Health & Fitness

04/08/20

Can an inexpensive and easy to administer at-home treatment treat the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2? According to Dr. Thomas Levy,¹ the answer is yes. The remedy in question is hydrogen peroxide, aerosolized in any standard nebulizer.

Originally conceptualized in the early '90s by Dr. Charles Farr,^2,³ hydrogen peroxide treatment can successfully treat most viral respiratory illnesses, including coronavirus. According to Levy:

"While different individuals can be expected to have variable degrees of positive response, this intervention can be anticipated to eliminate eventual fatal disease outcomes in all but the most advanced cases."

It's worth keeping in mind that while the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of serious complications and death, the overall mortality rate of COVID-19 appears to be quite low, and very similar to influenza.⁴

A compilation of reported mortality statistics from around the world can be found in the paper,⁵ "Likelihood of Survival of Coronavirus Disease 2019," published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, March 30, 2020. For the latest up to the minute COVID-19 stats, see the "Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering" page.

That said, considering the fact that scientists still do not know whether COVID-19 patients gain lifelong immunity to the virus, or whether it will act more like cold and flu viruses where each season presents a new opportunity for infection,⁶ having an inexpensive and simple way to treat yourself at first signs of symptoms may be a priority for many.

How Hydrogen Peroxide Works

To perform this treatment, you need but two items: a nebulizer with a face mask that covers your mouth and nose that emits a fine mist, and common household 3% hydrogen peroxide, available at most grocery stores and pharmacies for less than $1.

However, it would be better to purchase the more expensive food grade hydrogen peroxide as it doesn't have any stabilizers in it. Stabilizers are proprietary and companies don't need to disclose them on the label, but some can be problematic. Typically food grade peroxide comes in concentrations higher than 3% so you will need to dilute it down to 3% to use it as I describe in the video.

Viruses are not "alive" per se. They need a live host in which they can infect live cells that then replicate the viral DNA and RNA. Once a cell is infected, newly replicated viruses exit the cell and move on to the next cell to duplicate the process.

So, when we talk about "killing" a virus, we're really talking about inactivating them by breaking down their structure. This is why soap works so well. Coronaviruses are held together by a lipid (fatty) coating. Soap, being amphipathic⁷ — meaning it can dissolve most molecules — dissolves this fat membrane, causing the virus to fall apart and become harmless.

More specifically, the fat-like substances in soap are structurally similar to the lipids found in the virus membrane, so the soap molecules compete with and replace the fats in the membrane. In so doing, the "fatty glue" holding the virus together dissolves.

Hydrogen peroxide works in a similar way. As noted by Levy, "the way to control any viral infection is not to kill the virus; rather, the infected cells that have been turned into viral factories must be killed."

Your immune cells actually produce hydrogen peroxide. This is in part how your immune system kills cells that have been infected with a virus. By killing the infected cell, viral reproduction is stopped. So, hydrogen peroxide therapy is in essence only aiding your immune cells to perform their natural function more effectively.

Hydrogen peroxide is also a key redox signaling agent. As explained in the March 30, 2020, review article from my absolute favorite journal Nature Reviews Molecular Biology "Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) as Pleiotropic Physical Signaling Agents":⁸

"At the low physiological levels in the nanomolar range, H₂O₂ is the major agent signaling through specific protein targets, which engage in metabolic regulation and stress responses to support cellular adaptation to a changing environment and stress …

Recent methodological advances permit the assessment of molecular interactions of specific ROS [reactive oxygen species] molecules with specific targets in redox signaling pathways.

Accordingly, major advances have occurred in understanding the role of these oxidants in physiology and disease, including the nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems, skeletal muscle and metabolic regulation as well as ageing and cancer.

In the past, unspecific elimination of ROS by use of low molecular mass antioxidant compounds was not successful in counteracting disease initiation and progression in clinical trials. However, controlling specific ROS-mediated signaling pathways by selective targeting offers a perspective for a future of more refined redox medicine."

In short, hydrogen peroxide is a major ROS, but while ROS are typically thought of as "all bad," this is a gross oversimplification. As noted in this paper, blanket elimination of ROS is inadvisable as they actually serve important signaling functions. The paper, which is behind a paywall, further explains:⁹

"Steady-state physiological flux of H₂O₂ to specific protein targets leads to reversible oxidation, thereby altering protein activity, localization and interactions, which contributes to orchestration of various processes in cells and organs, including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and angiogenesis. This state of low-level H₂O₂ maintenance and its associated physiological redox signaling is called 'oxidative eustress.'"

