We all know what COVID-19 is, and many of us have had to deal with it ourselves. As much as the pandemic has slowed in many places, the world is far from going back normal. The struggle is not only in the disease, but the massive shift that it’s brought in the world.
And there is such variance on the effect the virus can have if you do catch it – some people experience no symptoms, while others could fall into a critical state; though the general consensus is that most COVID patients experience a string of similar symptoms, ranging from mild to extreme. Fever and coughing are some of the first symptoms patients experience, next to the infamous loss of smell and taste. While in some way, it presents itself much like a common cold, in many other ways, the symptoms can be stronger, long-lasting, and more intense.
We’ve even accepted that it’s normal to not fully recover immediately. Like with any virus, recovery often depends on a person’s immune system. It’s not a surprise that some people take much longer to get back to their optimal health once the COVID-19 virus sets it back for them. Many people have stated that even weeks or months after getting over the virus, they don’t feel fully recovered.
As much as it is a unique experience for each person, certain symptoms and effects can linger after contracting COVID-19. Primarily what could remain affected are lungs, and studies suggest even the brain. Next to that, obviously, your immune system and overall health are affected.
Among the post-COVID symptoms reported are fatigue, brain fog, joint pain. chest pain, heart palpitations, headaches, dizziness, and insomnia — and these are all after people have technically “recovered” from the primary infection.
While recovering from COVID takes time, there are some things you can do to improve the healing process – taking immune supplements such as vitamin C and echinacea, getting ample rest, and, yes, with light therapy.
The benefits of light therapy are vast, and the treatment has been proven to help improve overall well-being by amplifying cell turnover rate. Working deep at the cellular level, light therapy gives people the chance to rejuvenate their cells into healthier and stronger ones that can ultimately lead to overall better health.
Light therapy creates and accelerates the release of ATP; this is what fuels our body, so it’s not surprising athletes use this form of therapy to not only heal their wounds and bodies but also refuel their muscles.
So how can light therapy exactly help with COVID symptoms? Well, there have been studies to show that progress is accelerated with the aid of light therapy. What’s even better is that light-based technologies are currently cost-effective and widely available in the market. So, investing in a light therapy device can significantly improve your health without breaking the bank.
Photons can also be used to deactivate SARS-CoV-2 in air, liquids, and on surfaces. Phototherapy can be used as an aid to control virus infection and to modulate the host immune system. Light-based solutions can significantly contribute to mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.
Light therapy use has been used for decades, so it’s no surprise that doctors are implementing it now during these conditions. Light therapy essentials include using different lights to help with different problems, red light being the most commonly used. Light therapy can help improve the immune system by increasing the health and production rate of cells overall. It also helps with circadian rhythm, shifting us into the best schedule and sleep state and allowing our bodies to rest and recover better. Brain fog and chronic fatigue are some of the COVID symptoms that can be improved via light therapy treatment as it aids with restoring sleep patterns, and reduces inflammation in the body.
Studies show that through light therapy, your general wellness and overall health improves which can result in deep body healing, and accelerated recovery from symptoms caused by COVID-19.
Thankfully, Kaiyan Medical produces MDA-certified and FDA-approved light therapy devices perfect for your own at-home treatment, or even for your patients. We’re honored to be able to provide solutions for both patients and healthcare practitioners for this virus that we’ve all been affected by in one way or another – and we’re confident that light therapy will continue to show incredible results for those affected by people across the globe.
Based on the American Journal of Case Reports e-ISSN 1941–5923, © Am J Case Rep, 2020; 21: e926779 DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.926779.
Authors: Scott A. Sigman, Soheila Mokmeli, Monica Monici, Mariana A. Vetrici
Team Physician, UMASS Lowell, Fellow of the World Society of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Chelmsford, MA, USA
See the full-text PDF here.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The presentation of COVID-19 includes dyspnea, lung edema, and pneumonia. Morbidity and mortality are associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and cytokine storm. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients are classified as severe if they require intensive care unit (ICU) admission [1,2]. Here, we report the first case of the use of supportive or adjunctive photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) in a patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) is the best technical term for Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT). It is a light therapy using lasers or LEDs to improve tissue repair, reduce pain and inflammation wherever the beam is applied.
