(NewsNation) — An age-old tactic for dealing with sore throats might also help if you come down with a case of COVID-19, a new study suggests.
The researchers had people do high- and low-dose saline regimens — gargling with salt water — to deal with their COVID-19 symptoms.
“We found that both saline regimens appear to be associated with lower hospitalization rates compared to controls in SARS-CoV-2 infections. We hope more studies can be done to further investigate the association,” Jimmy Espinoza, a medical doctor and co-author of the study, said.
The study was presented at this year’s American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, which took place in Anaheim, California.
However, other researchers interviewed by The Washington Post emphasized that more research needs to be done on the topic.