Citizen Covid-19 Research Compilation: C19 and Nitric Oxide
Okay here it is. Disclaimer: !!!I am not a medical professional in any way, shape or form. None of this information is meant as a cure nor diagnosis or treatment of any disease and is simply being compiled and presented for the sake of amateur research.!!!
Again: I am not a medical professional.
Initial article that spurred the search:
https://theconversation.com/the-right-way-to-breathe-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-140695
Highlights: “The reason is that your nasal cavities produce the molecule nitric oxide, which chemists abbreviate NO, that increases blood flow through the lungs and boosts oxygen levels in the blood. Breathing in through the nose delivers NO directly into the lungs, where it helps fight coronavirus infection by blocking the replication of the coronavirus in the lungs. But many people who exercise or engage in yoga also receive the benefits of inhaling through the nose instead of the mouth. The higher oxygen saturation of the blood can make one feel more refreshed and provides greater endurance.I am one of three pharmacologists who won the Nobel Prize in 1998 for discovering how nitric oxide is produced in the body and how it works.”
Question: how effective is NO against Covid19?
A: Nitric Oxide inhibits SARS-CoV-2′s replication cycle ON CONTACT. https://jvi.asm.org/content/79/3/1966
A: Inhaled Nitric Oxide is being tested as a treatment for Covid19 patients and shortens the intensity and duration of illness: https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20200520/evidence-mounts-supporting-inhaled-nitric-oxide-as-covid19-treatment
A: Similar treatments have been used aganst SARS in hospitals. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/39/10/1531/460542
Question: How can one increase NO levels on their own in the absence of access to inhaled NO?
A: Nitric Oxide is increased 15x by humming. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.200202-138BC
Question: Humming increases Nitric Oxide in the airways up to ~500/800ppb. What is the dose of INO used as a useful Covid treatment in hospitals?
A: It varies depending on trx
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200513/inhaled-nitric-oxide-explored-for-covid-19-oxygenation#2
“The patient's therapy consisted of nitric oxide at a dose of 20 ppm plus supplemental oxygen delivered by nasal cannula at a dose of 2 L/min for 12 to 14 hours a day. After symptomatic improvement, a stepwise reduction in nitric oxide was implemented from day 13 to 17, with the dose dropping to 10 ppm, 5 ppm, and then 0 ppm.”
Summary/Takeaway: Increasing NO levels could possibly be beneficial as a preventative against Covid-19 and it wouldn’t hurt to do so. NO is produced all over the body and can be increased intracellularly through eating leafy greens, celery and especially beets. However direct application of NO on possibly contaminated respiratory tissues can be achieved through nasal inhalation, and the amount of NO inhaled can be increased by humming the previous exhale, and by breathing in slowly which increases the length of time of NO release. Used in conjunction with mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing, humming and inhaling NO may be a useful immune boosting practice to limit the ability for any stray viral particles to replicate in one’s respiratory tract.
Furthermore (AND REMEMBER I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL OF ANY SORT AND YOU MIGHT BE WISE TO DISREGARD WHAT I SAY) Covid19 seems to decrease NO in the body by damaging respiratory tissue, simultaneously causing lowered oxygenation and reducing the body’s ability to fight viral infection as well as causing constriction and damage to blood vessels (remember that nitric oxide relaxes tissues and keeps them supple) which may also account for the kinds of blood vessel damage seen in advanced cases. Given this, it seems absolutely vital that all individuals maximize their NO and oxygenation through breathing exercises before and in the case of contracting Covid, as doing so provides antiviral benefit and counteracts the blood vessel damage this disease is capable of.
Other interesting factors/readings: (these are more complicateed and go beyond the scope of my suggestions)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1089860320301610
“AbstractThe nasal cavity and turbinates play important physiological functions by filtering, warming and humidifying inhaled air. Paranasal sinuses continually produce nitric oxide (NO), a reactive oxygen species that diffuses to the bronchi and lungs to produce bronchodilatory and vasodilatory effects. Studies indicate that NO may also help to reduce respiratory tract infection by inactivating viruses and inhibiting their replication in epithelial cells. In view of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), clinical trials have been designed to examine the effects of inhaled nitric oxide in COVID-19 subjects. We discuss here additional lifestyle factors such as mouth breathing which may affect the antiviral response against SARS-CoV-2 by bypassing the filtering effect of the nose and by decreasing NO levels in the airways. Simple devices that promote nasal breathing during sleep may help prevent the common cold, suggesting potential benefits against coronavirus infection. In the absence of effective treatments against COVID-19, the alternative strategies proposed here should be considered and studied in more detail.Keywords: Innate immunity, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Nitric oxide, Breathing”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7200356/
