No, drinking hot water will not kill the novel coronavirus.

Drinking hot liquids won’t kill the novel coronavirus after you’re infected. It lives inside your cells where your steaming cup of tea can’t reach it. But, for what it’s worth, a hot beverage almost certainly couldn’t kill the virus anyway.

If you read our other post on heat and COVID-19, you will see that it takes a lot of heat to kill the novel coronavirus. We know from experiments on other coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, that exposure to at least 150°F (65°C) for 5 minutes will kill them. That means boiling water and your dishwasher are up to it. But your cup of coffee isn’t.

If you think that you’ve been exposed to the novel coronavirus, you might be wondering what you can do to reduce your risk of becoming infected. Washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds is the best thing you can do. You should also disinfect surfaces and avoid touching your face. If you are worried that you’ve been exposed, it gets even more important to wash your hands and practice social distancing. Remember, if you are infected, you can spread the virus even if you do not have symptoms. 

Last updated April 9, 2020 at 10:00am ET

Science review by ERS, GSN