Author:
George Carolin Elizabeth,Scheuch Gerhard,Seifart Ulf,Inbaraj Leeberk Raja,Chandrasingh Sindhulina,Nair Indu K.,Hickey Anthony J.,Barer Michael R.,Fletcher Eve,Field Rachel D.,Salzman Jonathan,Moelis Nathan,Ausiello Dennis,Edwards David A.
Abstract
AbstractDehydration of the upper airways increases risks of respiratory diseases from COVID-19 to asthma and COPD. We find in human volunteer studies involving 464 human subjects in Germany, the US, and India that respiratory droplet generation increases by up to 4 orders of magnitude in dehydration-associated states of advanced age (n = 357), elevated BMI-age (n = 148), strenuous exercise (n = 20) and SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 87), and falls with hydration of the nose, larynx and trachea by calcium-rich hypertonic salts. We also find in a protocol of exercise-induced airway dehydration that hydration of the airways by calcium-rich salts increases oxygenation relative to a non-treatment control (P < 0.05). In a random control study of COVID-19 positive subjects (n = 40), thrice-a-day delivery of the calcium-rich hypertonic salts (active) suppressed respiratory droplet generation by 51% ± 11% and increased oxygen saturation over three days of treatment by 48.08% ± 9.61% (P < 0.001), while no changes were observed in the nasal-saline control group. Self-reported symptoms significantly declined in the active group and did not decline in the control group. Hydration of the upper airways appears promising as a non-drug approach for reducing risks of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.
Funder
Azim Premji Foundation
PROTECT COVID-19 UK National Core Study on transmission and environment
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Cited by
14 articles.
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