PBMT is an emerging alternative modality with demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in pain management, lymphedema, wound healing, and musculoskeletal injuries. Additional terms for PBMT include low-level laser (or light) therapy (LLLT), cold laser, and photobiostimulation. The effects of PBMT differ from the thermal effects produced by the high-power lasers used in cosmetic and surgical procedures to destroy the tissue. PBMT is non-invasive, cost-effective, and has no known adverse effects.
Empirical use of PBMT in children, adults, and elderly patients with pneumonia, asthma, chronic bronchitis, or pulmonary fibrosis resulted in reduced chest pain and heaviness, normalization of respiratory function, shortened recovery times, and improved immunological and radiological parameters.
A 57-year-old African American man with a history of hypertension and asthma presented with shortness of breath, severe dehydration ´ renal failure. A physical examination revealed labored breathing, weakness, and fatigue. Chest X-rays demonstrated worsening bilateral lung infiltrates. The patient had been in the ICU for respiratory depression.
The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed for this patient by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction by the nasopharyngeal swab. Patient consent was obtained for an FDA-guided and International Review Board-approved trial of laser treatment for COVID-19 (Lowell General Hospital Federal-wide Assurance number 0001427).
The patient was treated with an FDA-cleared Multiwave Locked System (MLS) Therapy Laser (ASA Laser, Italy.) The MLS laser utilizes a mobile scanner with 2 synchronized laser diodes, one in pulse mode (adjustable to 1–2000 Hz), emitting at 905 nm, and another in pulsed mode emitting at 808 nm. The 2 laser beams work simultaneously and synchronously. This laser is used in pain centers for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and inflammation.
The patient tolerated all 4 daily treatments and noted significant improvement in breathing immediately after each treatment. Paroxysmal coughing spells resolved after the third treatment. Upon completion of the fourth treatment, the patient was able to ambulate in the room with physical therapy. On the day following his final treatment, the patient was discharged to an acute rehabilitation facility on 1 L/min oxygen. On the day after arrival to the acute rehabilitation facility, the patient was able to complete 2 trials of stair climbing with physical therapy and was in the process of weaning to room air.
The patient’s response to PBMT was evaluated by comparing different scoring tools before and after laser therapy. The patient showed improvement in all evaluation criteria.
This report has presented a patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia associated with ARDS who was given a supportive treatment with PBMT. Based on this case report, as well as clinical experience of PBMT in respiratory tract diseases in humans, professionals consider PBMT to be a feasible adjunct modality for the treatment of COVID-19. There are published experimental work demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effect of PBMT on lung tissue. Professionals suggest that the use of adjunct PBMT in the early stages of severe ARDS seen in COVID-19 patients can enhance healing and reduce the need for prolonged ventilator support and ICU stay.
Even though we’ve been in the pandemic for over a year now, we are still collecting knowledge on the disease. No one could’ve prepared us for the impact of this virus, and COVID-19 has changed our lives forever.
It is a disease caused by the coronavirus, and the symptoms are similar, but people react differently. It isn’t a virus that gives the same outcome, which is why we have to be so cautious with it. Most common symptoms include fever and dry cough, and extreme fatigue. Apart from those, the other major symptoms are a loss of smell and taste, joint pain, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and headaches.
Scientists and doctors have learned that respiratory problems are the biggest issue while having the disease. The downfall of our immune system during COVID-19 is what gives a chance for pneumonia to develop. Apart from those symptoms and the dangers of getting pneumonia, there’s also potential long-term effects.
