Administering a saline solution into the nasal cavity could decrease the risk of severe forms of Covid-19 and hospitalization, according to a new American study.
- 4,579 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on September 12, according to Public Health France
- On September 9, François Braun, the Minister of Health, announced the arrival of an eighth wave of coronavirus within the next few weeks in France.
Since the start of the epidemic, the scientific community has been working to develop a treatment to protect against Covid-19. A new study published in the journal Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, claimed that there is a link between the use of nasal washes and a reduced risk of severe forms of coronavirus, hospitalization and death.
A mixture of antiseptics and salt water
As part of the research, participants over the age of 55 were recruited within 24 hours of a positive PCR test for Covid-19 between September 24 and December 21, 2020. Of the 826 volunteers, 79 completed nasal wash twice a day for two weeks. Subjects used saline solution mixed with povidone iodine, an antiseptic, sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda.
According to the findings, less than 1.3% of the 79 subjects affected by the infection were hospitalized and none of them died from the disease. Only one participant was hospitalized. “We saw an 8.5-fold reduction in the number of hospitalizations compared to the control group”said Dr. Richard Schwartz, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia (USA) and co-author of the study. “By providing extra hydration to your sinuses, it allows them to function better. If you have a contaminant, the more you flush it out, the better you are able to get rid of dirt, viruses and anything else,” also pointed out Dr. Amy Baxter, an emergency physician at the Medical College of Georgia and one of the authors of the research.
Reduced loss of taste and smell
During the work, the American scientists also observed the impact of nasal washing on other symptoms linked to Covid-19 such as loss of taste and smell. About 23 of 29 subjects who routinely cleaned the nasal cavity twice daily had no or only one symptom after two weeks, compared with 14 of 33 participants who were less diligent.
However, the conclusions of this study must be taken with a grain of salt. For now, these results are based solely on observation and have not been validated by a committee of scientific peers.
