Light as a Cure in COVID-19: A Challenge for Medicine

Abstract

Light and lasers, as high-tech devices whose medical potential has yet to be fully discovered, have made important contributions to medicine, even in the current pandemic. The main aim of this review was to investigate how light was applied as a therapeutic tool during a crisis triggered by COVID-19. Another goal was to encourage scientists and industry to quickly design new at-home photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and/or antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) easy to use systems to end this pandemic, especially for those who believe in high-tech but would never get vaccinated. This review revealed that PBMT has been successfully applied as adjunct therapy, in combination with conventional medical treatment, and as a pioneering action in SARS-CoV-2 infection, demonstrating significant improvements in airway inflammation and general clinical condition of patients, a faster recovery, avoiding intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, mortality, and overcoming long-term sequelae. Application in only a limited number of cases strongly suggests the need for future randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials to objectively determine the action and effects of PBMT in COVID-19. Implementation of unparalleled theragnostics methods and light-based techniques for disinfection of spaces, air, skin, mucosae, and textures to decrease the load of SARS-CoV-2 virus would save lives, time, and money. In this ongoing and challenging search for the seemingly intangible end of this pandemic, a non-invasive, easily accessible, safe, and side-effect-free adjuvant method appears to be PBMT, alone or in synergistic combination with aPDT, which has been shown to work in COVID-19 and opens unprecedented potential for use as home self-treatment to end the pandemic.

Licht und Covid-19 — Ein Update

“…Die Zahl der Coronavirus-Fälle weltweit betrug am 27. Oktober 2022 beispielsweise über 629 Millionen [ 1 – 9 ].…”

“…Hauptziel der hier vorgestellten Übersichtsarbeit [ 1 ] war es zu untersuchen, wie Licht als therapeutisches Tool während der durch COVID-19 ausgelösten Krise eingesetzt wurde. Ein weiteres Ziel bestand darin, Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler und die Industrie zu ermutigen, schnell neue einfache Verfahren für die PBMT und/ oder die PDT für zu Hause zu entwickeln, um diese Pandemie zu beenden, insbesondere für diejenigen, die an Hightech glauben, sich aber niemals impfen lassen würden.…”

“…Der Autor dankt Frau Prof. Laura Ailioaie und Herrn Prof. Constantin Ailioaie für die hervorragende Zusammenarbeit bei der Erstellung der Übersichtsarbeit in englischer Sprache [ 1 ]. Einige Teile des Textes dieses Reports wurden in jenem ‚Open Access‘ Review Artikel veröffentlicht [ 1 ]. MDPI sei für die Veröffentlichung und Genehmigungen gedankt.…”

“…MDPI sei für die Veröffentlichung und Genehmigungen gedankt. Weiterreichende Literaturangaben (insgesamt 108 Literaturzitate) finden sich im Artikel [ 1 ], welcher insgesamt 33 Druckseiten umfasst.…”

Photodynamic Therapy Applications in Cancer, Infections and Cardiovascular Disease

“…Oral and inhaled steroids have been widely used to alleviate this issue but using broad immunosuppressive agents in the context of severe infection may have potential drawbacks. Thus, PDT offers a safe, fast, cost-effective, and a simple method to inactivate microorganisms [120]- [122]. Additionally, there have been no reports of resistance, unlike other antibiotics and antiviral drugs.…”