Experts: Gargling the Antiseptic Betadine Not a COVID-19 “Cure”

Betadine as the new alleged COVID-19 cure. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Some people are allegedly resorting to gargling the antiseptic Betadine in an effort to combat COVID-19. The purposes of this for anti-vaxxers are prevention and treatment.

The claims were due to a video courtesy of an alleged doctor on Facebook and Twitter. Such allegations have been proven false by experts. It obtained over 155,000 views. According to experts, ingesting the antiseptic is very poisonous.

The iodine-based antiseptic is used for disinfecting skin wounds. Povidone-iodine could be purchased under its brand name Betadine.

Betadine Producer Says Its Antiseptic Does Not Cure COVID-19

The manufacturer of  Betadine, Avrio Health, and doctors have cautioned against wrongly using Betadine. They state it does not have the capacity for prevention and treatment.

According to the official statement on the company website, “Betadine Antiseptic First Aid products have not been approved to treat coronavirus, Products should only be used to help prevent infection in minor cuts, scrapes, and burns.”

The statement added, “Betadine Antiseptic products have not been demonstrated to be effective for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 or any other viruses.”

Real Use of Betadine

The antiseptic with an iodine component is used for treating skin wounds. In Thailand, the rumors started out in a television show.

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Warnings From Doctors

Doctors have begun releasing serious warnings to individuals who are resorting to iodine-based antiseptics in order to treat the novel coronavirus. Such advisories have emerged following a large number of alleged anti-vaxxers having begun gargling the iodine-based mouthwash and overdosing on anti-parasite drug Ivermectin.

Although a number of studies of Betadine for the mitigation of coronavirus exist, such discoveries come with reproving asterisks. According to a Rutgers University study, they tested generic povidone-iodine for treatment of the coronavirus. Although a number of probable advantages exist, the results were detected to have harmful effects on skin cells and were discovered in an artificial environment.

According to Professor Lewis Nelson, M.D., chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, “Although many topical disinfectants such as povidone-iodine, which, is also known as Betadine, generally destroy viruses on direct contact, there is no evidence to support that there is a benefit to drinking, gargling or snorting it to destroy the COVID-19 virus within the body,”

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