A message from: Leo Tonkin -CEO
SALT Chamber
We’ve been receiving many phone calls and emails regarding salt therapy and the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
I want to take time to personally address the current situation and provide you with some perspective, responses, answers, and information that you may want to also share with your family, staff, and customers. Also, get the facts from the CDC and official health agencies as opposed to social media and unverified sources of information.
While there are many health care professionals and clinicians around the world working diligently on researching this particular virus for fighting off and containing the virus, there are no formal studies currently in place specifically testing the impact halotherapy has on this particular coronavirus. I have been in discussions with some physicians here in the United States and abroad who are potentially interested in adding this to quarantined individuals for treatment, however, there are no direct claims that can be made at this time.
I recently spoke with Dr. Daniel Layish, MD, a Board Certified Pulmonologist and a fellow Founding Director of the Salt Therapy Association, who said: “It is too early to tell what impact halotherapy may have with this strain of the coronavirus, however, this coronavirus does affect the respiratory and lung system and dry salt therapy has shown to provide symptomatic benefit such as in a clinical study we conducted that focused on patients with cystic fibrosis. While there is no need to be overly concerned at this time, being proactive and taking care of your respiratory system is becoming more important than ever before”. A strong advocate for this complementary therapy, Dr. Layish often recommends his patients to the local Salt Room in Orlando, Florida. As a matter of fact, in many countries, it is an approved therapeutic treatment covered by health providers.
According to the Salt Therapy Association, dry salt therapy is antimicrobial which kills many microorganisms or stops their growth. Over a month ago, there was a published article referencing a study underway with researchers at the University of Alberta that have developed a virus-killing salt coating that’s designed to improve the effectiveness of the common surgical masks often used to prevent the spread of pathogens like influenza or the new coronavirus.
The salt used in our SALT FX® halogenerators is 99.99% pure medical-grade sodium chloride and, therefore, there are no concerns regarding any foreign substances or contaminants when inhaling the dry salt aerosol. Salt is antimicrobial which means it is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth. Due to its antibacterial properties, salt has long been used as a preservative. Keep in mind that properly designed salt rooms also have exhaust systems to purge the salt room in between sessions for a fresh air exchange prior to the start of the next session.
SALT Chamber, along with Salt Therapy Association Facility Members around the world, encourages people to be proactive and preventative with practicing respiratory hygiene and believes it is imperative to one’s overall health and wellness.
