A leading asthma patient group has issued a warning against a coronavirus treatment circulating on social media that is leading some people to post videos of themselves breathing in hydrogen peroxide through a nebulizer.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America called the practice "concerning and dangerous" in a Tuesday blog post, emphasizing that it will neither treat nor prevent the virus and is harmful to the lungs.
"DO NOT put hydrogen peroxide into your nebulizer and breathe it in. This is dangerous!" wrote the foundation in a brief blog post.
It's the latest case in which the medical community has grappled with unsubstantiated and potentially dangerous at-home coronavirus treatments, many of which are driven by various forms of online misinformation.
Hydrogen peroxide is an antiseptic more commonly used to prevent infection from minor cuts, burns and scrapes. It is also used as a tooth whitener in some toothpastes, and as a common household cleaning agent.
But it can be poisonous for humans if swallowed in strong enough concentrations. The AAFA recommends against inhaling it in through a nebulizer, a medical machine which turns medications into breathable mist.
"Only use asthma medicine prescribed by your doctor in your nebulizer. Other chemicals can be harmful to your lungs," the AAFA warned.
THE WASHINGTON POST