In a study involving doctors from the Amrita Hospital, Kochi, and scientists from the School of Biotechnology at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, a novel intervention for COVID-19 has been explored with the well-known gas Nitric Oxide (NO). This gas has for many years been used worldwide for the treatment of medical conditions like the Blue Baby Syndrome and the treatment of heart or lung transplant patients. The study conducted by Amrita scientists has found that inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) is virucidal and kills SARS-COV-2 virus, apart from preventing its effective attachment to human host cells. 

In the feasibility trial conducted at Amrita Hospital, COVID-19 patients who received the iNO therapy recovered faster with lesser complications and zero mortality rates compared to patients who received the standard COVID-19 treatment without iNO. 

The team of experts at Amrita Hospital headed by Dr Aveek Jayant, Dr Dipu TS and Dr Merlin Moni, decided to conduct this trial on a small group of covid patients admitted at Amrita Hospital. Out of the 25 patients selected for the study, 14 were given iNO along with standard treatment for COVID-19, while 11 patients were in the Control standard treatment group. The patients treated with iNO showed a significant drop in their viral load. According to these doctors at the Amrita Hospital. 

The study by Amrita Hospital successfully demonstrates the putative role of repurposed inhaled nitric oxide in hypoxemic COVID-19 patients. The expert panel associated with the study now calls for an extended validation to take this treatment process to the next level.