Background information
Videos are circulating, especially on facebook, claiming steam therapy (inhaling steam) prevents or cures the coronavirus. Some videos go as far as to say you need to boil oranges, lemons, or different essential oils and inhale the steam to “beat the Rona”. This is False. Inaccurate. and Dangerous. Let me explain why.
The science behind it
The myth circulating that you need to inhale steam to prevent infection with SARS-CoV2 or treat COVID-19 is inaccurate and very dangerous.
First, the virus typically infects us through our mucus membranes. It doesn’t take long for the virus to attach onto ACE2-receptor-positive cells and enter the cell. After entry it begins to replicate. And if it is anything like the last SARS-COV, it replicates fast. Previous studies found that within 1 hour, it could go from 5% of cells infected to 30% of cells infected in cell culture. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a single stranded RNA virus that can survive temperatures up to 56-60C (132-140F). Note that it would require sustained heating at 56C for 15 minutes to kill the virus. To attempt to ‘burn’ the virus or ‘kill it’ with heat is very dangerous. Our skin is very sensitive to heat. For example, at just 44C (109F) our skin can become damaged with long exposure. At temperatures near 60C (140F) it takes just 3 seconds of exposure to cause a burn serious enough to require surgery.
Please do not follow unwarranted advice on social media. Please look to the primary literature and science for evidence of what works and what doesn’t. This myth that steam therapy helps fight COVID-19 is NOT backed by science and there has not been any indication that it would work.
For more of the science behind the coronavirus and some therapies that are being looked at scientifically, see my main coronavirus page.
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Disclaimer: Opinions on this site or on social media do not reflect that of my institutions. I do not provide medical advice. If you have a medical question please see your doctor or if you have a medical emergency, please go to the nearest emergency room.. I have a PhD in Nutrition and Metabolic Biology and three masters degrees including two master’s in nutrition & metabolism. I am a personal trainer & have researched nutrition for 12 years. The info I post is my interpretation of the medical and scientific literature.
