an “alert” that is circulating on social media regarding the transmission of “Machupo” virus through paracetamol tablets is a hoax. Its content is untrue.
HSA assures the public that the content of the hoax “alert” is inaccurate and is not a cause for concern. Anyone who receives the hoax “alert” should not forward it to others as the information is untrue.
Recommended : Can You Take Painkillers Before / After COVID-19 Vaccination?
Fact #3 : Machupo Virus Only Documented In South America
The Machupo virus is the informal name for Machupo mammarenavirus, an RNA virus of the Arenaviridae family that causes Bolivian haemorrhagic fever (BHF) – also known as black typhus or Ordog Fever.
First identified in 1963, the Machupo virus is deadly with a mortality rate of between 5% to 30%, with an average case-fatality rate of 22%.
However, the Machupo virus has only been documented in South America, mostly in Bolivia, where it is endemic in the regions of Mamoré and Iténez.
Fact #4 : Machupo Virus Is Transmitted By Infected Rodents
The Machupo virus is transmitted through infected rodents, specifically the large vesper mouse (Calomys callosus) that is indigenous to northern Bolivia. That’s why its spread is limited mainly to Bolivia.
In addition, the virus spreads through the saliva, faeces, and urine of infected rodents. Therefore, it is unlikely to spread through sealed packages of any medication, unless the contents were contaminated during production or packaging.
Fact #5 : This Is Old Fake News
Finally, this fake news isn’t even new. It was been circulating since mid-2017. It just keeps resurrecting and going “viral” every few years on WhatsApp and social media platforms.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
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