# Belarus: vodka and sauna **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 20, 2020, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174 "2020-04-20T09:45:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/1 "2020-04-20T09:45:26Z")
Some time ago, Belarus President Lukashenko suggested his countrymen [drink vodka and take saunas](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/31/coronavirus-belarus-urges-citizens-to-drink-vodka-visit-saunas.html) to ward off the virus. I suppose that seemed to work for a while, but the [worldometer Belarus page](https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/belarus/) shows a steeply growing number of cases there. That is, until Friday. The last two days they’ve not reported any new cases, although they have reported a handful of deaths. So what’s going on there? I don’t think it’s a weekend effect, since they reported numbers the previous weekend. Did the vodka and saunas do the trick? Or has Lukashenko suppressed the reports or stopped any testing? BTW, Belarus has not done any lockdown. They’re still playing football, for example, and have not closed any borders. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/2 "2020-04-20T09:56:31Z")
At a guess - Orthodox Easter holidays. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/3 "2020-04-20T16:18:13Z")
Yes, that could be it. Today (Monday) the worldometer does have a number. It’s over twice the number from Friday, so it may be a combined total of the weekend. Too bad. I was hoping the vodka and sauna thing would work… ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/4 "2020-04-20T18:24:29Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Yes, that could be it. Today (Monday) the worldometer does have a number. It’s over twice the number from Friday, so it may be a combined total of the weekend. Too bad. I was hoping the vodka and sauna thing would work… Why? By what possible mechanism would you expect something like this to work? The virus is in the lungs – is the vodka going into their lungs? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/5 "2020-04-20T18:38:28Z")
Hey, I’m not the one who came up with it. Ask President Lukashenko. psst, my comment was a joke ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/6 "2020-04-20T20:23:53Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Why? By what possible mechanism would you expect something like this to work? The virus is in the lungs – is the vodka going into their lungs? Sure, if they inhale hard enough. :eek: I hope I don’t inspire a woo-woo scam, but an upscale Belarus-ish therapy sauna would feature vodka vapor for deep-breathing stupors and cures. Don’t try this at home, kids. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/7 "2020-04-20T22:05:40Z")
Yes, we’d want a sauna OF vodka to get into those nooks and crannies inside the lungs. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/8 "2020-04-23T13:15:04Z")
And how exactly would you ensure this “treatment” only kills the virus and not your lungs? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/9 "2020-04-23T14:39:20Z")
IANAD, but I believe he may have something there with the vodka theory. I myself have been doing a non-randomized clinical trial with a sample size of 1 involving daily doses of rum, and the results so far are very encouraging – the number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases is 0. Statisticians may quibble, but facts are facts! ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/10 "2020-04-23T15:42:02Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > IANAD, but I believe he may have something there with the vodka theory. I myself have been doing a non-randomized clinical trial with a sample size of 1 involving daily doses of rum, and the results so far are very encouraging – the number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases is 0. Statisticians may quibble, but facts are facts! Our non-randomized trial with sample size of _ **2** _ is also showing very promising results on daily doses of wine (both red and white) with occasional booster shots of bourbon. Further study is clearly required. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/11 "2020-04-23T17:37:35Z")
In the Wave 1 beer vs. non-beer conditions, our household N = 2 has 0 cases\*, which is not statistically significant but rather demonstrates that both treatments are equally effective at squelching COVID-19. In Wave 2, we will reverse the treatments to add statistical power to our observations. \*(of COVID or beer) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/12 "2020-04-23T18:08:12Z")
> [@carlb](#): > > Our non-randomized trial with sample size of _ **2** _ is also showing very promising results on daily doses of wine (both red and white) with occasional booster shots of bourbon. Further study is clearly required. You raise an excellent point as the cohort in my sample has also been receiving substantial doses of wine, mostly red. This may be a confounding factor in my study of the efficacy of rum, but it’s unavoidable as it’s really the only way that my sample can enjoy a decent dinner. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/13 "2020-04-23T19:11:44Z")
**COVID Prophylaxis procedure:** 1: Lounge comfortably at home. 2: Drink preventative drink. — Repeat as needed. 3: Fall over; sleep. Result: infection is avoided. Success! **Social distancing procedure:** 1: Dress in rags and szmatas. 2: Splash cheap whiskey over self. — If whiskey unavailable, use feces. 3: Walk in public smoking cheap tobacco. Result: Safe distancing is maintained. Success! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/14 "2020-04-24T00:21:44Z")
You guys need to work some saunas into your testing protocols. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/15 "2020-04-25T07:37:05Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > You guys need to work some saunas into your testing protocols. Can’t be done in Finland. No control group. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2020, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belarus-vodka-and-sauna/852174/16 "2020-04-25T10:22:11Z")
Then I guess you’ll have to substitute hot tubs.