After more than a century since the Spanish flu from 1918 to 1920, the whole world is once again experiencing a pandemic in the form of COVID-19.

COVID-19 is the disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 that was believed to be first found in Wuhan, China in late 2019. The coronavirus, which is spread through person-to-person contact, commonly affects the upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nose, and throat) or lower respiratory tract (windpipe and lungs), triggering a respiratory tract infection. In severe cases, COVID-19 manifests as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)— a critical condition that prevents oxygen from entering the lungs and bloodstream.

Since the spread of this highly contagious disease in early 2020, COVID-19 has infected over 196 million people and claimed the lives of 4.19 million individuals worldwide, at the time of this writing.

Explored treatment options for COVID-19

Early on in the pandemic, while vaccines against the new virus were still being developed, the medical community explored various medications for the treatment of COVID-19, including antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, antiviral drug remdesivir, interferon, and lopinavir/ritonavir.

These treatment options, however, were said to “have little or no effect on 28-day mortality or the in-hospital course of COVID-19 among hospitalized patients,” as per the World Health Organization (WHO). Not to mention that each drug has contraindications and may cause adverse reactions to COVID patients, especially those with comorbidities.

Alternative treatments, such as herbal therapies, teas, essential oils, and silver items have also been explored for mitigating the effects of COVID-19. However, many of these have not been studied and peer-reviewed.

Vaccines, reactions, and ‘breakthrough’ infections

Vaccines from various manufacturers have since been produced, rolled out, and inoculated starting in late 2020 to curb the spread and rise of the contagious disease. While all three vaccines approved for emergency use in the U.S. are found to be safe, adverse reactions, namely blood clots, myocarditis, and pericarditis, were seen in a small number of vaccinated individuals.

Many countries are also currently facing a resurgence of new cases, as the coronavirus has mutated to form new variants that are more infectious and deadlier than the original strain that came from Wuhan. Of note of these variants is the highly transmissible Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, which was first identified in India in December 2020. It was said to be the current dominant strain in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The WHO has acknowledged that existing vaccines may provide less protection against mild, symptomatic illness caused by the Delta variant. Additionally, there have been rare “breakthrough” infections among vaccinated individuals, which led in a small number of hospitalizations and deaths.

Light therapy for preventing and managing COVID-19

One safe and drug-free treatment option that can help prevent COVID-19, manage its effects, and accelerate healing from the disease is photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) or simply light therapy.

PBMT uses light-emitting diodes and broadband light, in the visible and near-infrared spectrum. This technology can be used to target tissues to stimulate different effects on cells, such as proliferation, nitric oxide (NO) release, synthesis of DNA and RNA, among many others. In effect, PBMT is said to help in reducing pain and inflammation, supporting and strengthening the immune system, accelerating tissue regeneration, etc.

A few studies show that light therapy can help in all aspects of the COVID-19 cycle—from prevention to mitigation of its effects to recovery.

Red light therapy, in particular, has been seen to denature the spike protein on the coronavirus, making it more difficult for the virus to fuse with an individual’s cells and replicate within their body.

For individuals already infected with COVID-19, light therapy can help prevent the disease from causing ARDS, as it boosts the production of Nitric Oxide (NO) within the body. Some recently published studies published have shown that NO inhibits the replication cycle of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Additionally, light therapy has been seen to play a major role in reducing the lethality of COVID-19 in severe cases, based on a study published by PubMed.

As for recovery and healing, PBMT has been proven to help with tissue healing and pain reduction. Of note, green light can help provide emotional and anxiety relief, as it has calming properties. Blue light, meanwhile, has anti-bacterial properties that can help combat infections and speed up the healing process from COVID-19.

AAH Light has put together a special COVID Relief Package that includes AAH PBM Light (provides red and near-infrared lights), AAH Blue Light, AAH Red Head, AAH Green Head, complete accessories, and General Wellness and Virus Charts, which show you exactly where and how to apply the light. This complete package has everything you need to prevent, resist, and recover from COVID-19 and is offered at a 20% discount for a limited time.

The great thing about light therapy is that it is safe and has no side effects unlike the drugs that are used to treat COVID-19. Best of all, it can be shared with family members to extend the defense against this highly contagious disease.

Go here to get your COVID Relief Package and start protecting yourself and your loved ones today.