Bogus coronavirus ‘cure’ with peroxide and prayer leads to smuggler’s arrest, ICE says

A British man faces felony charges for allegedly smuggling a coronavirus “miracle cure” into the U.S. that instructed people to pray after drinking a mix that included hydrogen peroxide, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Los Angeles.

There is currently no known cure for the potentially fatal virus, which has infected more than 963,000 people worldwide and more than 216,000 in the U.S., according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 49,000 have died globally, with at least 203,000 recovered. In the United States, more than 5,150 have died while 8,700 have recovered.

Frank Richard Ludlow, 59, of West Sussex in the United Kingdom, is charged with introducing mislabeled drugs into interstate commerce, a felony with a maximum sentence of three years in prison, ICE said in a release.

He is accused of taking an existing product called “Trinity Remedy” kit and renaming it the “Trinity COVID-19 SARS Antipathogenic Treatment,” the release said. Ludlow, who ICE said is not a doctor, then shipped it to locations in California and Utah, according to the release.

The kits, which sold for between $50 and $200, “had not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19 – or for any other use,” ICE reported.

“This ‘cure’ ... allegedly contained vitamin C, an enzyme mix, potassium thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide. Consumers were instructed to add 18 ounces of water, say a prayer, drink half of the solution, take a probiotic along with bee pollen, and then ingest the remainder of the solution,” the release said.

“Hucksters who hawk ‘treatments’ for this deadly disease put consumers’ lives at risk by peddling unapproved drugs,” Nick Hanna, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a press release.

“We are aggressively investigating all types of criminal activity associated with the current health emergency, and anyone attempting to cheat the public during this time will face severe penalties,” he said.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued multiple warnings in recent weeks to companies “for selling unapproved products claiming to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose or cure COVID-19,” according to press releases.

Unapproved treatment products have included “salt therapy products,” “nasal sprays” and “herbal products,” the FDA says.

“Unproven health claims, tests, and medical products can pose serious health risks and may keep people from seeking care or delay necessary medical treatment,” Catherine A. Hermsen of the FDA said in a release.

The most effective way to avoid coronavirus is to practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or longer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 9:52 AM.