Steam: "it kills the coronavirus in your nose and lungs".
As forwarded
"Take steam five times a day. The virus dies at high temperature."
Widely forwarded during COVID-19 waves. Specific Indian version with URL and reach: not available. Reach not available
Verdict
Steam may feel soothing for a blocked nose, but it does not kill viruses inside the body, and bowls of hot water send children to burns units every year.
What the evidence says
A Cochrane review of heated, humidified air for the common cold found no consistent benefit and no clear effect on how much virus people shed. [S1]
WHO's COVID-19 advice: hot water and high temperatures do not protect against infection, because body temperature stays around 36.5-37°C whatever you breathe or bathe in. [S2]
The real harm is burns. Burn centres in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands report children scalded by steam-inhalation bowls, often needing skin grafts. [S3]
How this verdict was reached
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The forward
Taken exactly as it circulates, not as a summary of it.
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The evidence
3 sources from the four tiers, strongest first.
- Tier 1 · 1
- Tier 2 · 1
- Tier 3 · 1
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The line
Nothing below tier 4 is counted; every source here is graded.
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The verdict
Unsupported Every evidence sentence above links to its source. Not reviewed by a doctor; a sourced guide, not medical advice.
What to do instead
Do not rely on steam to treat or prevent COVID-19, flu or a cold; get tested or see a doctor if symptoms are worrying.
Never leave a bowl of hot water within reach of a child; do not let children do steam inhalation.
For a serious burn, cool it under running water for 20 minutes and get help; for breathing difficulty, call 108 or 112.
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Sources
- S1Singh M et al. Heated, humidified air for the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2017; CD001728.Tier 1
doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001728.pub6 - S2World Health Organization. COVID-19 myth busters (Kobe Centre copy).Tier 2
extranet.who.int/kobe_centre/sites/default/files/20200422_EN_New_mythbusters_rev.pdf - S3Baartmans MGA et al. Steam inhalation therapy: severe scalds as an adverse side effect. Br J Gen Pract 2012;62:e473.Tier 3
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3381273
Tiers are as graded in the research file; where the file left a source ungraded, the editor graded it against the four tiers. "Circulation only" sources document that a claim circulates and are never cited as evidence. Where a primary paper could not be opened, the page says so in the Honest note.
Reviewed by
Every evidence sentence on this page traces to the public-health and medical sources listed above, but no doctor has reviewed or signed off this page. It is a sourced guide, not medical advice, and it does not replace a doctor. For any symptom, see a doctor; in an emergency, call 108 or 112.
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