The mysterious material has been around for decades, supposedly used in Soviet Russia to create nuclear explosives. Now, the chemical is being touted as a cure for coronavirus.
There’s just one problem: red mercury doesn’t actually exist.
As the pandemic continues, many quack cures have been hailed as miracle “treatments” for coronavirus – most notably Donald Trump’s touting of an unproven anti-malarial drug. Sadly, red mercury – a hoax medicine condemned by countless experts – seems in-keeping with the anti-science conspiracy theories that have gained ground during the political uncertainty of recent years.
Martin, 34, from West Sussex was almost stung by a red mercury scam that claimed to offer protection from coronavirus.
“My friend showed me a company on social media who claimed to be selling a special product which they claimed protects your home from COVID-19,” he says. “They’d posted videos of their products being used in different customers’ homes. But these looked bogus, I could tell they were all taken in the same house.”
