Theoretically, the remedy your grandma gave you
when you had a sore throat could be used as a proactive step to help kill
Covid-19.
Many elders remember being told as youngsters to gargle with
saltwater to avoid getting a cold or sore throat. Well, guess what? Grandma may
not have known why this was a good idea scientifically, but that doesn’t make
it any less effective.
We also know about the cleaning power of bleach and are using it
to sanitize surfaces amid the coronavirus. Have you ever wondered why this
works? A certain chemical, hypochlorous acid (HOCL), in the bleach kills
pathogens, including fungus, bacterium, and virus. Obviously, it is not safe to
inhale or ingest bleach. However, we do have an easy and safe alternative.
Cells lining the nose and throat can produce HOCL when they are
bathed with chloride. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this exposure is
using sodium chloride, better known as salt or saline. The more chloride
presented to the cells, the more HOCL they generate.
The process
was clearly presented in
2018 by Dr. Sandeep Ramalingam and his colleagues, who said, “Antiviral innate
immune response in non-myeloid cells is augmented by chloride ions via an
increase in intracellular hypochlorous acid levels.” Your white blood cells
also produce HOCL, which plays a critical role in the initial immune response
to a variety of infections, including COVID-19.
By cleansing your sinuses and breathing passages with hypertonic
saline, you augment the natural killing mechanisms of your immune system.
Theoretically, regular daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargle
(HSNIG) could be a proactive step to kill the coronavirus.
The Science Speaks for
Itself
Evidence
suggests HSNIG is effective with other respiratory viruses. In a 2019 studypublished
in the peer-reviewed journal Nature, Ramalingam and his colleagues studied 61
people who had developed a common cold. Interestingly, 31 percent of these
colds were caused by one of the common coronaviruses.
Half of the people used HSNIG, and the other half did not. The
hypertonic saline users had milder symptoms, and the duration of their colds
was significantly blunted. More importantly, saline significantly reduced the
spread of the virus to others by 35 percent. This is an important finding in
the context of trying to contain the spreading of the virus.
A
somewhat similar study was
performed in 400 children 6-10 years old who developed colds and influenza.
One-third of the children were treated with conventional medications while the
other two-thirds used nasal saline spray.
After 12 weeks of observation, the children who used nasal saline
regularly had quicker resolution of infection and less reappearance of illness.
These studies indicate HSNIG can generate adequate levels of HOCL to mitigate
the severity and duration of respiratory infections, and the HOCL levels are
likely high enough to significantly reduce spreading the infections to others.
Recent
evidence in COVID-19 biology indicates there is significant reproduction of the
virus in the nose and throat during the first five days of symptoms. The
research also indicates these newly produced viruses are highly infectious.
Additionally, we now know that patients can be highly infectious
even in the absence of symptoms. Therefore, HSNIG might provide an opportunity
to curtail the spread by killing these viruses during the initial asymptomatic
incubation stage as well as the first five symptomatic days.
Thousands of
people likely have occult COVID-19 infection, which means they can unknowingly
infect others. Empirically, use of HSNIG by everyone, regardless of symptoms,
could assist in stopping the pandemic. This prophylactic use of HSNIG is
supported by a study in 46
adults followed for one year, which showed that using saline nasal rinse daily
significantly reduced the incidence of upper respiratory infections.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says, “There is no evidence
that regularly rinsing the nose with saline has protected people from infection
with the new coronavirus.” The WHO is correct in that there have been no
double-blind prospective trials of people with the virus using HSNIG, and it is
not referencing the saline solution concentration mentioned in the previous
studies.
However, studies have shown this technique does inhibit all common
cold viruses, including the coronavirus (HCoV 229E). It is reasonable to
believe HOCL will kill the coronavirus. Waiting for a definitive randomized
trial to show this safe, simple, inexpensive therapy is effective for the
coronavirus seems overly cautious in light of the science and danger from the
ongoing pandemic.
Our country is taking bold actions to curtail the spread of
COVID-19. In light of the tremendous transmission rate of the virus, it is our
recommendation that everyone practice HSNIG.
While this hypothesis needs to be confirmed, we do not see a
downside to implementing this very safe self-care approach now, in addition to
the current measures of social distancing and personal hygiene. Within two weeks,
grandma may be smiling as she watches her remedy dramatically reduce the spread
of COVID-19.
Homemade Hypertonic
Saline Solution
Ingredients:
·
4 cups of freshly boiled water (rolling boil for 3 minutes to
purify)
·
2 tablespoons of sea salt or table salt (non-iodized salt
preferred but not critical)
How to make:
·
Wash your hands thoroughly.
·
Choose a clean container or flask.
·
Add the salt. Pour the freshly boiled water into the container and
mix thoroughly until salt completely dissolves.
·
Close the container with an airtight lid and store in the
refrigerator.
·
Make a fresh batch every 24 hours.
·
To make a smaller batch, use 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of
salt.
How to use:
Go to this website for
complete instructions on how to perform nasal irrigation and gargling.
Frequency of use:
·
If you have symptoms or a confirmed case of COVID-19, repeat the
usage up to every two hours during the first few days as symptoms are present.
·
If you are asymptomatic and do not have known COVID-19, repeat the
usage every four to six hours as a preventative measure.
·
At the time of publishing this article, we recommend all people in
the United States do this hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargle.
·
We recommend continuation at least until the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control no longer considers COVID-19 a serious threat in this country.
Dr. Bale is
a professor at Texas Tech University and a specialist in prevention medicine.
Dr. Vigerust is the president and chief scientific officer of ZDX Health, an
infectious disease-focused health care company.