CoViD-19: An early intervention therapeutic strategy to prevent developing a severe disease as an alternative approach to control the pandemic

Hamid Merchant

Research output: Working paperPreprint

Abstract

While we wait for a confirmed drug or a vaccine for CoViD-19, it may be possible to intervene early to prevent the virus causing a severe disease to offer an alternative therapeutic strategy to control the pandemic. The global burden of CoViD-19 on the healthcare system can be significantly reduced by targeting CoViD-19 patients with or without symptoms who are self-isolating at home or in quarantine. If any therapeutic support can be offered to this group of patients that could attenuate the virus within the upper respiratory tract during the early stages of CoViD-19, it can give the body the time to produce enough antibodies to recover naturally from the disease before progressing into severe disease. An early intervention can, therefore, prevent the virus to get down the lower respiratory tract, reduce the number of cases with severe disease involving pneumonia and the need for hospitalisation. This article presents a simple yet holistic treatment strategy that involves inhaling steam supplemented with essential oils possessing wide spectrum antimicrobial properties in conjunction with oropharyngeal sanitisation to all those who are CoViD-19 positive or are under self-isolation due to symptoms. The approach is very simple, cheap, and effective in relieving the symptoms of the disease and is likely to reduce the viral load in the upper respiratory tract that may help recover from the infection. Since there is no vaccine or treatment yet approved to prevent or treat the CoViD-19, the importance of early intervention is invaluable in reducing the global disease burden. In the authors opinion, this strategy may be very effective to nip the infection in the bud before it gets difficult to treat and therefore, have a potential to significantly reduce the CoViD-19 associated hospitalisation.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 May 2020

Publication series

NameScienceOpen Preprints
PublisherScienceOpen

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