Summary of COVID-19 GPAT studies
243 patient GPAT early treatment RCT: 38% higher hospitalization (p=0.02) and 35% worse recovery (p=0.03).
RCT 243 mildly symptomatic hospitalized COVID-19 patients (Omicron BF.7 variant) in China showing increased risk with graphene photothermal adjuvant therapy (GPAT). All patients received nebulized N-acetylcysteine and the interaction with GPAT is potentially negative. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a potent antioxidant/reducing agent which works by donating thiol groups, scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), and replenishing glutathione. One of the proposed mechanisms by which far-infrared and photobiomodulation exert anti-inflammatory effects is through mild ROS modulation and mitochondrial signaling (cytochrome c oxidase activation, transient ROS bursts that then trigger downstream anti-inflammatory pathways). If far-infrared's benefit depends partly on a controlled ROS signal, a strong systemic antioxidant like NAC given concurrently could blunt that signal. This concern has been raised in exercise physiology and photobiomodulation literature - high-dose antioxidants can attenuate..
Apr 2026, Scientific Reports, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-50266-y, https://c19p.org/an3