CORONA VIRUS AND REVIEW OF THE LATEST STUDIES!
Regardless of how helpless we may feel in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must remember that sooner or later it will be over. We must do our best to keep ourselves and our community as healthy as possible.
The obvious advice is to wash our hands, avoid contact with others, wear a mask when in public, heat our food to kill the virus (which survives better in the cold), and get a good night’s rest.
Risk factors for mortality!
A recent article in JAMA on July 15th, shows higher risk factors for intensive care units patients based on older age, previous history of pulmonary obstructive disease from smoking, male gender, hypertension, obesity and high cholesterol. This study should be a warning for people who continue to smoke and/or use e-cigarettes. It is recommended to keep a healthy diet, control of your diabetes or hypertension, addition of vegetables and fruits in your diet and if unable to do so addition of vitamins or supplement to your diet.
A recent study in Lancet on July 14th showed that age related risk of death with Covid-19 in Switzerland were on of the best medical care is available in Europe rises rapidly with age over 65. The risk of death from Covid-19 was as of June 1st, 2020 highest among age 65 and over and almost non-existent in population under 20 years of age. This is reassuring and at the same time shows a level of responsibility for the younger population to prevent disease spread to their parents and grandparents.
Universal masking!
Risk factors for transmission in high-risk groups were evaluated in recent article in JAMA on July 14th showing a lowering of risk factor for individuals in high-risk professions such as hair salons if both participants were wearing a mask. Even non- N95 cloth masks should be worn by all individuals when direct contact cannot be avoided since it appears to lower the risk of transmission greatly.
Vitamin D3 deficiency may have been a factor!
Recent studies are linking Vitamin D3 deficiency and poor outcome to Covid-19 infection. At the outset of the pandemic Northwestern University researchers were able to complete a statistical analysis of patients from countries across the globe that have been hit hardest by the Covid-19 infection. Their research appears to show a direct relationship between Vitamin D3 deficiency and Covid-19 mortality rates. “…it is important for people to know that vitamin D deficiency might play a role in mortality…”.
Another early study in Ireland showed that countries such as Spain and Italy that rely solely on sunlight for their D3 supplementation have an overall lower rates of vitamin D3 level in their population vs. countries such as Sweden and Finland that use supplementation as their main means of D3 nutrition. What is also observed that the populations that suffer lower levels of D3 had a worse outcome overall with Covid-19 infections. Hence the authors of the study recommend optimizing vitamin D3 levels in all populations as a means of preventing morbidity and mortality.
One of the biggest issues with Covid-19 infection is its pulmonary side effects and severe pulmonary edema causing need for ventilator support. Research has begun to show that this inflammatory response is more to do with the bodies over recruitment of inflammatory white blood cells than the viral load. It appears that vitamin D3 plays an important role in suppressing and controlling this overdrive of the immune system and slowing the pulmonary issues in patients with normal D3 levels.
Vitamin D3 to the rescue!
As an update from the original date of this article, it is becoming the standard of care to add large doses of Vitamin D3 in levels of 20,000IU to 100,000IU daily for 3 days to treat any admitted Covid-19 patient. Dr. Osborne on recent report by a Major News Channel discussed the benefits of this large dose vitamin D3 therapies. "With vitamin D, there is a therapy that can be done that I recommend, and it's 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D per pound. So, if you're 100 pounds, you would take 100,000 international units of vitamin D for three days. After that, you don't have to keep taking those higher doses, but three days of high dose vitamin D will elevate your serum vitamin D levels to adequate levels," Dr. Osborne explained.
Dr. Osborne also “stressed everyone should think of boosting their immune systems using four different supplements – Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Zinc”.
There appears to be no old fears of high dose therapy with vitamins, and it shows improved health benefits for the recipients of the viral illness.
Cytokine Storm and Covid-19.
An article in National Center for Biotechnology Information and reprinted by Awaken in July of 2020, touched upon what is known as cytokine storm in the medical field. “The pathogenesis of a COVID-19 respiratory infection, in a major way, is related to what is referred to as the cytokine storm” or in lay terms a hyper-inflammatory response that can do more damage to tissue than fighting an infection. During this cytokine storm, “an explosive production of proinflammatory cytokines … occurs, greatly exaggerating the generation of molecule-damaging reactive oxygen species (free radicals). In severe cases, the cytokine storm is responsible for the most obvious signs of a COVID-19 infection including fever, lung injury which causes cough and shortness of breath (and the long-term complication, lung fibrosis) and in death.”
This information is only for educational purposes and is not medical advice or intended as a recommendation of any specific products. Consult your health care provider for more information. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.