There are three devices that I highly recommend having on hand during this pandemic: A nebulizer, a pulse oximeter and an oxygen generator. These are especially important for people who are older and have underlying health concerns.
We know from recent studies that SARS CoV-2 induced pneumonia initially causes a form of oxygen deprivation called “silent hypoxia” – “silent” because of its insidious, difficult-to-detect nature. ER doctors are reporting that patients without respiratory complaints had Covid-19 induced pneumonia.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus. Normally, patients develop chest discomfort, pain with breathing and often feel a sense of suffocating and frequently run a fever. However, when SARS CoV-2 pneumonia first strikes, patients often don’t feel short of breath, even as their oxygen levels fall. And by the time they do, their oxygen levels are extremely low and they have moderate-to-severe pneumonia (as seen on chest X-rays). SARS CoV-2 pneumonia patients often have oxygen saturations as low as 50 percent.
The Italians published new research shedding light on how the hypoxemia might develop. They found increased numbers of megakaryocytes in the lung capillaries, which are bone marrow cells responsible for making the platelets that are needed to form blood clots. 33 out of 38 patients had blood clots in the lung arteries. They suggested that the blood clots interfere with the delivery of oxygen to the blood and explain the hypoxemia of severe COVID-19 cases.
According to a story in The Washington Post, autopsies are showing that many people who died from the COVID-19 virus have hundreds of micro-clots present in their lungs at the time they die. The autopsies didn’t show pneumonia as was expected, but lung damage from blood clots. Damage was also seen in the kidneys, liver, heart, intestines and brain.
Pulse Oximeter & Oxygen Generator:
If we can recognize silent hypoxia early enough, it can be treated with oxygen therapy (through nasal tubes, a face mask, or a tube placed in the windpipe). Numerous doctor’s who are treating COVID-19 patients, are suggesting the use of oxygen is more effective, than using ventilators, at least initially.
In many COVID-19 cases, the virus silently causes injury to air sacs in the lungs. “The coronavirus affects the air sacs and causes pneumonia, which leads to impairment in the diffusion of oxygen through its membrane,” says Dr. Patel. “Initially the lungs remain compliant and can expel carbon dioxide, so people cannot feel any sensation of being breathless.”
Dr. Richard Levitan, believes that an oxygen-monitoring device called a pulse oximeter can help to detect low oxygen levels and alert people to seek early medical care. “Widespread pulse oximetry screening for COVID pneumonia—whether people check themselves on home devices or go to clinics or doctors’ offices—could provide an early warning system for the kinds of breathing problems associated with COVID pneumonia,” he wrote.
“All persons with cough, fatigue, and fevers should also have pulse oximeter monitoring even if they have not had virus testing, or even if their swab test was negative, because those tests are only about 70% accurate,” wrote Dr. Levitan. “A vast majority of Americans who have been exposed to the virus don’t know it.”
A pulse oximeter can be purchased online and at most drug stores. They are relatively inexpensive and fairly accurate if used correctly. This simple device could help single out those individuals who are in need emergency care.
To use the pulse oximeter, simply place your finger inside the device, turn it on and wait. After a few seconds your oxygen saturation levels will be displayed. An alarm will sound if levels are too low. Values under 60 mm Hg usually indicate the need for supplemental oxygen. Normal pulse oximeter readings usually range from 95 to 100 percent. Values under 90 percent are considered low.
If oxygen levels are low, an at home oxygen generator may be used to help restore normal oxygen saturation levels. Talk to your doctor before using an oxygen generator or compressor. You will need a prescription to make sure you have the right oxygen flow and level for your needs. Carefully follow the instructions on your oxygen generator and read these 11 Critical Safety Precautions For Oxygen Therapy.
The Nebulizer
A nebulizer turns liquid medicine into a mist that can be inhaled directly into the lungs where it is needed to help treat a respiratory infection or asthma. During a respiratory infection, this mist is easy to inhale and works even if you can’t take deep breaths.
Dr. Brownstein, Functional and Holistic MD and owner of The Center for Holistic Medicine is recommending protocols for Covid-19 that are extremely effective and can be followed at home using a nebulizer. Applying these protocols, patients have been successfully treating their symptoms at home, saving them from having to go to the emergency room.
It is best to use a nebulizer in conjunction with your doctor’s advice and supervision.
