THERE were bizarre scenes at today’s Glasgow Green anti-lockdown protest as one attendee appeared to inform the tiny group gathered that Irn-Bru could cure coronavirus.

This afternoon there were multiple reports of the unusual advice being given out to the handful of protesters. The National’s very own Andrew Learmonth, who is reporting on the ‘UK Freedom Movement’ events, posted to Twitter while at gathering to say: “Handful of anti-lockdown protesters at Glasgow Green. Shouting man says he's not a right winger.

“He also, and I could have got this wrong, seems to suggest that old recipe Irn Bru is a cure for coronavirus.”

It turned out that Andrew’s ears were not deceiving him – as online footage later proved.

Twitter user @gavmacn kindly posted the clip, explaining: “Absolute roaster at Glasgow Green claiming Irn-Bru can cure coronavirus as it has quinine it it.

“He’s mixed up a drinks sweetener with hydroxychloroquine.”

Anti-malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine was promoted by US president Donald Trump as a “game changer” in the fight against coronavirus, but data from clinical trials has found no evidence of it helping patients and some data has even suggested the drug could increase the risk of death for certain people.

So, even if it was in Irn-Bru – which we can confirm it is not – it wouldn’t be too much help against coronavirus.

The quinine the protester was referring to is actually a bitter compound found in the bark of the cinchona tree. It is used to give a bitter taste in tonic water and Irn-Bru, but funnily enough it is also used into the treatment of malaria.

READ MORE: Covid-19: Small turnout at Glasgow Green anti-lockdown protest

However we must stress that there is absolutely NO evidence that quinine could help treatment of Covid-19 patients. None at all.

And in case anyone is concerned about any similarities between hydroxychloroquine and quinine, tonic water producer Fever Tree has had a lot of questions on this very topic and have answered it simply for us.

They say: “Whilst hydroxychloroquine and quinine are both used in anti-malarial drugs, the quinine we use is naturally derived from the bark of the Cinchona tree. Hydroxychloroquine is a synthetically manufactured drug, used to treat malaria and developed based on the chemical structure of quinine.”

There you have it. Irn-Bru won’t cure coronavirus. And you might want to check your medical facts before you shout them out to people gathered with smartphones at the ready.

Even better, don't go to mass gatherings of people during a pandemic?

We should remind everyone that when asked about the planned protests at a daily press briefing this week, the First Minister said she had “every confidence that the police will apply and enforce the law.”