Abstract
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has presented enormous challenges for healthcare, societal, and economic systems worldwide. There is an urgent global need for a universal vaccine to cover all SARS-CoV-2 mutant strains to stop the current COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of an inevitable second wave of coronavirus. Carbon dioxide is safe and superior antimicrobial, which suggests it should be effective against coronaviruses and mutants thereof. Depending on the therapeutic regime, CO2 could also ameliorate other COVID-19 symptoms as it has also been reported to have antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-cytokine effects, and to stimulate the human immune system. Moreover, CO2 has beneficial effects on respiratory physiology, cardiovascular health, and human nervous systems. This article reviews the rationale of early treatment by inhaling safe doses of warmed humidified CO2 gas, either alone or as a carrier gas to deliver other inhaled drugs may help save lives by suppressing SARS-CoV-2 infections and excessive inflammatory responses. We suggest testing this somewhat counter-intuitive, but low tech and safe intervention for its suitability as a preventive measure and treatment against COVID-19. Overall, development and evaluation of this therapy now may provide a safe and economical tool for use not only during the current pandemic but also for any future outbreaks of respiratory diseases and related conditions.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has presented enormous challenges for healthcare systems worldwide and caused terrible societal and economic impacts
One of the most critical unanswered questions is why some COVID-19 patients develop severe disease, while others do not? Does the answer hidden in the origin and continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 virus mutation into mild and wild different strains [4]? Alternatively, does the answer depend on the two phases of the individual human body immune responses; a protective phase and a damaging phase due to inflammation-cytokine storms [5]? Other questions include whether bacterial co-infections such as bacterial pneumonia and sepsis with antibiotic resistance lead to increased COVID-19 disease severity and mortality [6] and how long it will take to create an effective vaccine
There is an urgent global need for a universal vaccine to cover all SARS-CoV-2 mutant strains to stop the threat of an inevitable second wave of coronavirus
Summary
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has presented enormous challenges for healthcare systems worldwide and caused terrible societal and economic impacts. Other questions include whether bacterial co-infections such as bacterial pneumonia and sepsis with antibiotic resistance lead to increased COVID-19 disease severity and mortality [6] and how long it will take to create an effective vaccine. Even if the vaccine trials are successful, will the new vaccine cover all SARS-CoV-2 mutant strains, and give full immunity to everyone with no issues when translation to clinical practice? While high concentrations of inhaled ozone (O3) can damage the lungs, cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma as well as compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections [11], ozone gas therapy has been demonstrated to inactivate airborne viruses [12] and could inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus through oxidizing the sulfhydryl groups in cysteine of the virus-cell [13]. As with the other gases, there is another side to NO, which can be harmful due to the formation of highly toxic and irritating nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas and methemoglobinemia [16]
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