ABUJA – Dr Dorcas Angbazo, a Consultant Nephrologist, at the National Assembly Clinic, Abuja, said there was no scientific evidence to show that bathing with salted warm water could prevent the Ebola Virus disease.
Angbazo said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.
“Salt does not prevent Ebola Virus in any way; granted, it has been said that salt has some bactericidal effect and that it can kill some micro-organisms.
“But it cannot prevent the Ebola Virus or protect you from the infection.
“There is no documented scientific evidence as to that; in fact it can have a deleterious effect especially for a person that is hypertensive. [eap_ad_1] “One of the main lifestyle modification actions we ask our patients to do is to reduce salt intake so that their blood pressure can be better controlled.
“If a hypertensive person should take water containing salt, it will worsen the hypertension in them and that could result in heart failure.
“It could even result in stroke, or even cause kidney compromise.“
Angbazo said that the only way people could contact the Ebola Virus was if they came into contact with an infected person, either through his or her saliva, semen, or any secretion, such as vomit of the infected person.
According to her, Nigeria is located in a tropical environment where people are already dehydrated because of excess sweating, therefore, taking salted water will further drain water from the cells and can cause kidney failure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the idea about bathing with salted warm water as prevention against Ebola Virus disease went viral on the social media on Thursday thus creating panic nationwide. (NAN)
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