Death toll from alcohol poisoning has risen to 300 since people started consuming methanol alcohol as they believed the rumors that consuming high proof alcohol could cure coronavirus disease.

The poisoning incident happened in Iran following after the spate of fake remedies spreading across social media in Iran that include consuming methanol. According to report from the Iranian media people becomes suspicious of the government after it downplayed the crisis for certain days before it overwhelmed the country. The incident resulted more than 1,000 have been sickened due to ingesting methanol across Islamic Republic.

Iran is one among the many countries in the world hardest hit of the COVID-19 pandemic with 38,309 confirmed cases and death toll of 2,901 as of writing.

According to Dr. Knut Erik Hovda, clinical toxicologist in Oslo, he is in-charged of studying methanol poisoning noted that he feared of Iran’s outbreak could be even more worse than as what was reported if people who are unaware continue consuming methanol.

“When they keep drinking this, there’s going to be more people poisoned,” he said.

Iran is the home of more than 80 million people.