The president of the Bohol Medical Society (BMS) is saying that “tu-ob” or steam inhalation does not cure the dreaded Covid infection.
In a letter dated June 29, 2020, sent to Gov. Arthur Yap, BMS president Dr. Jefferson Ong, talked about the circumstances about “tu-ob” and why people should not rely on it as a cure for Covid.
“The controversy of using steam inhalation therapy or tu-ob has been in the news headlines for some weeks now. It has also been a source of much contention and verbal altercations online. We have recently been made aware of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bohol requesting the Medical Team of the CoViD-19 Technical Working Group (TWG) to investigate the possible use of tu-ob as a means to treat the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (CoViD-19). This letter hereby states the official position of the community of physicians and medical practitioners in Bohol,” Ong said in the letter.
He continued in his letter, “Tu-ob is technically described as steam inhalation therapy, involves the application of moist heat for various reasons including but may not be limited to the relief of respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, cough and lower airway congestion and to induce the breaking of fever. Herbs, salt or aromatic oils may be added to the water to make it more effective. It is largely a home folk remedy in the Philippines but it has similar counterparts in other cultures therefore it has been a widely practiced means of relieving ills of the human body for centuries. It has its merits as a simple, accessible and effective means of relieving symptoms just as much as a cold or a warm compress is on a bruise. As such, the medical community in general does not oppose the use of tu-ob in the relief of respiratory tract symptoms but there are certain points of caution that must be stressed for the guidance of the public.”
Ong bared in the letter several points,” 1. Tu-ob or steam inhalation therapy does not kill viruses therefore is not a cure for CoViD-19 in any stage of the illness; 2. With or without additional aromatics, salt or herbs, it does not prevent one from developing CoViD-19 if infected; 3. Excessive exposure to the higher-than-boiling temperature of steam will cause scalding of the skin and burns that may become infected and may result in scarring. We stress this caution as some people may think that higher temperature and longer exposure to the steam will make it more effective. This is a false notion and will certainly lead to injuries if left unchecked; 4.Sharing tu-ob materials such as basin, water and blanket can transmit respiratory bacteria and viruses including the CoViD-19 virus. 5.Tu-ob may theoretically aerosolize respiratory droplets very much like a nebulizer that makes it risky if done with other persons in the same room as it enhances the presence of the CoViD-19 virus in the air.”
The leader of the doctors’ association in Bohol said in his letter to the governor, “We would also like to include here an excerpt from the official statement of the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC), the traditional medicine arm of the Department of Health: ‘Scientific studies suggest that steam inhalation is indeed effective against symptoms of colds and that it increases nasal patency….However tu-ob/su-ob cannot be recommended as a standard care treatment for CoViD-19 until it is proven by controlled a clinical studies. Thus, PITAHC recommends further studies to be done on the clinical efficacy of tu-ob/su-ob for the prevention and/or treatment of patients who are probable, suspect, and confirmed cases of CoViD-19.”
“We hereby make it clear that while the medical community is not opposed to the use of tu-ob by an individual at home for the relief of upper respiratory tract symptoms such as colds or mild cough, we are strongly opposed to the claim that tu-ob is a cure or a preventive for CoViD-19. We also strongly discourage the use of tu-ob in communal or group settings as CoViD-19 continues to be a real threat to public health. Individuals with respiratory symptoms should report to the barangay health emergency response team (BHERT) to document and monitor his situation and assist in contact tracing efforts,” Ong emphasized in his letter.
Ong stressed in his letter, “Our vehement advocacy for proven measures such as community quarantine, social distancing, handwashing, proper wearing of face masks, along with balanced nutrition, adequate rest and exercise, continue. We also urge the government to expedite the establishment of fully functional RT-PCR testing in the province as this has been long delayed and is vital if we must recover from this devastating plague in the soonest possible time. We stand together with all sectors of the Boholano community to heal as one people in the grace of God Almighty!”