Contrary to oxidative stress or oxidative distress, oxidative eustress denotes an oxidative challenge that has positive or beneficial effects and is essential in redox signaling.

Hydrogen Peroxide Has a Long History of Medical Use

As explained in a British Journal of Pharmacology paper published in 2012, which sought to assess the therapeutic potential of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment of ischemic stroke:¹⁰

"… in light of recent findings, [hydrogen peroxide] is being recognized as a ubiquitous endogenous molecule of life as its biological role has been better elucidated. Indeed, increasing evidence suggests that H₂O₂ may act as a second messenger with a pro-survival role in several physiological processes …

The presence of H₂O₂ in living systems was identified in 1856. However, it was only in 1894 that 100% pure H₂O₂ was first extracted … In 1888, the first medical use of H₂O₂ was described by Love as efficacious in treating numerous diseases, including scarlet fever, diphtheria, nasal catarrh, acute coryza, whooping cough, asthma hay fever and tonsillitis.

Similarly, Oliver and collaborators reported that intravenous injection of H₂O₂ was efficacious in treating influenza pneumonia in the epidemic following World War I. Despite its beneficial effects, in the 1940s medical interest in further research on H₂O₂ was slowed down by the emerging development of new prescription medicines …

Notably, Farr is generally considered to be the pioneer of 'oxidative therapy' by proposing intravenous infusion of H₂O₂ to treat a wide variety of diseases. Later, Willhelm promoted the therapeutic use of H₂O₂ to treat cancer, skin diseases, polio and bacteria-related mental illness.

He defined H₂O₂ as 'God's given immune system.' Another player in the H₂O₂ story was Grotz, who obtained pain relief by testing H₂O₂ on himself to treat his arthritis pain."

As you can see, while Farr has been labeled a quack by some critics, other scientists and researchers are not so quick to dismiss his contributions to medical science.

What Do Studies Say?

The most relevant study was one that was done earlier this year in the Journal of Hospital Infection. They studies 0.5% hydrogen peroxide, six times weaker than the 3% typically used, and found that it killed human corona viruses and SARS corona viruses and MERS.¹¹

Studies have also looked into the use of hydrogen peroxide against a variety of pathogens, including a 1994 study¹² in Poultry Science, which found a microaerosolized mist of 5% hydrogen peroxide "completely inactivated infectious laryngotracheitis virus."

Exposure to the mist also reduced infectivity of Newcastle disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus and avian influenza virus, but did not completely inactivate them. Use of 10% hydrogen peroxide mist was necessary to render infectious bursal disease virus completely inactive.

Another study,¹³ published in the American Journal of Infection Control in 2009, assessed the efficacy of vaporized hydrogen peroxide against viruses on various surfaces, finding exposure to hydrogen peroxide vapor at a concentration of 10 parts per million resulted in 99% inactivation after 2.5 minutes.

Similarly, a 2014 study¹⁴ in the Journal of Hospital Infection found hydrogen peroxide vapor eliminated an array of viruses on stainless steel, including human adenovirus 1, transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus of pigs (TGEV, a SARS-CoV surrogate), avian influenza virus and swine influenza virus.

According to the authors, "Hydrogen peroxide vapor was virucidal against feline calicivirus, adenovirus, TGEV and avian influenza virus at the lowest vaporized volume tested (25 mL)." Vaporized hydrogen peroxide was found to completely inactivate a range of exotic animal viruses in a 1997 study¹⁵ as well.

Hydrogen peroxide's ability to inactivate dangerous infectious viruses has also been highlighted in vaccine science. As noted in a 2016 study¹⁶ in the Vaccine journal, 3% hydrogen peroxide completely and irreversibly inactivated the rabies virus within two hours, thus reducing time and cost of the inactivation process required for the making of a rabies vaccine (which contains inactivated rabies virus).

Why Use a Nebulizer?

