“Tuob” or steam inhalation has been a widely used remedy for colds and muscle fatigue among many

Cebuanos. This has been a trend among Cebuano healers even before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Though it is common practice as a home remedy, it is NOT an approved cure for the virus. Moreover,
excessive inhaling of hot steam could prove dangerous as they pose the risk of burn injuries. WHO
recommends against these types of home remedies and reminds governments and individuals to
prevent the administration of unproven treatments to patients of COVID-19.

More recently, Cebu governor Gwen Garcia has been an advocate for said remedies. She claims that she
was not promoting the practice as a cure but rather an alternative remedy. This goes against her initial
statements in her Facebook live seemingly promoting steam inhalation. We should always be mindful of
our sources and refrain from attempting would be “cures”. We must listen to health experts or those
qualified or otherwise backed by health experts.

Rappler.com. (2020, August 11). Cebu province MEMO encourages employees to Practice
Steam INHALATION Vs covid-19. Rappler. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from
https://www.rappler.com/nation/cebu-province-memo-steam-inhalation-coronavirus.