Home remedy lowers risk of severe Covid-19
People are also currently infected with SARS-CoV-2. Many infected people want to do something to keep the infection at bay as much as possible. Applications with saline solutions could do this, as a recent study shows.
Gargling or nasal rinsing with saline solutions can help to reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19. This is indicated by study results presented by a research team led by Sebastian Espinoza at the scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) in California. "Our aim was to investigate nasal rinsing and gargling with saline solution for a possible association with improved respiratory symptoms associated with coronavirus infection," said Jimmy Espinoza, who was also involved in the study, according to an ACAAI press release.
For the study, a total of 58 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 were randomly selected and asked to gargle and rinse their nose with a one or two and a half percent saline solution four times a day over a 14-day period. All of them had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using a PCR test. The data of the randomly selected study participants were compared with the data of a total of 9398 people with a positive SARS-CoV-2 infection as a control group between 2020 and 2022.
Fewer hospitalizations
The researchers saw that the people who gargled and rinsed were hospitalized significantly less often. Among the participants with one percent saline solution, 18.5 percent were hospitalized, while 21.4 percent of those with the two-and-a-half percent solution were hospitalized. Among those who did not use saline solution, the proportion of hospital admissions was 58.8 percent. Based on their results, the researchers found that both low- and high-concentration saline solutions are effective. However, the rinses had no effect on the mortality of those infected with Covid-19, or on the need for treatment in the intensive care unit or ventilation there.
Gargling or nasal rinsing with saline solutions is also considered an effective and inexpensive home remedy for other infections and even for prevention. ENT doctors on the net recommend: "Regular nasal rinsing with physiological saline solution can also significantly reduce the risk of illness, especially if it is carried out shortly after being in crowds (department stores, public transport, possibly at work)." However, nasal rinsing with saline solution can also be helpful for people with pollen allergies and sinusitis, as can gargling with it for sore throats.
Source: www.ntv.de