The therapy touted by Farr involved administering hydrogen peroxide intravenously. This, however, puts the therapy out of reach for most who want a quick and easy remedy to use at home. A far more inexpensive and convenient alternative is to inhale the hydrogen peroxide mist, using a nebulizer — a small, handheld device that converts liquid into a very fine mist.

The microscopic mist, similar to smoke or vapor, can be comfortably inhaled deep into your nostrils, sinuses and lungs. While nebulizers have routinely been used by asthmatics to deliver medication into their lungs, this delivery system affects not only the lungs but your entire body.

As noted in the 2002 review article,¹⁷ "Pulmonary Drug Delivery Systems: Recent Developments and Prospects," "Targeting drug delivery into the lungs has become one of the most important aspects of systemic … drug delivery systems."

In the case of respiratory infections, the nebulizer has the added advantage of delivering the hydrogen peroxide right to the areas most affected by respiratory viruses — your sinuses, throat, bronchial tract and lungs.

"Effective hydrogen peroxide nebulization quite literally, 'chops the head off of the snake,' and the virus present elsewhere in the body can then readily be mopped up when the new virus influx has been terminated," Levy says, adding:

"It should be kept in mind that hydrogen peroxide kills pathogens very readily upon contact in an open wound. It should, therefore, be understandable why putting a fine mist of hydrogen peroxide in all the areas of maximal viral replication promptly puts the body on a pathway to rapid healing."

Levy's Hydrogen Peroxide Protocol

To prevent an infection from taking hold, begin treatment at first signs of symptoms. Commercially available 3% hydrogen peroxide is fine for this purpose, and can be used without dilution.

If the undiluted solution stings or burns your nose, you can dilute it up to 50% with pure water. Even lower concentrations can be used, although the antiviral effects will be reduced at lower concentrations.

If you're already presenting with runny nose or sore throat, Levy recommends using the nebulizer for 10 to 15 minutes four times a day until your symptoms are relieved. You can also nebulized hydrogen peroxide for prevention and maintenance, which may be advisable during flu season, or while the COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing. Levy notes:

"As it is a completely non-toxic therapy, nebulization can be administered as often as desired. If done on a daily basis at least once, a very positive impact on bowel and gut function will often be realized as killing the chronic pathogen colonization present in most noses and throats stops the 24/7 swallowing of these pathogens and their associated toxins.

If daily prevention is not a practical option, the effectiveness of this treatment is optimized when somebody sneezes in your face or you finally get off of the plane after a trans-Atlantic flight. Don't wait for initial symptoms. Just nebulize at your first opportunity."

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Pandemic Foreshadows Mental Health Crisis

The U.S. was already on the brink of a mental health crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic. The associated stresses, which run the gamut from isolation and anxiety to unemployment and illness, are now threatening to create a mental health emergency among Americans.

In a commentary by Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman published by Medscape Psychiatry,¹ several gains that have been made toward mental health outcomes are highlighted, such as scientific advancements in the understanding of mental illness, and positive changes in social attitudes toward those who are mentally ill. Such advances do little, however, to offset the sad state of mental health care in the U.S.

“The sobering reality is that high-quality mental health care is not available to most people,” Lieberman, a psychiatrist with Columbia University’s department of psychiatry, wrote. “This lack of strategy and access is especially concerning amid disasters such as COVID-19, which can cause considerable psychological trauma.”

Mental Health Care System Poised for Failure

With stay-at-home orders in place for more than 280 million Americans,² and more than 3.2 million unemployment claims coming in during the week ending March 21, 2020, alone,³ the COVID-19 pandemic has upended Americans’ lives in an unprecedented way.

According to Lieberman, the mental health care system isn’t up for this monumental challenge, citing “systemic deficiencies of our country's mental health policy and financing system.” He explained:⁴

“These engulf our individual efforts of the best departments and the most dedicated and talented clinicians among us. We lack the infrastructure, workforce, and capacity to deliver the evidence-based treatments that we have developed and proven and that should be widely available to patients. We simply don't have the scope and scale of available services warranted by our country's need for mental health care.”

Treating mental illness requires multiple modalities, targeting not only medical symptoms but also social skills, employment support, substance abuse treatment and residential care as necessary. Yet, no comprehensive center exists to offer mental health patients all of these services in one, coordinated location. “They simply don't exist under one roof,” Lieberman wrote, adding:⁵

“In addition to limited access to care and deficient scope of services, there is the question of quality of care. It pains me to say that the quality of mental health care is highly variable and not what it should be. Mental health care lacks the consistency and standardization delivered in most other medical disciplines. Consequently, too many patients receive limited or substandard care.”

