Steam inhalation does not cure or prevent the novel coronavirus disease, an infectious disease expert said Friday, after Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia endorsed the practice among employees of the provincial government.

The practice locally known as tuob can instead cause scald injuries, said Dr. Evelyn Alesna, former president of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases-Cebu chapter.

Steam inhalation can also loosens secretions that can further the spread of the coronavirus through coughing, the health department said.

"If you have congested sinuses, it will give you some relief but it has no value in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus," said Alesna.

ANC, June 26, 2020