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Wash out the virus

2021-12-30

There is not much research on the effects of washing of hands, but most people, including doctors and authorities, recommend it. 

It is rather obvious that getting rid of viruses may have a positive effect.

Likewise, it should be evident that flushing out viruses from the sinuses should have a positive effect. 

There is also research to support this evidence. Here is a summary of one of the latest -  March–April 2021 - scientific report:

Sodium chloride causes inhibition in the replication of a range of DNA and RNA viruses.

Saline water gargling and nasal irrigation represent simple, economical, practically feasible, and globally implementable strategies with therapeutic and prophylactic value.

Saline water gargling and nasal irrigation are examples of harmless interventions.

Saline water gargling and nasal irrigation are suitable options for the current crisis.

The title of the report is a question: “Do saline water gargling and nasal irrigation confer protection against COVID-19?” and the answer is yes!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550830720303128

There were also reports early in the present pandemic about nasal irrigation:  One says: “We postulate that hypertonic saline gargles and nasal wash may be useful in prevention and for care of patients with COVID-19.” May – June 2020

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353928/

In some cultures, there is abundant experience of nasal irrigation for hundreds of years.  In India, the upper classes increasingly tend to use western medicine while poor people still rely on traditional Ayurvedic medicine. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine to rinse the sinuses with saline water is a normal measure to fight infections in the upper respiratory tract.  That could in part explain the difference in COVID-deaths per 100 000 inhabitants between India (35) and the US (248) (Johns Hopkins 2021-12-25)

“Rinsing your nasal passages helps wash away any excess mucus or irritants inside your nose, which can reduce inflammation and relieve your symptoms.” 
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/non-allergic-rhinitis/treatment/  
National Health Service UK , accessed 2021-12-27

A simple procedure kills and sloshes out virus from where they live and replicate – in the sinuses. 

So, try it out, it is not time consuming, it is inexpensive, and it is without adverse effects.

As prevention, flush the sinuses every evening. And also, when you have been in contact with infected people. Or when you feel you may have been infected. Or when you sense there is virus or bacteria in your sinuses.

In order to avoid microorganism infection from the tap water, boil the water and let it cool to desired temperature before you use it, 

Dose the right amount of salt in body temperature or lukewarm water. Otherwise, it will smart in your sinuses. 

When used as a preventive measure, water will flow clearly from one nostril, through the sinuses, to the other. If you are already infected, lumps of mucus, pus and snot will also flow out. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation

Saline water for gargling is easily made in a glass. As an alternative to saline water a solution with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide can be gargled or sprayed.

Hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved and we would not have had to spend billions on vaccines if we had promoted this extremely simple method for getting rid of viruses. It is helpful in battling any virus, any mutation and any bacteria. 

How to rinse your nose

We must keep our distance and wash our hands to avoid infection, but we can also actively support the body's own defence mechanisms.

A single virus does not harm us. But in large quantities, they can break through even a strong immune system. We cough and we sneeze when the body is exposed to viruses to get the viruses out.  To help the body reduce the amount of virus, we can gargle the throat and mouth and flush the nose and sinuses if we feel or suspect infection.

  1. Buy a nasal rinse at the pharmacy.
  2. Boil half a litre of water and let it cool to body temperature or a bit higher. 
  3. Mix in about a teaspoon of common table salt.
  4. Bend forward over the sink or tub and allow the water to drain into one nostril and out through the other.
  5. Repeat with the other nostril.
  6. Then stand bent forward for a while so that the water drains out properly.
  7. It's easy but ask your pharmacist for complete advice.

This is how the US Department of Health describes the procedure:
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/rinsing-your-sinuses-neti-pots-safe

We all have self-cleaning mechanisms in the airways to strengthen our defences against viruses. They often keep us free from virus attacks, but sometimes the body may need help. Here is a reference that was published early in the pandemic: “How to Further Reduce the Risk of Serious COVID-19 Infections: Exploiting the Fragile Viral Envelope and the Self-Cleaning Mechanisms of Our Respiratory System”, Viola Vogel, Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D -HEST), ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202003.0415/v1