The probiotic Slab51 (Sivomixx®800, Ormendes, Switzerland) has been evaluated in sixty-nine adult COVID-19 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 related pneumonia a CT lung involvement greater than 50 percent and requiring non-invasive oxygen therapy. Patients supplemented with Slab51 in addition to standard therapy (n=40) showed significantly higher blood levels of partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), oxygenated hemoglobin (O2Hb), percentage of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen (SaO2), and a higher partial pressure of oxygen (pO2)/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) ratio (pO2/ FiO2), than those on routine therapy alone (n=29). Results showed that patients on standard treatment had significantly higher oxygen requirements. One patient (2.5%) receiving Slab51, and four patients (13.8%) receiving only routine therapy, were transferred to intensive care.

This study confirms previous clinical studies and extends the knowledge on the mechanisms by which COVID 19-infected patients have a higher chance of survival and a reduced risk of respiratory failure when supplemented with Slab51^{(2, 3)}. This specific probiotic formulation modulates the blood consumption of oxygen in the gut making more oxygen available for critical organs (i.e. brain, heart, liver…). The “oxygen sparing effect” induced by Slab51 is also supported by in vitro experiments.