This study, led by Blanche Aguida and her team, looked at how infrared light therapy could help reduce inflammation in people recovering from COVID-19, especially in cases where the immune system becomes overactive and causes harmful “cytokine storms.” These storms of inflammation are a major cause of breathing problems and death in COVID-19 patients. The researchers used two 10-minute sessions of high-intensity infrared light each day and found that this therapy significantly lowered the levels of key inflammatory molecules in the body, such as IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha, which are involved in the immune response. After just 48 hours of treatment, the therapy reduced these molecules by as much as 80%, showing that infrared light can help calm the overactive immune response that leads to serious problems in COVID-19.
The study suggests that infrared light works by affecting the cells’ balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which plays a role in controlling inflammation. By reducing ROS and the activity of certain inflammation-related genes, infrared light therapy could help reduce the risk of severe immune reactions like cytokine storms. Since infrared light therapy is non-invasive, affordable, and safe, the researchers believe it could be a helpful addition to traditional treatments for COVID-19, potentially aiding in recovery and improving patient outcomes.