So far, only one peer-reviewed study has reported results on the long-term symptoms of COVID-19 infection: a single group of 143 survivors from Rome. Most of them did not need hospitalization and were assessed at least 60 days after infection. They reported a worsened quality of life in 44.1% of cases, including symptoms of persistent fatigue (53.1%), breathlessness (43.4%), joint pain (27.3%), and chest pain (21.7%).
Treatment has evolved within this short period, and now with the vaccine in power, it poses a question: is it the only solution? It's still necessary to nourish our immune system no matter what; intake of vitamins and supplements is still highly advised. But naturally, aside from the vaccine, you would want a non-invasive alternative as well, which is where light therapy comes into play.
Red light therapy is a non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical method of treatment. It works with light that emits at a close, safe distance, penetrating into the cells. Once it reaches cell level, it helps reproduce ATP, which gives a higher and better cell turnout.
Our cells rejuvenate and reproduce themselves; light therapy only aids in this natural process. With light therapy, we get a better and higher count of cells that are genetically improved over time with treatment.
The ways in which light therapy can help with COVID-19 have been studied for a while now, and we shared some information on early clinical trials with you previously.
Light therapy can help with COVID-19 in reducing severity and prominence of symptoms; it works so that light therapy generates the activation of mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS), thus resulting in the reduced expression of viral spike protein and restores the proliferation of infected cells.
Your cells are healing your body by using light therapy––similar to how UV light therapy aids wound healing––and it is there to provide you with more vital cells for your system. A significant reduction of viral infection in the trachea was noticed, the spots where we notice symptoms first, such as our nose and our throats. This means that light therapy helps regulate and decrease the possibility of getting a respiratory disease like pneumonia.
A significantly smaller level of C-reactive protein was observed within seven days of UVA therapy regarding biochemical parameters. It proves that light therapy helps with the deconstruction of damaging proteins in our cells.
Photo-disinfection is used to get rid of harmful bacteria from surgical patients; this is only another form of that. There's also a method where a non-toxic dye is inserted into the nose. It is one that is triggered by light, and then it is measured whether or not the light therapy device has successfully inactivated the virus. This method is used in the early stages of COVID-19.
The one used in the beforehand mentioned study included a light therapy device equipped with a multi-LED UVA light catheter connected to the nasal tube to deliver UVA light to the patients. Our devices are created with multi-LED, so the type of light therapy is your choice, depending on your needs.
The UVA therapy was administered for 20 minutes to all patients once daily for 5 consecutive days. Before the treatment, all patients received oxygen supplementation for 30 minutes. The regimen varies however light therapy should be done consecutively and 10 to 15 minutes.
The coronavirus is still here, but you’re not defenseless. Kaiyan Medical works to develop the best high-quality light therapy devices, with FDA-approved and MDASAP-certified light therapy devices perfect for at-home treatments.
Whether you’re looking to bolster your immune system or wish to provide non-invasive treatment to patients with COVID-19, light therapy is an incredibly powerful and effective tool in fighting the serious symptoms of this virus. Contact our team for more information.
Ontario is a known leader in conducting innovative clinical trials, and the clinical trials community in Ontario has proven this strength throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. One innovative trial underway in Ontario is Vielight Inc.’s COVIDlight trial, which tests whether the recovery of COVID-19 patients may be accelerated by the use of a specialized light therapy device. This trial was made possible in part by Clinical Trials Ontario’s Trial Site Network through a connection made between Vielight Inc. and Impact Clinical Trials. CTO spoke with representatives from Vielight and Impact Clinical Trials about their trial and their experience with the Trial Site Network.
Vielight Inc. has developed a compact and portable device named the “Vielight RX Plus,” based on the science of photobiomodulation (PBM). PBM uses certain light energy to modify cellular functions and can play a role in the management of COVID-19. This clinical trial assesses the efficacy of the Vielight RX Plus to reduce symptom duration and severity in patients suffering from COVID-19.
The Vielight RX Plus device delivers light therapy to the sternum and the nasal canal.