What does this mean for Americans struggling with existing mental illness or those developing new anxiety, depression and other psychological challenges? U.K.-based mental health charity SANE said in a statement on the COVID-19 pandemic that a mental health crisis was “inevitable.”⁶

Marjorie Wallace, SANE chief executive, stated that their telephone help line has been receiving increased calls from people suffering from depression anxiety, panic and obsessive compulsive disorder, “who are becoming acutely distressed.”⁷

80% of Mental Help Line Callers Talk About Suicide

Showing the magnitude of the problem, Wallace stated, “Already 80% of our callers talk about self-harm and suicide, and we fear that without being able to reach us or find other help they may be tipped over the edge.”⁸

Suicide rates rose across the U.S. from 1999 to 2016, making it the 10th leading cause of death. In 2016, nearly 45,000 Americans aged 10 and older committed suicide, and more than half of them did not have a diagnosed mental health condition.

“Relationship problems or loss, substance misuse; physical health problems; and job, money, legal or housing stress often contributed to risk for suicide,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted, but added, “Suicide is rarely caused by a single factor.”⁹

Suicide rates varied across the U.S., from a low of 6.9 per 100,000 residents per year in Washington to a high of 29.2 per year in Montana, and this was before the increased pressures brought on by COVID-19. According to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline:¹⁰

“Infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19, as well as other public health events, can cause emotional distress and anxiety. Feeling anxious, confused, overwhelmed or powerless is common during an infectious disease outbreak, especially in the face of a virus with which the general public may be unfamiliar. These feelings of distress and anxiety can occur even if you are not at high risk of getting sick.”

Unemployment, Job Insecurity Raises Suicide, Depression Risk

The U.S. is facing staggering levels of unemployment as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the week ending March 21, 2020, marked the highest level of seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims in the history of the seasonally adjusted series,¹¹ and the numbers are likely an underestimate of the true scope of job losses being felt across the U.S.¹²

Unemployment and financial insecurity are key factors in declining mental health, including suicide. “Unemployment directly affects individuals' health and, unsurprisingly, studies have proposed an association between unemployment and suicide,” researchers wrote in The Lancet Psychiatry.¹³

The researchers conducted an observational study looking at the association between suicide and unemployment in 63 countries between 2000 and 2011, which notably included the 2008 global economic recession.

The relative risk of suicide associated with unemployment was elevated by 20% to 30% during the study period. Further, 1 in 5 of an estimated 233,000 annual suicides that took place from 2000 to 2011 was linked to unemployment.¹⁴ The researchers stated:¹⁵

“Suicides associated with unemployment totaled a ninefold higher number of deaths than excess suicides attributed to the most recent economic crisis. Prevention strategies focused on the unemployed and on employment and its conditions are necessary not only in difficult times but also in times of stable economy.”

A 2014 Gallup Poll also found, “The longer that Americans are unemployed, the more likely they are to report signs of poor psychological well-being.”¹⁶ Further, the link between unemployment and depression is strong.

The poll found that about 1 in 5 Americans unemployed for a year or more either had or were being treated for depression, which is double the rate of those who were unemployed for five weeks or less. According to Gallup:¹⁷

“Gallup finds that unemployed Americans are more than twice as likely as those with full-time jobs to say they currently have or are being treated for depression — 12.4% vs. 5.6%, respectively. However, the depression rate among the long-term unemployed — which the Bureau of Labor Statistics defines as those who have been seeking work for 27 weeks or more — jumps to 18.0%.”

Also concerning, a notable decline in hope was found to occur the longer a person was unemployed. While about 7 in 10 Americans who were unemployed for five weeks or more believed they would find a job within the next four weeks, this fell to fewer than 3 in 10 among those out of work for a year or more.

