The embattled worldwide health body has come under fire in recent weeks for it’s relationship with China and lack of action over the virus. Most recently, Donald Trump announced the US will halt funding over its coronavirus response. And now it has sparked further fury by publishing new recommendations on alcohol on Tuesday.

The WHO said: “Alcohol is known to be harmful to health in general, and is well understood to increase the risk of injury and violence, including intimate partner violence, and can cause alcohol poisoning.

“At times of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption can exacerbate health vulnerability, risk-taking behaviours, mental health issues and violence.

“WHO/Europe reminds people that drinking alcohol does not protect them from COVID-19, and encourages governments to enforce measures which limit alcohol consumption.”

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Matt Kilcoyne, Deputy Director of the Adam Smith Insititute, showed his distaste for the new recommendation on Twitter.

He said: ”Hey Matt Hancock, why are we still funding these cranks?

“Isn’t it time to defund the WHO?”

He then retweeted a post of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying “Love” to show that the director of the WHO was “losing it.”

Reactions to the news were also mixed on social media.

Colin Brooks wrote: “To the WHO, I drink every day and you can shove your concerns where the sun does not shine.”

Other’s were more sceptical that the news was anything more than a recommendation.

James Deepity wrote: “You’re reading a lot into the comment of one mid-level official from an agency with no enforcement power.

“It’s fun to stir up the hornets nest, but there is no serious concern for our liberty here.”

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The WHO have recently been defunded by US President Donald Trump.

President Trump criticised the international body for failing to properly investigate China’s statistics over COVID-19.

He said: “Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out China’s lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death.”

The US funds $400 million to $500 million to the WHO each year, Trump said, noting that China “contributes roughly $40 million”.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference that the United States “has been a long-standing and generous friend of the WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so”.

“WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of U.S. funding and we will work with partners to fill any gaps and ensure our work continues uninterrupted,” Tedros added.

Worldwide coronavirus cases have hit 2,083,326 as of Thursday morning.

The total death toll is rising and has hit 134,616.

The UK has seen 98,476 cases, and 12,868 deaths.

Lockdown measures hold that all non-essential shopping trips, including ones for just alcohol, are discouraged by potential police fines.

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