Ozone therapy as a component of a comprehensive rehabilitation program for patients after polysegmental pneumonia associated with SARS-CoV2 infection

Aim: to analyze the effectiveness of intravenous ozone therapy in long COVID-19 patients experienced community-acquired polysegmental pneumonia (associated with SARS-CoV2 infection). Materials and methods. The study involved 42 long COVID-19 individuals aged 41–82 years who underwent rehabilitation after community-acquired polysegmental pneumonia associated with SARS-CoV2 infection. The patients were examined and followed up subjectively (by the G. Borg and PCFS scales) and objectively (oxygen saturation, C-reactive protein, ferritin, D-dimer, urea and creatinine, 6-minute walk test). All patients received similar medicamentous therapy, and combined intravenous ozone therapy was additionally prescribed to the main group patients (n = 21): an alternate-day infusion of 200 ml ozonized saline at a concentration of 20 mg/ml and major autohemotherapy (100 ml ozonized saline at a concentration of 30 mg/ml mixed with 100 ml of the patient’s blood), 10 sessions per treatment course. Results. The integrated approach to the complex program of long COVID-19 treatment and rehabilitation for patients after pneumonia associated with SARS-CoV2 infection using intravenous ozone therapy has demonstrated its significant effectiveness based on the objective and subjective findings (P < 0.01). Twice as many patients in the main group (n = 18) achieved endpoints of the study (absence of dyspnea, normalization of blood biochemical markers and oxygen saturation levels, restoration of exercise tolerance) as compared to the control group (n = 9). Conclusions. The use of combined intravenous ozone therapy (alternating infusion of ozonized saline and ozonized saline mixed with the patient’s blood) in the rehabilitation program for patients after experienced community-acquired polysegmental pneumonia associated with SARS-CoV2 infection is pathogenetically substantiated, effective and cost-effective addition to complex health recovery tools.