COVID-19: The Disease, the Immunological Challenges, the Treatment with Pharmaceuticals and Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation

Abstract

The year 2020 will be carved in the history books—with the proliferation of COVID-19 over the globe and with frontline health workers and basic scientists worldwide diligently fighting to alleviate life-threatening symptoms and curb the spread of the disease. Behind the shocking prevalence of death are countless families who lost loved ones. To these families and to humanity as a whole, the tallies are not irrelevant digits, but a motivation to develop effective strategies to save lives. However, at the onset of the pandemic, not many therapeutic choices were available besides supportive oxygen, anti-inflammatory dexamethasone, and antiviral remdesivir. Low-dose radiation (LDR), at a much lower dosage than applied in cancer treatment, re-emerged after a 75-year silence in its use in unresolved pneumonia, as a scientific interest with surprising effects in soothing the cytokine storm and other symptoms in severe COVID-19 patients. Here, we review the epidemiology, symptoms, immunological alterations, mutations, pharmaceuticals, and vaccine development of COVID-19, summarizing the history of X-ray irradiation in non-COVID diseases (especially pneumonia) and the currently registered clinical trials that apply LDR in treating COVID-19 patients. We discuss concerns, advantages, and disadvantages of LDR treatment and potential avenues that may provide empirical evidence supporting its potential use in defending against the pandemic.

Covid-19 and radiotherapy: a systematic review after 2 years of pandemic

“…Observations from these studies indicate that Low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) for Covid-19 pneumonia delivers doses between 0.3 and 1 Gy. LDRT does not decrease the viability of virus directly, but it may increase the effectiveness of antiviral immune responses in the early/medium stages of SARS-CoV‑2 infection [ 141 , 146 , 151 , 164 , 167 , 171 , 177 , 179 ].…”

Low-dose radiation therapy for COVID-19

“…Хоча клінічні результати НДПТ для пацієнтів з COVID-19 є багатообіцяючими, конкретні механізми її імуномодулюючої дії залишаються не до Оригінальні дослідження / Original Researches кінця з'ясованими [43]. Різні механізми можуть брати участь у зменшенні запалення за допомогою іонізуючого випромінювання, включно з індукцією апоптозу в імунних клітинах, секрецією протизапальних факторів і зниженням функції макрофагів [44].…”

“…Попри послаблення симптомів COVID-19 при відносно низьких дозах ПТ виникає наукове й громадське занепокоєння щодо довгострокових побічних ефектів. Існує думка, що радіаційне опромінення спричинить довгострокові несприятливі наслідки, включно з ефектами сторонніх спостерігачів, окиснювальним стресом, хронічними запальними реакціями, цитотоксичністю, геномною нестабільністю і, зрештою, раком і дегенеративними станами [43,56,57].…”

Time Reveals the Truth! What Treatments for COVID-19 Were Quickly Abandoned, and Which Methods, Contrary to Popular Belief, Are Still Flourishing?

“…virus types with enhanced pathogenicity." Yu et al[35] Radiobiology and Health, Isotopes, Radiobiol-ogy & Environment Directorate (IRED), Cana-dian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) (Canada) Low-dose radiotherapy is less likely to induce drug-resistant mutation in the virus compared to anti-viral drugs." this virus has a global distribution, infecting populations of different genetic backgrounds, ages and health statuses, and it is subjected to evolution-ary and selection pressures imposed by the host's immune system, as well as by antiviral drugs."…”