Low Dose Radiotherapy to Thorax for COVID 19 Patients: A Potential Weapon to Put the Dagger in Devil's heart

Abstract

The novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a major healthcare burden to the entire world. At the moment there is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for COVID-19, and no vaccine is currently available. The clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection ranges from asymptomatic infection, mild upper respiratory tract illness to severe pneumonia with respiratory failure, multi organ failure and death. The inflammatory response induced in pneumonia is complex and involves a variety of mechanisms to defend against pathogens and repair tissue. During inflammation, activation of inflammatory cells releases cytokines and this intense inflammatory reaction can further to life threatening condition know acute respiratory distress syndrome. In the past, low dose radiotherapy has successfully cured patients with unresolved viral pneumonia. It was associated with reduction of mortality in unresolved pneumonias. Radiotherapy at low doses exerts anti-inflammatory effects which have potential to r duce the cytokine storm in COVID pneumonia patients. We hereby briefly touch upon COVID 19 infection and potential of low dose radiotherapy to reverse unresolved pneumonia, prevent deve opment of acute respiratory distress syndrome as well as multi-organ failure.

Keywords

• covid 19, coronavirus, pneumonia, low dose radiotherapy