As the world grapples with this once in a century pandemic, bizarre stories and sometimes extremely dangerous examples of people's 'home remedy' attempts at combating the virus are popping up more and more.

Yesterday we detailed the story of the South Korean church which infected 46 people by the strange "remedy" of spraying salt water into their mouths thinking it would "kill" the virus; however, they used the same spray bottle, not bothering to disinfect it.

And now a new one from hard-hit Iran, which Tuesday saw state TV issue an alarming prediction that "millions" of its citizens could die: some Iranians are turning to ingesting industrial-grade ethanol and methanol thinking this can disinfect them and mitigate exposure. This has led to mass alcohol poisoning, state media has reported.

Methyl Alcohol file image

"More than a hundred Iranians have died from alcohol poisoning in recent weeks in the mistaken belief that industrial-grade ethanol and methanol will help ward off the coronavirus ravaging the country, according to local media reports," writes Bloomberg.

The reports note that nationwide over 1,000 have been treated for alcohol poisoning related to 'home remedy' attempts to disinfect themselves. The 'treatment' reportedly began as a rumor, which authorities have lately sought to combat.

And the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency has reported 61 deaths in Fars province alone by this method, which adds up to five times more fatalities than official confirmed coronavirus deaths in that area.

Other deaths from consumption of the potentially fatal substances were also reported throughout the country. Bloomberg tallies it at 100 or more, citing state sources.

Iran on Wednesday reported a huge single-day jump in fatalities, reportedly the biggest within a single 24-hour period thus far in the country as another 147 people died.

This brings the official death toll in Iran to 1,135 and a total of 17,361 confirmed cases, amid dire reports that "millions" are expected to be infected before the pandemic dissipates.