Will Iodine Work Against COVID-19? Health Experts Warn Public About Gargling Antiseptic As Coronavirus Protection

Health experts, even the manufacturers of the Betadine, Avrio Health, have recently warned the public against misuse of antiseptic saying, Iodine doesn't have any ability to either treat or prevent COVID-19.

A Mail Online report said an iodine-based antiseptic usually used to clean wounds is being promoted by some anti-vaxxers as a way to stop COVID-19.

Povidone-iodine, marketed and sold with the brand name Betadine, has been the subject of wrong claims on social media, promoting it as a potential replacement for vaccines.

The claim comes just weeks following reports of people overdosing on an anti-parasite drug, the veterinary versions of ivermectin, following reports that it could protect against the virus.

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It All Started on a TV Show

As reported on the AFP Fact Check site, the rumor surrounding Betadine seems to have begun on "Tok Mai Tiang," a Thai television program translated as "The Discussion."

On the said program, a doctor claimed gargling iodine could possibly stop a person who has been exposed to the virus from getting infected.

The video had gained over 350,000 views online, excluding those who watched the program live when it aired on Thai television. Whether the views on a video are coming from Thai on Western viewers remains unknown.

Other posts then started to crop up on social media sites like Twitter, promoting the iodine to stop being infected by the virus.

According to a Newsweek report, one post on Twitter wrote about the use of "Betadine nose spray and throat gargle" four times a day.

Initiatives to Oppose the Claims

The antiseptic's developers rapidly moved to shut down such claims. A COVID-19 page on Betadine's official website said, "No. Betadine Antiseptic First Aid products" are not approved for COVID-19 treatment.

The post on the website also said the said products should only help stop infection in minor cuts, burns, and scrapes.

Indeed, Betadine Antiseptic products, as described in a HealthDirect report, have not been presented to have efficacy for COVID-19 treatment or prevention or any other type of virus.

Medical experts have also cautioned against using the antiseptic as an approach to either treat or prevent COVID-19.

According to an assistant professor of virology, Dr. Pokrath Hansasuta, from Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, there is no evidence supporting the use of povidone-iodine to prevent the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

Proper Use of Betadine Mouthwash and Ivermectin

Betadine mouthwashes are frequently used to treat sore throat, a symptom an individual may experience when he's infected with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, this brand in an ointment form can be used to treat skin rashes and stop cuts, as well as other cuts from getting infected.

It is authorized for use by the US Food and Drug Administration, although not for application against viruses like COVID-19, among others.

The situation is the same as that of using ivermectin, an anti-parasite medication that has been promoted, as a drug that could stop and treat COVID-19.

The FDA authorizes ivermectin for human use to treat certain parasite-linked conditions, and it is regularly available through prescription.

Related information about Betadine against COVID-19 is shown on Apollo Hospital's YouTube video below: