A Vancouver-area realtor is peddling “immune boosting” supplements touted as helping protect against COVID-19 as the coronavirus pandemic slows down activity in Lower Mainland’s hot housing market.

“We call our IMMUNE-TAMIN the next level of immune system boosters,” Melissa Wu’s Facebook post marketing the supplement reads^[1]http://archive.is/jlV0b#selection-2393.0-2393.43. “Why? Our product provide[sic] full dosages of all natural nutrients. They are expensive, so usually we can see supplements with amount of ingredients below effectiveness. Benefits include: – antiviral properties – cold & flu prevention – increase autoimmunity – all natural – vegan friendly”

“Your greatest friend in the battle against SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is your own immune system”, the marketers of the product claim on their website^[2]http://archive.is/1m88n. “We understand how import[sic] is bulletproof immune system for[sic] optimal health. We are happy to make announcement[sic] our brand new Immune Enhance Booster.”

IMMUNE-TAMIN is also advertised^[3]http://archive.is/8qz44 on the website as possessing “antiviral properties” and being able to “block viruses from growing inside cells”.

MeOn Supplements, the company behind the product, uses the marketing slogan “Inspired by Nature, Validated by Science,” but we found no studies that validated the claims made by the sellers.

The phone number on the website is the same number used by Melissa Wu Personal Real Estate Corporation.

The World Health Organization maintains that there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the novel coronavirus to date and warns the public against falling prey to snake oil snake oil and miracle cures^[4]https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters.

The Real Estate Council of British Columbia has recommended against holding open houses during the current provincial state of emergency, and restrict in-person showings and new government guidelines permit the tenant to restrict access to the property

The council also wants realtors to refrain from providing medical advice.

“Don’t provide advice that is outside of your area of expertise,” the council has told real estate professions. “Remember, and remind your clients that you are a real estate professional, not a public health expert.”

UPDATE 23:22 The sellers have removed all references to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 from the product website since the publication of this article. Their original claims can still be seen in this Google cache of the page.