![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 27 to 51 of 55. Go back in thread:
Posted by PeterMartin on March 6, 2020, at 15:14:38
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus » PeterMartin, posted by Hugh on March 6, 2020, at 13:08:24
> You're welcome. I don't know of any contraindications with psyche meds, but specialized pro-resolving mediators haven't been available for very long. You might try taking it every other day or every third day in the beginning to see how it affects you. I can feel the effects of one capsule for over 48 hours.
>
> You're right, it is derived from fish oil. But it's far more effective than any fish oil I've ever tried, and I've tried a lot. It does elevate my mood.
>
> This is where I order it:
>
> https://www.lifeextension.com/search#q=pro-resolving%20mediators&t=coveo4A2453FD
>
> You should use one of these discount codes at checkout:
>
> https://www.coupons.com/coupon-codes/life-extension/
>
>Thanks a lot! My bottle of it (same brand / Life Extensions) just arrived from Amazon actually. Took my first pill. Hope it doesn't do anything negative to my mood (positive would be great!).
Fish Oil in general tended to make me depressed after a little while. Obv if that happens I'll stop taking it.
Appreciate all of your suggestions during this odd situation.
Posted by Hugh on March 6, 2020, at 15:50:17
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by PeterMartin on March 6, 2020, at 15:14:38
Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
> > You're welcome. I don't know of any contraindications with psyche meds, but specialized pro-resolving mediators haven't been available for very long. You might try taking it every other day or every third day in the beginning to see how it affects you. I can feel the effects of one capsule for over 48 hours.
> >
> > You're right, it is derived from fish oil. But it's far more effective than any fish oil I've ever tried, and I've tried a lot. It does elevate my mood.
> >
> > This is where I order it:
> >
> > https://www.lifeextension.com/search#q=pro-resolving%20mediators&t=coveo4A2453FD
> >
> > You should use one of these discount codes at checkout:
> >
> > https://www.coupons.com/coupon-codes/life-extension/
> >
> >
>
> Thanks a lot! My bottle of it (same brand / Life Extensions) just arrived from Amazon actually. Took my first pill. Hope it doesn't do anything negative to my mood (positive would be great!).
>
> Fish Oil in general tended to make me depressed after a little while. Obv if that happens I'll stop taking it.
>
> Appreciate all of your suggestions during this odd situation.
>
>
Posted by bleauberry on March 6, 2020, at 18:29:57
In reply to Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by PeterMartin on March 3, 2020, at 13:15:00
Any number of herbs and spices are likely to have efficacy to some degree against this virus and others. The main thing is to beef up the immune system, not necessarily to kill microbes. Reishi mushroom, raw garlic or garlic oil (has to stink to retain its powerful anti-viral qualities), oil of oregano is very strong against all microbes. Colloidal silver spray does an amazing job as a spray in the sinuses and throat, as well as consumed systemically. The virus, in my opinion, and apparently many doctors too, is being overhyped for political reasons and for CYA reasons. Many of the infected say it is like a cold or a mild cold. The dead are almost exclusively older patients with pre-existing pulmonary or immune dysfunction. Good ole Vitamin C at 1000mg TID and Vitamin D at 10,000IU is a great way to immediately fortify the immune system. For meds, I am not aware of any, though over in Austria they are talking about some old medicine that has been around a long time that is effective but that's all I know about that a.
Posted by beckett2 on March 7, 2020, at 17:22:38
In reply to Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by PeterMartin on March 3, 2020, at 13:15:00
Alright, friends, this letter was forwarded to me. I know about relying on a friend of a friend, but the protocols check out and are reasonable.
I figure our house will get covid-19 eventually, (someone in my town has tested positive!), but we have an 80 y.o. w/ lung issues, so I'm trying to at least put off eventual infection. Cheers y'all.
_________________________________________
"Subject: What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic
Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources. The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.
Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.:
1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip - do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home's entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can't immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:
1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.
Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average - everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you - it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth - it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY "cold-like" symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.
I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available. I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email.
Good luck to all of us!