“This device brings a holistic approach to the treatment of COVID-19 patients,”
said Nazanin Hosseinkhah, Research Scientist and Physicist at Vielight Inc.
“The device stimulates the thymus gland, creates nitric oxide, increases natural killer cells, acts as an anti-inflammatory therapy, and increases cellular energy.”
This unique, at-home study has the potential to modulate immune cell and cytokine activity in COVID-19 patients with an easy to use the device.
“We are very hopeful that this trial will prove to help patients recover from COVID-19 at home, and result in less burden to the healthcare system,”
said Hosseinkhah.
This randomized controlled trial, being managed by Impact Clinical Trials, is actively recruiting 280 participants who are confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. The trial was authorized by Health Canada in early September and is recruiting participants in Ontario and the United States. Participants are allocated into a treatment or a control group, with 140 participants randomized to receive the Vielight RX Plus device and the other 140 participants receiving the current standard of care. The trial is conducted remotely with non-hospitalized participants.
Participants in the treatment group receive the device by courier within 24 hours of registering for the trial. They are asked to place the device on their chest and onto their nostril for 20 mins each day. They then track their symptoms within a daily survey over a 30-day period.
“This is a simple, at-home study for participants to be involved in,”
said Andrea Berk from Impact Clinical Trials.
“Participants in both the treatment and the control groups are completely supported throughout the trial, with a 24-hour number they can call if they have any questions.”
This trial was made possible in part by a connection made directly through CTO’s Trial Site Network. The Trial Site Network, part of CTO’s Industry Concierge program, comprises more than 230 sites. The Network allows CTO to provide warm introductions to Ontario’s hospitals, research institutions, private research networks, and CROs.
“We have been able to guide companies such as Vielight in getting their trials up and running in Ontario,”
said Andrew Haller.
“I was introduced to Andrew Haller from CTO a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic,”
said Berk.
“Pre-COVID I was working on half a dozen connections that had been made through the Trial Site Network. When COVID-19 hit, those projects were put on hold. I reached out to Andrew to let him know Impact Clinical Trials had the consulting capacity, and that is when he introduced us to Vielight.”
Haller knew that Vielight had been searching for someone to take on the management of their clinical trial. “When Andrew introduced us to Andrea Berk from Impact Clinical Trials, we immediately connected and knew they were the right fit,” said Hosseinkhah.
COVID-19 has created challenges for nearly every market, and the medical device manufacturing industry is no exception. As the virus sweeps the globe, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for leaders to overcome the arising challenges and prepare for the future.
While I firmly believe the key to navigating this evolving landscape is putting quality at the forefront of all activities, a function made seamless through best of breed quality management tools, I was curious what other industry leaders had to say.
The following are some of their best tips for effectively leading and managing teams during the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing your organization for what’s to come.
Keep in touch. Let your people know where things stand with the business. At home or in the office practicing social distancing, each of your workers will be dealing with different issues, both private and professional. The distributed workforce requires even more channels to help people stay connected.
“Leadership needs to provide regular communication, be transparent about the impact of the pandemic on your company, and set expectations with your team, investors, partners, and customers. There is a great deal of uncertainty in the world, and clarity from management is one of the keys to a healthy organization.” — Paul Grand, CEO, MedTech Innovator
Be sensitive to employees’ personal situations. Every member has their own worries and family needs during this crisis. Review goals and when needed realign expectations to match current circumstances.
Balance the content. Focus on efficiency in meetings to ensure your team still has time to do their work and manage their personal situation. The recommended time for meetings should be 15 minutes with no more than 4 people per meeting
Office time should be reduced. To avoid conflicts, make sure yo manage expectations. Be clear about your expectations and the expectation from your team during these challenging times. The last thing you want to do is have misunderstandings or conflicts with a good working team.
