Jamaicans now have access to a potential solution to the COVID-19 crisis plaguing the island, one medical official has said in a news release.

Ozone therapy, a scientifically proven medical technique, harnesses the power of oxygen to destroy the virus. The Germany-pioneered technology converts medical oxygen (O2) to ozone gas (O3), which can be administered safely to the body with no side effects. The ozone molecule alters the viral structure, reduces its ability to bind to the host cells, and balances the host immune response.

Dr Andre Williams, an integrative oncologist in Montego Bay, has successfully used the treatment to treat several COVID-19 cases, including himself. A member of the American Academy of Ozonotherapy, Dr Williams was certified in medical ozone therapy in 2017.

“I went to the workshop to learn innovative techniques for cancer treatment,” Dr Williams recalls, “ but I will never forget one of the lecturers mentioning that ozone kills all viruses on contact”.

Since returning to Jamaica, Dr Williams has administered over 250 sessions of ozone therapy for various illnesses. “I noticed that patients with viral illnesses responded particularly well when treated this way,” he remarked, “so I began to review the available literature and realised that there are hundreds of articles documenting success with treating virus-related diseases,” he says.

Consequently, when the epidemic of COVID-19 was declared in Peru, he was asked to design an ozone treatment protocol for a local hospital there. He selected ozone major autohemotherapy, a method of safely treating heparinised blood with ozone, for maximum delivery to the entire body.

At the time, the medical community was just discovering the potential for the virus to cause blood clots. Despite this, all the patients in this informal study recovered quickly. Little did Dr Williams know that he would need this information to treat both himself and his family a year later.

“My wife was the first to experience symptoms of sore throat, joint pains, fever and chills” he noted, “but her COVID test was initially negative on February 9, 2021.” A few days later, he began to have similar symptoms. So they both tested, and the results were confirmed positive.

“We drove to the office immediately and started ozone major autohemotherapy,” he said.

Within 72 hours, their symptoms resolved entirely and they completed the remaining period in isolation and without incident.

A month later, Dr Williams unexpectedly had to treat his father. He recalled, “He woke up with joint pains, high fever, and low oxygen levels. Two ozone sessions later, his oxygen levels had normalised, and he was up making his own breakfast by the next morning.

“To recover from a viral illness, the immune system has to first identify the threat, then effectively neutralise it, and finally clear up the debris and return to normal function.” Dr Williams explained. He suggested that abnormalities in each of these immune responses could explain why individuals with comorbid illnesses are disproportionately affected by the virus.

Dr Williams said he understands his responsibility to provide accurate information, especially in a time of great uncertainty. Through his Teshuva Wellness Clinic, he has created the website www.ozonejamaica.com, where interested clients can review the relevant literature, as well as listen to client testimonials.

“There are several studies emerging across the world, specifically describing the benefits of ozone therapy for COVID-19,“ he remarked, “with favourable outcomes, including shortened duration of symptoms, reduced need for hospitalisation, and reduced ventilator requirements in hospitalised patients.”

Williams is optimistic about the potential to help his country. “I just want to let people know that there is a safe, effective option available” he says,” this is not an experimental therapy, it has been used successfully for decades.”

Dr Williams looks forward to partnering with local health-care providers to make the service available to affected patients islandwide.