A Massachusetts patient with COVID-19 and pneumonia responded positively to a laser therapy meant to promote healing, according to a case study published in the American Journal of Case Reports.
The article details a COVID-19 case involving a 57-year-old man admitted to the intensive care unit for respiratory distress. The man had daily, 28-minute sessions of photobiomodulation therapy for four days. The therapy entails applying light over damaged tissues. Cells absorb the light energy, which spurs a set of molecular reactions that may improve cell function and aid healing.
The patient's oxygen saturation increased from 93 percent to at least 97 percent after the therapy. He also required less oxygen, achieved a lower pneumonia severity index and saw improvements in his radiographic assessment of lung edema chest X-ray score.
The patient is one of 10 participating in a clinical trial assessing the therapy's benefits for COVID-19 patients with pneumonia. The case marks the first time laser therapy has been used on such a patient.
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