evidence: There is no evidence to suggest that gargling salt water or vinegar, or partaking in many other home remedies, fight SARS-CoV-2 infection. Upon entering the body, the virus attaches to and enters cells in the airway where it takes over the cells’ machinery, producing more viral particles that spread to other cells. Because the virus hides out in the body’s own cells, it can not be targeted without also killing healthy, uninfected cells. Therefore, fighting viral infections relies on the body’s immune response. [...] The claim that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be stopped in its tracks by gargling warm water, salt water, or vinegar went viral on Facebook in March 2020, notably through a widely shared meme, receiving hundreds of thousands to millions of interactions in total. This claim is factually inaccurate and unsupported by scientific evidence. [...] In summary, there is no evidence to suggest that gargling warm water, salt water, or vinegar is effective against SARS-CoV-2 in infected tissues, although gargling salt water might ease symptoms of a sore throat. Furthermore, by the time symptoms appear, localized treatments would be completely ineffective because the virus will have already spread to non-targeted tissues. There is currently no vaccine or cure for COVID-19. The best methods of prevention are frequent handwashing, disinfecting surfaces, and avoiding touching your face.