Professor Lewis Nelson, M.D., is available to discuss the dangers of gargling, snorting, or ingesting Betadine, an iodine-based antiseptic to treat COVID-19.
“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,” said Nelson, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “Many disinfectants, including povidone-iodine, are not safe to consume due to their irritating and damaging effects on the esophagus and stomach, and some have body-wide adverse effects. In the case of povidone-iodine, the iodine component can harm the thyroid function of the body.”
About RBHS
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) takes an integrated approach to educating students, providing clinical care and conducting research, all with the goal of improving human health. Aligned with Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and collaborating university-wide, RBHS includes eight schools, a behavioral health network and four centers and institutes. RBHS offers an outstanding education in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, biomedical research and the full spectrum of allied health careers. RBHS clinical and academic facilities are located throughout the state.
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