A medical practitioner Dr. Chinoso Egemba has revealed that people who bleach their skin are more likely to contract and die from the coronavirus COVID-19 disease.

Speaking to NAN (News Agency of Nigeria), Dr. Chinoso who is popularly known as Aproko doctor said that bleaching creams contain steroids that reduce the body’s response to anything that could cause inflammation.

He said people who use bleaching cream fall in this category and they are likely to have severe illness or die from coronavirus disease. According to Aproko Doctor, the immune system is the body’s defense force against disease-causing bacteria and viruses such as coronavirus and other organisms that humans touch, ingest and inhale every day.

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In his words:

“If you are bleaching, stop it because it is reducing your immunity and people or patients with low immunity suffer more and may likely die from the virus.

Steroids are basically anti-inflammatory drugs and inflammation is one way our bodies dispose off foreign substances.

It could be via body swelling in form of boils or redness of the skin. So steroids reduce the body’s response to anything that could cause inflammation.”

“Now, there are different types of bleaching creams and soaps but some particular types contain steroids and it can bleach the skin or cause skin lightening.

When you use such cream or soap for a long time, it’s not just on the surface, your skin absorbs the steroids in the cream and it reduces your body immunity,” he said.

Egemba added that some unlicensed aestheticians or skin specialists also give their clients steroids, as a tablet under the guise that it would help lighten their skin.

“When you take such tablets you are reducing or weakening your immune system. So in relation to COVID-19, having strong immunity is one of the major ways patients are surviving the disease and if you have low or weak immunity as a result of bleaching, you suffer more and may likely die from coronavirus disease,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to imbibe healthy lifestyles so as to help boost their immune system, stating that people should stay away from smoking, drink little or no alcohol, sleep well, eat a balanced diet (Fruits and vegetables) and engage in regular moderate exercise and reduce stress.

“These acts help our immune systems to be in the best shape possible to tackle pathogens and even coronavirus,” Egemba said.

See his original tweet below:

If you are bleaching, STOP IT!

Some bleaching creams contain steroids and steroids reduce your body's immunity.

People with low immunity suffer more and may likely die from the Coronavirus

Stop bleaching
Stop bleaching
Stop reducing your immunity

— Aproko Doctor™ (@aproko_doctor) April 7, 2020