Medical experts speak out about the trend of "using onions to suck out flu viruses" that is hot on social media

Recently, information has been spreading on social networks that placing onions in water or around the house can absorb and kill the flu virus. However, medical experts confirm that this is a misconception with no scientific basis.

Sharing with the Health and Life newspaper, Dr. Tran Hai Long, a specialist in Traditional Medicine, Academy of Traditional Medicine, affirmed that the above method is completely inaccurate and has no scientific evidence. Using onions to repel the flu virus is just an act of attracting views and likes on social networks.

Dr. Long said that many people had shared about this method before, but medical documents did not record it. Therefore, growing onions indoors to suck out the flu has absolutely no effect on humans.

According to Dr. Long, onions are not harmful in nature, but if you are sick or have the flu, you should seek medical attention.

This healing trend shows that social media sites, especially TikTok, are flooded with influencers who lack expertise and peddle misinformation ranging from cures to drugs. This content is often used to increase engagement and views, but can have serious health impacts.

According to Dr. Le Nhat Duy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Branch 3, onions contain sulfur compounds and flavonoids with antibacterial and antioxidant properties. However, there is no evidence that they can absorb or kill influenza viruses in the air. Influenza viruses are transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets when coughing, sneezing or direct contact with virus-infected surfaces, not "floating" in the air to be absorbed into onions.

Some scientific measures to help prevent flu effectively:

Get a flu vaccine every year to reduce your risk of getting sick and having serious complications.

Keep your hands clean, wash them regularly with soap or sanitizer.

Wear a mask when in contact with sick people or in crowded environments.

Keep the environment well ventilated and clean frequently touched surfaces.

Boost your immune system with a healthy diet, adequate sleep and exercise.

Why can severe flu cause "white lungs"?

Dr. Bui Pham Minh Man, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Branch 3, said that "White lung" is a medical term that describes an X-ray or CT scan image of severely damaged lungs, appearing as a white, hazy area due to the accumulation of inflammatory fluid. This phenomenon often occurs in patients with severe influenza, especially those with complications caused by influenza A/H5N1, influenza A/H1N1 or influenza B.

According to respiratory experts, "white lungs" when infected with influenza are often the result of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) - a serious complication caused by the body's excessive inflammatory response to the virus. When the influenza virus invades, the immune system reacts strongly, damaging the alveolar-capillary barrier, causing inflammatory fluid to overflow into the alveoli, making the lungs unable to exchange gases effectively.

In addition, some other mechanisms can cause "white lungs" when infected with flu such as:

Bacterial superinfection: Flu weakens the immune system in the respiratory tract, creating conditions for bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus to invade, causing more severe pneumonia.

Diffuse lung damage: Influenza virus directly invades alveolar cells, destroying the ability to exchange oxygen.

Cytokine storm: Some severe cases of influenza cause an excessive inflammatory response (cytokine storm), causing rapid destruction of lung tissue, leading to acute respiratory failure.

High-risk groups for these complications include the elderly, people with underlying diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, COPD, immunodeficiency), pregnant women and young children. When symptoms such as difficulty breathing, cyanosis, and prolonged high fever appear, patients need to be hospitalized immediately to avoid dangerous developments.

Calling the doctor "sister - brother", the patient's face was straightened, netizens argued Đình Như20:04:50 22/02/2025Communication is the core issue in human life, right from the primitive society. Along with the development of modern society, the issue of communication becomes more and more important.