The key purpose of a leader is to continuously motivate and support the team. Talk about work-life structures, supporting flexible working arrangements, and vocalizing empathy towards your workmates. As a leader, you must empower them to deliver their best work while being absolutely empathetic towards challenges in their life.
Focus on the fact that COVID-19 is temporary. The natural instinct may be to slow down and withdraw resources. Instead, this is an excellent time to strategically plan and dedicate time, staff, and resources to ensuring that the post-pandemic time capitalizes on key changes.
Just because you can’t conduct research the way you always have doesn’t mean you can’t conduct research at all. It is important to stay flexible with the research methods you use. Understanding the pros and cons of each method and their overall ability to contribute to your research goal is critical to conducting meaningful and useful research.
All companies are working to lead their teams through today’s challenges with confidence. By taking care of your team and keeping quality you will improve the teamwork collaboration, communication, and transparency.
Getting the Covid-19 vaccination shouldn’t change any of your typical health, fitness, or wellness routines, or at least not for more than a day or two. Still, it’s reasonable to have questions about whether you should hold off on certain things, such as working out, drinking alcohol, or taking certain medications. Below are some of the common questions people have about what they should or shouldn’t do after vaccination related to their own health.
A common circulating question is whether it’s okay to take painkillers and fever reducers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or aspirin. In the big Covid-19 vaccine FAQ on Elemental, the CDC does not recommend taking any of these medications before vaccination for the sake of preventing fever, headache, or other aches. Physicians advise against it because limited evidence suggests it could blunt your body’s immune response.
Basically, wait until you get the vaccine, see what happens and how you feel, and if you experience fever, headache, or other pains, take your preferred painkiller/fever reducer then. There is no evidence to suggest taking acetaminophen or an NSAID after vaccination will negatively affect your immune response.
If you take any immunosuppressive medications, such as biologics for autoimmune diseases, or you’re receiving treatments for cancer, it’s best to check with your specialist (your oncologist, immunologist, rheumatologist, etc.) to find out if you need to skip any doses or wait to get vaccinated between cycles of medications or treatments. Not much data exists on the vaccine and immunosuppressive medication so far, so you’ll need to rely on your physician’s clinical expertise and what we know about other types of vaccines.
No specific recommendations exist related to exercise after getting the Covid-19 vaccine. It’s all going to depend on how you feel. If you’re feeling tired from the vaccine, especially if you have muscle cramps or aches, skip the workout until they subside. Your body is telling you that you need rest, and your immune system probably needs the rest to do its job. If you have the stronger side effects of fever, chills, or fatigue, you should definitely wait until they pass before going for a run or doing a set of deadlifts. If you exercise at a class, it’s probably best not to schedule one in the first two days after each vaccine dose until you know how you’re feeling.
However, if you’re feeling fine, you can try physical activity in a day or two afterward as long as you start slowly and pay attention to your body. You might not have immediately felt any side effects, but once you start exerting yourself, you might find you tire more quickly or easily in the first few days after vaccination. Some physicians advise against any exercise in the first 24 hours after the vaccine, but that’s based more on a “take it easy and see how it goes” approach rather than any data showing that exercise could harm you or the vaccine response.
Yes, you can, but it’s still not the best idea to consume alcohol in the first 24 to 48 hours after vaccination. First, you’re likely to feel tired or achy from the vaccine already, especially if it’s your second dose of one of the mRNA vaccines, so adding a toxin like alcohol to your body when it’s in the process of learning to fight off a specific pathogen could make you feel worse. Alcohol also contributes to dehydration, leading to headaches and muscle or joint pain.
Of course, use red light therapy to improve your circadian rhythm to boost your recovery process. You can use red and infrared light if you feel your body sore and tired.
Most of the vaccines require two doses. You aren’t automatically immune the day after you get your second dose of an mRNA vaccine. Your body needs time to detect the foreign substance in your body, identify it as an intruder, and build up antibodies to fight it. That takes about two weeks, so consider yourself truly, fully immunized two weeks after your second dose.