Loneliness, Isolation Threatening Mental Health

Adding to the mental health stressors of unemployment and financial strain are loneliness and isolation — psychological detriments in their own right. One study found social isolation increases the likelihood of mortality by 29%, while loneliness increases it by 26%.¹⁸ Wallace from SANE noted that the experience of stay-at-home orders can vary widely:¹⁹

“For some people, particularly the elderly, the prospect of isolation can be daunting. For others four months at home may be seen as a change in lifestyle, but for those with no real home or who are living in a substandard flat staring at the four walls, as many patients are, isolation can loom like a living hell.”

Increasingly, research is showing that loneliness exacts a significant toll on your health, one that’s equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day²⁰ and is associated with increased risk of dementia.²¹ And while social distancing may be helping to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19, its effects on mental health are questionable.

A rapid review of the evidence, published in The Lancet in March 2020 looked into the psychological impact of quarantine, finding, not surprisingly, “Most reviewed studies reported negative psychological effects including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger.”²²

Out of 2,760 quarantined people, 34% experienced high levels of psychological distress, which could include anxiety or depression.²³ A number of stressors during quarantine were also noted, including:²⁴

Longer quarantine duration	Infection fears
Frustration	Boredom
Inadequate supplies	Inadequate information
Financial loss	Stigma

Long-lasting psychological effects are possible, according to some researchers, and The Lancet study concluded, “In situations where quarantine is deemed necessary, officials should quarantine individuals for no longer than required, provide clear rationale for quarantine and information about protocols, and ensure sufficient supplies are provided.”

Protecting Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the video above, Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to use the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to relieve anxiety and other challenging emotions brought on by news and uncertainty about this pandemic and/or self-quarantining.

Another option is the Neuro-Emotional Technique’s First Aid Stress Tool, or NET FAST. Firstaidstresstool.com provides an excellent printable summary with visuals of the technique,²⁵ which even a young child can do. Here is a summary of the FAST procedure:

While thinking about an issue that is bothering you, place your right wrist, palm up, into your left hand. Place three fingers of your left hand onto the area of your right wrist where you can feel your pulse.
Place your open right hand on your forehead. Gently breathe in and out several times while concentrating on feeling the issue that bothers you.
Switch hands and repeat steps 1 and 2.

Exercise is also important, with many workouts available online that you can do at home, even during self-quarantine. Research published in The Lancet Psychiatry suggests that exercise three to five days a week for 45 minutes is the “sweet spot” that leads to the greatest mental health gains.²⁶ Getting outdoors for a walk in nature is also mentally soothing and highly recommended during quarantine, as often as is feasible.

Remember, too, that even if you’re socially isolated at home, you can reach out to friends and loved ones via phone or online. Connecting with others, even virtually, can help you to feel less alone. It’s also a good idea to set a limit on watching the news or browsing social media, especially if it increases anxious feelings.²⁷

If you live in the U.S. and are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text 741-741 for the Crisis Text Line. If you are in danger of acting on suicidal thoughts, call 911 for immediate assistance.

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Children to parents suffering from mental illness have a higher risk of injuries than other children, according to a new study. The risk is elevated up to 17 years of age and peaks during the first year of life. The findings highlight the need for parents with mental illness to receive extra support around child injury prevention measures as well as early treatment of mental morbidity among expecting parents.

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The avian influenza virus subtype H16N3 is currently detectable in many countries. To examine the potential threat to humans of H16N3, researchers recently performed an extensive avian influenza surveillance in major wild bird gatherings across China from 2017-2019.

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Chemotherapeutic drugs, also known as antineoplastic agents, that are prescribed to treat a range of cancer types, enter the aquatic environment via human excretion and wastewater treatment facilities. A review indicates that very few studies have characterized the effects of antineoplastic agents that are released into aquatic environments.

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Young children find a parent's hug more calming than a stranger's

For infants as young as four months, a hug from a parent makes all the difference. A study examined heart rate responses in infants less than one year old during a hug and found that children as young as four months experience greater heart rate slowing during a hug than a hold -- and during a hug from their parent as compared to a hug from a stranger.

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Infertility is estimated to affect 9% of reproductive-aged couples globally, and many couples turn to assisted reproductive technology. Selecting embryos with maximum development potential plays a pivotal role in obtaining the highest rate of success. Researchers can evaluate the quality of an embryo by detecting the content of proteins secreted. In Biomicrofluidics, a method to detect trace proteins secreted by embryos using microfluidic droplets and multicolor fluorescence holds promise to select embryos for ART.

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