Doctors at AIIMS Delhi recently conducted a pilot study to determine if radiation therapy could help reduce the severity of symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Before penicillin was discovered, low dosages of radiation were used to treat pneumonia caused by bacteria and viruses. Radiation therapy has the potency to reduce inflammation in the lungs and prevent cytokine storm (severe immune reaction), thereby mitigating the severity of pneumonitis. Since COVID-19 causes pneumonia and immune responses, it was speculated that radiation therapy would provide positive outcomes in patients.
Some of the key highlights of the pilot study are mentioned below: Two COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study. Both the patients were in their 50s and required oxygen support. A low dosage of radiation (70 cGy in a single fraction) was administered to the patient’s lungs. The outcomes of the radiation…
