Over 700 people have died in Iran from ingesting toxic alcohol amid false rumours it could kill coronavirus.

Iran has been struggling to control its outbreak of COVID-19 which has killed 5800 people and infected 91,000, according to data from John Hopkins University.

Now there are reports some citizens are turning to home remedies to try and cure the virus, but with deadly results.

Iranian health ministry spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour said a total of 5011 people have been poisoned from drinking toxic methanol alcohol in an attempt to cure COVID-19 and 525 have died, the Associated Press reported.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says methanol is widely available as it is found in a number of household products including varnishes, windscreen washers and fuel.

Methanol cannot be smelled or tasted in drinks so manufacturers in Iran are supposed to add artificial colouring to their products so the public can identify it from Ethanol, which is commonly found in alcoholic drinks.