So there has been a lot of virus talk in the past few weeks, I have been seeing dubious claims that sauna is a potential cure for a certain virus going around. I have yet to see any scientists directly address these rumors so I figured I should investigate any validity to these rumors and find data to back up if saunas can kill viral infections in general and not just help symptoms.

It is easy to find semi-reputable websites make claims of sauna use killing off viruses but it is harder to find the sources of some of the bolder claims. A major claim is that a high body temperature can kill a virus. While there is some support for the idea that high heat may weaken a virus our body temperature will not get high enough to kill off a virus without causing major bodily complications first since hyperthermia (the opposite of hypothermia) sets in at 35°C (internal body temperature) and going much beyond that can create organ issues. It takes a temperature of 74-100°C to kill a virus from heat alone, this means that sauna heat will not cure any viral infection directly.