These Medications can be used in a nebulizer
- Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been used effectively to treat COVID-19. Health experts said the compound could help prevent virus from spreading across the body and from causing damage. Hydrogen peroxide can be found both in stores and the human body. The immune system uses the compound to boost the natural functions of cells and prevent viral infection. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, H2O2 may help fight the coronavirus, according to Dr. Thomas Levy. He said people can utilize hydrogen peroxide using its aerosolized form in a standard nebulizer. A recent study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, shows that even just 0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide could kill human coronaviruses, such as those that caused SARS and MERS. The findings backed a 2009 research that found inhaling vaporized hydrogen peroxide could lead to 99 percent inactivation of virus activities.
Instructions for using hydrogen peroxide and iodine in a nebulizer:
- Mix 3 ml of sterile saline with 3ml of food grade-diluted hydrogen peroxide (food grade HP 35% must be diluted to 3% – To make 3% H202, mix one ounce of 35% food grade H2O2 to 11 ounces of distilled water (preferably) or filtered water).
- Draw off 3cc of the mixture and place it in a nebulizer and breathe the solution in.
- You can also add a drop or two of 5% Lugol’s iodine to the mixture.
- Nebulize 3-5 times per day if sick.
- You may dilute the nebulizing solution or nebulize less frequently if needed. Study, Study
- You can make your own saline solution with 1 tsp of Celtic salt in a cup of filtered, sterile water. Let it sit and then skim off the top. To the nebulizer add 3cc/ml of saline mixed w/ 3cc/ml of hydrogen peroxide.
NOTE: 35% Hydrogen Peroxide is highly concentrated and extremely strong. Keep out of the reach of children. If it is spilled on the skin, wash immediately in cold water. Do not allow it touch the eyes. If this happens, wash and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Store 35% H202 in the refrigerator or freezer. Out of refrigeration, it will lose strength (potency) at the rate of approximately one percent a month.
- Budesonide (asthma medication): Nebulize 2x daily according to Dr. Richard Bartlett, a medical doctor who has had a 100% recovery rate for his covid-19 patients using this therapy, even those who are older with serious underlying conditions.
- Iodine: Add a drop or two of Lugol’s 5% solution to 3 cc/ml of normal saline (0.9% saline). Sterile saline can be purchased at a pharmacy. If someone has Lugol’s 2% solution, they can use 2-4 drops in 3cc of sterile saline solution. Iodine offers a serious and potent replacement for many of the antibiotics prescribed. It can be used safely with children. Iodine exhibits activity against bacteria, molds, yeasts, protozoa, and many viruses; indeed, of all antiseptic preparations suitable for direct use on humans and animals and upon tissues, only iodine is capable of killing all classes of pathogens: gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses and protozoa. Most bacteria are killed within 15 to 30 seconds of contact.
- Colloidal silver: Due to colloidal silvers’s antiviral and antibacterial properties, one of the most common uses is to nebulize it as a form of treatment for bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory infections. (Argentyn 23 is an excellent product – not all colloidal silver products are safe and effective) – For most respiratory infections, nebulize one – two teaspoons, 2-3 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes. Initially, nebulizing colloidal silver may cause coughing and phlegm before treatment helps lungs feel better. Treatment should be limited to no more than 30 days or as needed temporarily.
- Molecular Hydrogen Water: Molecular Hydrogen has been observed to be protective against damage to numerous organs including the brain, pancreas, heart, liver, eyes, and lungs. This is believed to be because of hydrogen’s anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and oxidative stress fighting effects. Add 1 tablespoon to the nebulizer & dispense 3-4 times daily. Also, drinking 16 or more ounces a day of molecular hydrogen water is recommended.
How to use a nebulizer:
- Check to make sure all the pieces are clean.
- Wash your hands before prepping the medication.
- If your medication is premixed, place it in the container. If you need to mix it, measure the correct amount, and then place it in the container.
- Connect the tube to the compressor and the liquid container.
- Attach the mouthpiece or mask.
- Turn on the switch and check to see that the nebulizer is misting.
- Put the mouthpiece in your mouth and close your mouth around it or put the mask securely over your nose and mouth, leaving no gaps.
- Slowly breath in and out until the medicine is gone. This may take five to 15 minutes.
- Keep the liquid container upright throughout the treatment.
