Pietro Salvatori¹*, Steven W Stogner² and Yasuharu Tokuda³

¹Independent Head and Neck Surgeon, Milan, Italy
²Consultant Pneumologist, Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
³Director, Muribushi Okinawa Centre for Teaching Hospitals, Okinawa, Japan

*Corresponding Author: Pietro Salvatori, Independent Head and Neck Surgeon, Milan, Italy.

Received: May 15, 2021; Published: May 28, 2021

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a major health concern and is heavily affecting the social and economic lives. Similarly, to other highly contagious diseases, it is of outmost importance to early identify and treat the healthy carriers (asymptomatic positive subjects). SARS-CoV-2 entry points are mainly localised in the respiratory tract. Unfortunately, no specific virucidal treatments against SARS-CoV-2 are currently available. Monoclonal antibodies are under evaluation, but high cost and possible ineffectiveness against virus variants could limit its broad use. However, the problem could be approached by resorting nonspecific drugs. Among them, ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is known to be a powerful, cost-effective and abundant virucidal agent, now advised for surgical hand and surfaces disinfection.

Objectives: To determine the potential role of inhaled ethanol to disinfect SARS-CoV-2 positive asymptomatic subjects after having evaluated the dimension of the problem, ethanol efficiency and other beneficial effects on the respiratory tract, ethanol local and general toxicity and ethanol therapeutic window. Finally, to set up a study in order to verify the hypothesis.

Materials and Methods: Together with the consolidated knowledge, an extensive review of the medical literature has been carried out looking for sound data able to support (or discard) the rationale on which a study could be built up.

Results and Discussion: Evident data supporting the inhaled ethanol potential role on SARS-CoV-2 positive asymptomatic subjects disinfection have been found and discussed.

Conclusion: A clinical trial to test the hypothesis that inhaled ethanol could be rapidly efficient in lowering or eradicating SARS-CoV-2 from the respiratory tract in asymptomatic positive subjects is strongly advisable. Individual and public health benefits are stressed, together with economic and social positive fallouts.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Covid-19; Ethanol; Inhalation; Public Health

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Citation

Citation: Pietro Salvatori.,et al. “Ethanol Inhalation for Disinfection of the Respiratory Tract Contaminated with Sars-Cov-2/Covid 19 in Positive Asymptomatic Subjects. Rationale and Proposal".Acta Scientific Otolaryngology 3.6 (2020): 126-134.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2020 Pietro Salvatori.,et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.