SALINE METHODS IN THE PREVENTION OF RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS

In saline methods we have included efficient and flexible complementary preventive procedures that can ensure a consistent degree of protection against respiratory transmission infections. These methods act on the respiratory system by limiting the processes of infection, reducing the processes of spread from the carriers and can also have effects of limiting the severity of symptomatic manifestations. There are methods known and medically studied, currently used in addition to the treatment of many general respiratory problems but also for additional protection against common viruses in the cold season. Data from medical and laboratory studies show their very valuable potential in the current situation as important complementary methods of prevention in COVID-19 infection.

They can be grouped into two broad categories:

  • methods with saline solutions and wet aerosols obtained from saline solutions
  • dry saline aerosol methods – various methods that use solid state salt.

A. METHODS WITH WET SOLUTIONS AND AEROSOLS

  1. nasal lavages and gargle. Centralized evaluation study [1] conducted by the team from Jaipur India. Significant decrease in respiratory infections. Widespread use in Japan is a possible explanation for the low incidence of COVID in Japan.
  2. salt antiviral action. Scotland Study [2]. Nasal lavage and gargle as a method of treating respiratory viruses. Ongoing study on COVID patients
  3. saline nebulizer – Pulmatrix USA [3] – as a method of prevention in the transmission of respiratory viruses by reducing by over 90% the potentially virus-carrying aerosols. In evaluation as a possible method to control the spread of COVID infection in risk groups.
  4. Study Canada – South Korea showing that textures covered with salt crystals retain viruses in the air and salt destroys retained viruses very quickly

B. DRY AEROSOL METHODS

Complementary treatments made with dry saline aerosols are made in: salines, salt chambers, with mechanical dry aerosol generators and with devices that use Saline technological processes.

Salt chambers and mechanical inhalers use high concentrations of dry aerosols – 10-40 mg / m3 – and the exposure is for a short period of time –  45-60 min [6].

Saline systems use saline aerosol concentrations over 200-1000 times lower – 0.03-0.04 mg / m3 – and the exposure is long lasting 8-10 hours until permanent without contraindications. [7]

  • salt chambers cannot be used during this period or are difficult to use due to social restrictions
  • mechanically generated inhalers – Russia antiviral study [8] – short daily exposures, 10 min, with individual inhalation of aerosols produced by a mechanical generator. The test group incidence of up to 6 times lower respiratory viruses
  • Salin devices have the effect noted including by direct follow-up in ICU of significant increase in the elimination of respiratory secretions [9]. In the study groups, the reduction of seasonal respiratory infections was directly reported. Individual users have reported in many cases this major reduction effect of respiratory infections.

Saline systems have a very valuable potential for use as an effective prevention system in a convenient and integrated way:

  • ambient with Artisanal Saline Devices and environmental devices or filters included in filter-ventilation systems. It would provide an additional safety net for everyone in the area.
  • INSALIN as a permanent individual device at hand with periodic use during exposure periods.
  • SaltMed as an intensive dry aerosol system for all people at risk. Preventive use in people with respiratory disorders sensitizing to seasonal viral infections as an additional protective measure against COVID.

References

[1] Nasopharyngeal wash in preventing and treating upper respiratory tract infections: Could it prevent COVID‐19?
  • Sheetu Singh1, Neeraj Sharma2, Udaiveer Singh3, Tejraj Singh3, Daya Krishan Mangal2, Virendra Singh4
  • Lung India • Volume 37 • Issue 3 • May-June 2020 [Downloaded free from http://www.lungindia.com on Sunday, August 2, 2020]
[2] Antiviral innate immune response in non-myeloid cells is augmented by chloride ions via an increase in intracellular hypochlorous acid levels
  • Sandeep Ramalingam 1,2, Baiyi Cai2, Junsheng Wong2, Matthew Twomey2, Rui Chen2, Rebecca M. Fu2, Toby Boote2, Hugh McCaughan1, Samantha J. Griffiths 2 & Jürgen G. Haas1,2
    1Department of Laboratory Medicine, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK. 2Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. Samantha J. Griffiths and Jürgen G. Haas contributed equally.
  • SCIENTIFIC REPORTS|(2018) 8:13630 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-31936-y
[3] Inhaling to mitigate exhaled bioaerosols
  • David A. Edwards*, Jonathan C. Man‡, Peter Brand, Jeffrey P. Katstra‡, K. Sommerer§, Howard A. Stone*, Edward Nardell¶, and Gerhard Scheuch
  • Harvard University, 322 Pierce Hall, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; ‡Pulmatrix Incorporated, 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139; Inamed, Wohraer Strasse 37, 35285 Gemuenden Wohra, Germany; and Harvard Medical School, 641 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
  • 7384 www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0408159101
[4] Universal and reusable virus deactivation system for respiratory protection
  • Fu-Shi Quan1,*, Ilaria Rubino2,*, Su-Hwa Lee3, Brendan Koch2 & Hyo-Jick Choi2
  • Department of Medical Zoology, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, 130-701, Korea. 2Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada. 3Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Korea. *
  • SCIENTIFIC REPORTS | 7:39956 | DOI: 10.1038/srep39956
[6.] Salt caves as simulation of natural environment and significance of halotherapy
  1. Joanna Zając1, Iwona Bojar2, Jadwiga Helbin1, Emilia Kolarzyk1, Alfred Owoc3
  2. Department of Hygiene and Dietetics, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland
  3. Department for Health Problems of Ageing, Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, Poland Lubuski College of Public Health, Zielona Góra, Poland
  4. Lubuski College of Public Health, Zielona Góra, Poland
  5. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 2014, Vol 21, No 1, 124–127 www.aaem.pl
[7] Inhaled dry salt micro particles in the treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a five case series report
  • NINE LUMINITA2, CATALIN G CIRSTOVEANU1, ALEXANDRA I ISTRATE –BARZAN2, BARASCU IL- EANA2, STEFAN MANOLACHE2, MIHAELA BIZUBAC2, ALINA GAIDUCHEVICI2
  • 1 “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest Romania 2 ”Marie Curie“ Emergency Hospital for Children, Bucharest, Romania
    SIGNA VITAE 2017; 13(2): 85-89
[8] Dry sodium chloride aerosol against acute respiratory infections
  • Alina Chervinskaya
  • St.Petersburg, Russian Federation
  • Poster was presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress on 14.09.2009 in Session 206: “Treatment modalities in chest physiotherapy”.
[9] SALTMED – THE THERAPY WITH SODIUM CHLORIDE DRY AEROSOLS
  • Autori: Dr. Bogdan Oprita *, Dr. Cristian Pandrea*, Dr. Violeta Nedelcu**, Dr. Bogdan Aiganatoaie***
  • Emergency Hospital 8 Calea Floreasca 5tr., Bucharest, Romania
  • Therapeutics, Pharmacology and Clinical Toxicology, Vol XIV, Number 3, September 2010 Number 3, pages 201-204