Low-Level Laser Therapy Treatment of Lung Inflammation in Post-COVID-19 Recovery

Since the emergence of COVID-19, the world has become familiar with the symptoms and acute effects of COVID-19 infection including hospitalization and death. However, we now know that COVID-19 can cause persistent ill-health even after patients recover from active infection. Around a quarter of people who have had the virus experience symptoms that continue for at least a month but one in 10 are still unwell after 12 weeks. This has been described by patient groups as "Long COVID," a colloquial term used to describe signs and symptoms that continue or develop after the acute phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This encompasses the terms "ongoing symptomatic COVID-19" (4 to 12 weeks after infection) and "post-COVID-19 syndrome" (more than 12 weeks after infection).

Data from recent studies shows that approximately 9-15% of patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 are readmitted within two months of discharge, and nearly 30% are readmitted within six months of discharge.

This highlights the fact that sequelae after recovery from acute COVID19 may require ongoing treatment to help return patients to their prior quality of life. Reasons for hospital readmission in these post-covid recovery patients range from respiratory distress, sepsis, pneumonia, heart failure, thrombotic episodes, psychiatric illness, and falls, among other causes. Risk factors for readmission have included older age, certain underlying conditions (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension), shorter initial length of stay, and lower rates of in-hospital treatment-dose anticoagulation

The prevalence of long COVID symptoms and accompanying respiratory inflammation are understood through statistical survey of populations. A study conducted by the MICOVID19 (Michigan) initiative in July 2020 documented post-COVID recovery rates of 1,648 patients. The goals of the Michigan registry are to Identify factors associated with critical illness/severe course and outcomes, Identify patient characteristics, care practices, and treatment regimens associated with improved outcomes, and Understand the long-term complications for hospitalized patients including subsequent rates of readmission, mortality, and return-to-normal activities (among other specific state goals).Post-acute COVID-19 is defined as persistent symptoms and/or delayed or long-term complications after having moved through the acute phase of the illness.

The MICOVID19 study will serve as a standard comparison to the results of this study, and will show whether patients treated with LLLT red light using the UltraSlim device have statistically better outcomes than the patients surveyed in the MICOVID19 study.