“Can nuclear medicine combat viruses?”

Nuclear medicine does not directly treat viral illness, so the short answer is, "No."; however, this is not the whole answer. Nuclear medicine can help to diagnose abnormal pulmonary perfusion and ventilation which are characteristic of viral illness in more severe cases and it is more sensitive than ordinary x rays, probably even more sensitive than chest CT which has much more radiation risk than the nuclear scans. Care must be taken if patients with viral illness have ventilation lung scans, not only to control the expired radioisotope but to prevent spread of possibly aerosolized or droplet spread of expired and potentially infectious particles. The perfusion scan alone is still helpful when compared to a chest x ray and has very little risk. Even pregnant patients can have perfusion lung scans safely with reduced isotope doses. Patients with long COVID-19 induced dyspnea frequently have minor pulmonary fibrosis which can be objectively diagnosed with perfusion lung scans (relatively inexpensively) or newer (relatively expensive and not generally available) MRI methods.

No, it would require amounts of radiation HUNDREDS OR thousands of times higher than used for diagnosis and therapy in Nuclear Medicine.

Edward B. Silberstein, M.A., M.D.