When the coronavirus outbreak first started, it was restricted to only a few cities or countries across the globe. However, slowly it spread to every country, city, and continent. Now, we can observe many fatal cases of COVID-19 due to respiratory failure and pulmonary infection. This reminds us of the spread of the first pandemic that started in the United States back in 1918, the Spanish Flu. It was also a respiratory-related infection, which led to respiratory failure. Even during that pandemic, hyperbaric oxygen therapy surfaced as a viable treatment option.
Although COVID-19 and Spanish Flu are different, there are similarities in the manner in which these infections impact the lungs of the infected patient. This is why HBOT therapy can offer immunity against COVID-19 by reaching the lungs even through inflammatory pulmonary discharges. If this treatment is utilized in an optimized manner, HBOT can reveal optimum results as in the case of the Spanish Flu.
How HBOT Improves Immunity Against COVID-19?
Before we understand how HBOT improves immunity against COVID-19, let’s see some facts:
- Most of the coronaviruses such as MERS, SARS, COVID-19, etc. are all respiratory infections, where lungs are attacked first.
- While the symptoms include fever, shortness of breath, cough, these can be severe or mild depending upon the severity.
- Currently, there’s no vaccine or targeted treatment for COVID-19, hence, boosting immunity against COVID-19 is the right strategy to fight the infection.
- Since the first line of attack is seen on the lungs of the patient, it is difficult for patients to receive oxygen supply, which then affects the heart, liver, kidneys, etc. This leads to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Therapies and treatments like HBOT reach cellular metabolism. This is why hyperbaric chambers are effective in fighting infection in many severe cases of COVID-19.
HBOT therapy increases the pressure and delivers extra oxygen to the body. Under this impact, oxygen dissolves in body fluids such as lipids, cerebrospinal fluids, etc. This delivers oxygen to even affected areas or where there’s inflammation. For this reason, when a patient is unable to breathe due to COVID-19 and resulting inflammation, HBOT can deliver oxygen to the lungs and heart. This helps in relieving COVID-19 symptoms even in severe cases.
In recent research, it was observed that the diffusion barrier for oxygen created by the COVID-19 virus is similar to the Spanish Flu lung pathology. This conclusion was achieved after a calculative analysis in the form of lung CT scans of 121 patients. All of these patients were suffering from COVID-19 and the scans depicted that the progress of this disease is very much analogous to the Spanish Flu.
To verify the effectiveness of HBOT on immunity against COVID-19, scientists in Wuhan, China utilized hyperbaric oxygen therapy for a critically ill patient. The number and pattern of HBOT treatments offered to the patient were in line with the treatment offered in the case of the Spanish Flu. As a result, this critical patient recovered from the worst conditions and he was no longer considered severely ill.
However, it is necessary to understand that this success is also risky for patients. The spread and transmission of coronavirus through hyperbaric chambers are easy; extremely simple. Hence, proper sanitation guidelines should be followed to contain the spread of the virus as per industry control measures. This also indicates that only trained medical experts should treat coronavirus patients. These professionals should be pre-equipped to take precautionary measures during the patient’s treatment.
Measures to Take
There are several measures that individuals should take before considering hyperbaric therapy for COVID-19. In fact, patients who don’t yet have risk COVID-19 should also take precautions to avoid catching infection inside the chamber.
Here’s what you can do to eliminate the risk of COVID-19 and avoid spreading the disease further:
- Wash hands with water and soap properly to avoid transmission of coronavirus. This should be achieved regularly multiple times in a day, especially after visiting public places.
- Avoid touching your face, mouth, and eyes with hands before washing.
- Always utilize protective gear when in the presence of outside people.
- Avoid consuming antibiotics or antiviral medicines unless suggested by the doctor.
- Use disinfectants to clean surfaces that come in contact with other people.
- Only consider HBOT therapy in severe cases such as if a patient is on the ventilator or as suggested by the doctor.
- If entering a multi-place HBOT chamber, ensure that it has been disinfected after utilization for safe usage.
Conclusion
Considering the impact of HBOT treatment in the case of the Spanish Flu, it is highly likely that this treatment can help in building immunity against COVID-19. However, this is possible only under scrutiny of medical professionals, who can guide you to receive the right treatment and minimize the spread of the disease through chambers. Therefore, it is not suggested to utilize home HBOT units for building immunity against COVID-19. Consult a medical expert for proper guidance.
