An Observational Study of Herbal Steam Vapour Inhalation in Covid-19 Patients

Steam has been used for centuries as a means of treatment for Influenza virus or common flu. Coronavirus is structurally similar to influenza virus and SARS corona Virus. Previous studies on corona virus and influenza virus show a strong heat correlation. This study was aimed at studying through rational observation the effect of Herbal Steam vapour Inhalation on Covid-19 virus infection.

The study was divided into 2 groups.

a) Group 1: Was consisting of asymptomatic patients exposed to covid-19 patients either through travel or direct contact. This group included doctors and Nurses. These patients were advised to take steam twice daily by inhalation through ordinary steamers available on the market or by simple boiling of water and inhalation of resulting steam. This study was conducted at Gandhi Hospital which is a dedicated Covid Hospital managed by Municipal Corporation of Greater Hyderabad.

b) Group 2: Patients were further divided into Mild and Moderate; Mil symptoms were of only 1 area like nasal, throat or bronchial. Moderate symptoms were where 2 or more areas were involved. Severe patients were where there was dyspnea and required ventilator or oxygen support. Severe symptoms patients were excluded from the trial.

The patients continued the treatment as per hospital protocol. Patients were tested for covid -19 after steam therapy after 5 days and till covid was negative for 2 consecutive tests. Group 2 consisted of Symptomatic patients tested positive on the standard Covid-19 test (Figures 1-3). Most of these patients were medical staff which included doctor and nurses from Public hospitals who had contracted covid in the line of their work (Table 1).

Figure 1: Influenza Virus.

Figure 2: Covid-19 Virus.

Figure 3: SARS Corona virus.

Table 1: Steam was administered in following doses.

Group 1: Steam twice daily or more for 5 minutes by nasal route with intermittent breathing by oral route.

Group 2: Steam inhalation was administered by nasal and oral route every 3 hours for 5 minutes

None of the patients in Group 1 showed any sign of progression to Covid symptoms after a follow-up ranging from 14 days to 2 months. In group 2 Mild symptoms regressed in 3 days to normal and in moderate symptoms it took 7 to 10 days to return to normal.

A. The covid-19 test done after 10 days was negative in 60 cases.

B. In 13 cases it took 14 days for Covid test to return to negative.

C. In 2 cases it took 18 days for Covid test to return to negative..

The stability of the virus at different temperatures and relative humidity on smooth surfaces were studied. The dried virus on smooth surfaces retained its viability for over 5 days at temperatures of 22-25 °C and relative humidity of 40-50%, that is, typical air-conditioned environments [1]. However, virus viability was rapidly lost (>3 log (10)) at higher temperatures and higher relative humidity (e.g., 38 °C, and relative humidity of >95%). Steam has a temperature of about 700 to 800. Celsius which is well above the instability temperature of SARS Corona virus. Influenza virus studies in humans and Guinea pigs also show a similar pattern. Most of influenza virus is inactivated above 300 Celsius [2,3].

The Covid-19 virus symptoms drastically reduced after the administration of steam. No further transmission was observed in patients taking steam. The reversal of symptoms in patients which were covid-19 is a welcome sign. It was concluded that steam can be permitted as an adjunct to social distancing, sanitizers and masks and PPE for an effective treatment for precaution as well as cure for covid-19 infection. This is an observational study. It warrants an extended random Control trial to see the full effect of steam on a larger group of patients and medical staff. Further studies are required on a larger scale in Asian and Western countries for their population.

1. Chan KH, Peiris JS, Lam SY, Poon LL, Yuen KY, et al. (2011) The Effects of temperature and relative humidity on the viability of the SARS coronavirus. Adv Virol 2011: 734690.
2. Lowen AC, Steel J (2014) Roles of humidity and temperature in shaping influenza seasonality. Schultz Cherry S (Ed.), American Society for Microbiology Journals 88(14): 7692-7695.
3. Lowen AC, Mubareka S, Steel J, Palese P (2007) Influenza virus transmission is dependent on relative humidity and temperature. PLoS Pathog 3(10): 1470-1476.