Few days ago, a viral video showing BSF jawans inhaling steam at BSF Meru Camp, Hazaribagh, as a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, raised many questions and drew criticism. Now, Karnataka State Police Force appears to have fallen flat for this COVID quackery.
D Roopa, IPS, managing director of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation, has brought to light an incident where Mangaluru City Police officers are seen participating in group steam inhalation. The IPS officer requested Karnataka DGP, Praveen Sood, IPS, to issue instructions considering mass steam inhalation is considered fatal and known to aggravate the situation.
It's worth noting that it appears to be an isolated incident and there's no mandate for KSP to practice steam inhalation to prevent COVID.
Steam inhalation to prevent infection
It is a popular belief that inhaling steam can prevent COVID-19, which is without any scientific backing. The latest incident appears to have taken place at a police station in Mangaluru. Recently, Jharkhand BSF jawans were seen sitting in line and taking steam through GI pipes. BSF claimed steam inhalation helped keep COVID-19 at bay. The makeshift steam inhalation system with multiple GI pipes is connected to a pressure cooker. At the receiving end of these GI pipes, a plastic water bottle cut in half has been attached, to mimic an oxygen mask.
International Business Times had debunked a similar setup in September last year, when a Pune man had been running a so-called "steam bar" with the promise of treating and preventing COVID-19. It is not clear if the intention of inhaling steam at the Mangaluru police station was the same, but the only known benefit is to clear nasal or respiratory passages when a person is suffering from cold or flu.
Steam inhalation does not cure any infection, even as basic as common cold. Steam inhalation also doesn't replicate the function of a ventilator or oxygen inhaling machine to increase body saturation.
