There is information on the Internet that another disease is hiding under the guise of coronavirus infection - chemical pneumonitis, and accordingly, people need to be treated for poisoning. We decided to check whether the term “chemical pneumonitis” actually exists and whether this disease can masquerade as COVID-19.

Reports that chemical pneumonitis is being mistaken for COVID-19 can be found in messengers And blogs. Some refer to statement a certain Vyacheslav Borovskikh, called a psychiatrist on the Internet: “What happened to me has nothing to do with any infectious process. I had chemical poisoning. As a doctor, I can ascertain this.” He writes that “he used Soviet-developed drugs, universal antidotes, for example Unithiol, which remove from the body and neutralize almost all known poisons, even chemical warfare agents.” Other users offer treat the disease with inhalations of soda and mineral water. Popular blogger and actress Maria Shukshina refers even in response to the words of Academician Chuchalin: “Academician Chuchalin stated this a year and a half ago. And the point of application of these poisons is indeed the respiratory system. And the person actually experiences respiratory dysfunction.” Arguments that patients in red zones do not have coronavirus infection, but chemical pneumonitis, was also used by bloggers invited by the chief physician of the Filatov Hospital Valery Vechorko on a tour after publication "letters from doctors".

It is worth noting that in most cases the story of chemical pneumonitis is accompanied by various conspiracy theories, which we and our fellow fact-checkers have previously examined. Users reportthat chemical pneumonitis occurs due to chemtrailsthat coronavirus will never was not allocated in its pure form in the laboratory, and also allegedly the inventor of PCR said, which prohibits “the use of this test for the diagnosis of infectious diseases.”

Chemical pneumonitis, or chemical pneumonia, is real existing a disease characterized by irritation (rather than infection) resulting from aspiration, that is, inhalation of a substance toxic to the lungs. The most common cause of chemical pneumonitis is vomit entering the lungs, since caustic gastric juice is one of the most common aspirated toxic substances. Inhalation of vomit can occur in a person who has not fully recovered from anesthesia or is in a state of alcohol or drug intoxication. Chemical pneumonitis causes specific shortness of breath (dyspnea), cough, which may be accompanied by pink frothy sputum, fever, wheezing and wheezing. The main diagnostic method, as in the case of coronavirus infection, is chest radiography. In particular, computed tomography with contrast is the most informative.

In severe cases, mechanical ventilation may be required, and antibiotics are often prescribed to prevent secondary bacterial infection. IN protocols Treatment of chemical pneumonitis does not include inhalations with soda and mineral water. About the dangers of inhalation with soda already wrote our ColleaguesHowever, at that time they were recommended to prevent infection with coronavirus infection. Vyacheslav Borovskikh recommends the drug “Unitiol” for treatment. This is real existing a medicine used as an antidote for poisoning with compounds of arsenic, mercury, bismuth, antimony and chromium, as well as for delirious psychosis, as part of complex therapy for chronic alcoholism and for some other diseases, among which chemical pneumonitis is not found. Borovskikh somewhat exaggerates the versatility of the drug, claiming that it even neutralizes chemical warfare agents. "Unitiol" would be useless in case of poisoning, for example, with "Novichok", used, according to data investigators, against Alexei Navalny, or as an antidote for another well-known toxic substance - sarin, used in terrorist attacks "Aum Shinrikyo" and during the war in Syria in the city Guta.

Moreover, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Grigorievich Chuchalin is actually spoke about chemical pneumonitis in numerous interview. True, Internet users significantly distorted his words. Chuchalin spoke out about the widespread and recognized by many doctors opinions that artificial ventilation for coronavirus Maybe bring more harmthan good. Back in April 2020 he expressed concerns that unjustified use of mechanical ventilation may lead to chemical pneumonitis. Instead, he proposed heliox, a mixture of oxygen and helium, noting that Landau and Kapitsa received in different years the Nobel Prize was awarded precisely for studying helium It is worth noting that a mixture of oxygen and helium began to be used in many leading coronavirus centers, in in particular at City Clinical Hospital No. 52 and the Institute named after. Sklifosovsky. She continues show good results also in cases of lung damage due to infection with new variants of coronavirus. Thus, citing the opinion of an academician to prove the theory that COVID-19 is actually a chemical pneumonitis is fundamentally incorrect.

Coronavirus infection is recognized and WHO, And CDC, And Ministry of Health Russia as a separate diagnosis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and not by chemicals sprayed from airplanes or when treating urban infrastructure, as users claim.

Thus, the disease chemical pneumonitis actually exists, its symptoms are well described in the medical literature, and clear protocols have been developed for its treatment. However, the symptoms and treatment for chemical pneumonitis and coronavirus infection are different.