James Robb, MD FCAP"
Posted by sigismund on March 8, 2020, at 0:35:23
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by beckett2 on March 7, 2020, at 17:22:38
Toilet paper is bulky so the shelves thin out with a few purchases. This led people to think that it was running out, which led to bulk purchases, more shortages, bare shelves and fights in supermarkets.
God knows what it will be like when things we need (like food) are not available.
Posted by beckett2 on March 8, 2020, at 3:15:59
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus » beckett2, posted by sigismund on March 8, 2020, at 0:35:23
> Toilet paper is bulky so the shelves thin out with a few purchases. This led people to think that it was running out, which led to bulk purchases, more shortages, bare shelves and fights in supermarkets.
>
> God knows what it will be like when things we need (like food) are not available.I saw said tp fight. Who swung first is lost to memory, but I recall one woman saying 'I only want one pack'.
Posted by Lamdage22 on March 10, 2020, at 11:50:36
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by beckett2 on March 8, 2020, at 3:15:59
Every time I read the news, I obsess about Corona. Not healthy.
Posted by undopaminergic on March 10, 2020, at 12:00:19
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by Lamdage22 on March 10, 2020, at 11:50:36
> Every time I read the news, I obsess about Corona. Not healthy.
I quit following the news years ago, and I have not regretted it.
For one thing, it saves me a lot of time that I can put to better uses.
-undopaminergic
Posted by PeterMartin on March 11, 2020, at 2:40:05
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by undopaminergic on March 10, 2020, at 12:00:19
I know it's a study w SARS (a different coronavirus) and mice, but does anyone else think this is promising for Stinging Nettle Root (Urtica Silica)? I mentioned it in the original post but didn't link the study:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21338626
Inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus replication in a lethal SARS-CoV BALB/c mouse model by stinging nettle lectin, Urtica dioica agglutinin.
Abstract
Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA) is a small plant monomeric lectin, 8.7 kDa in size, with an N-acetylglucosamine specificity that inhibits viruses from Nidovirales in vitro. In the current study, we first examined the efficacy of UDA on the replication of different SARS-CoV strains in Vero 76 cells. UDA inhibited virus replication in a dose-dependent manner and reduced virus yields of the Urbani strain by 90% at 1.1 ± 0.4 μg/ml in Vero 76 cells. Then, UDA was tested for efficacy in a lethal SARS-CoV-infected BALB/c mouse model. BALB/c mice were infected with two LD50 (575 PFU) of virus for 4 h before the mice were treated intraperitoneally with UDA at 20, 10, 5 or 0 mg/kg/day for 4 days. Treatment with UDA at 5 mg/kg significantly protected the mice against a lethal infection with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV (p < 0.001), but did not significantly reduce virus lung titers. All virus-infected mice receiving UDA treatments were also significantly protected against weight loss (p < 0.001). UDA also effectively reduced lung pathology scores. At day 6 after virus exposure, all groups of mice receiving UDA had much lower lung weights than did the placebo-treated mice. Thus, our data suggest that UDA treatment of SARS infection in mice leads to a substantial therapeutic effect that protects mice against death and weight loss. Furthermore, the mode of action of UDA in vitro was further investigated using live SARS-CoV Urbani strain virus and retroviral particles pseudotyped with SARS-CoV spike (S). UDA specifically inhibited the replication of live SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV pseudotyped virus when added just before, but not after, adsorption. These data suggested that UDA likely inhibits SARS-CoV infection by targeting early stages of the replication cycle, namely, adsorption or penetration. In addition, we demonstrated that UDA neutralizes the virus infectivity, presumably by binding to the SARS-CoV spike (S) glycoprotein. Finally, the target molecule for the inhibition of virus replication was partially characterized. When UDA was exposed to N-acetylglucosamine and then UDA was added to cells just prior to adsorption, UDA did not inhibit the virus infection. These data support the conclusion that UDA might bind to N-acetylglucosamine-like residues present on the glycosylated envelope glycoproteins, thereby preventing virus attachment to cells
Posted by PeterMartin on March 12, 2020, at 1:01:12
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by PeterMartin on March 11, 2020, at 2:40:05
Here's a case a scientist made for Lithium:
Posted by Lamdage22 on March 13, 2020, at 8:33:10
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by PeterMartin on March 12, 2020, at 1:01:12
Hey Guys,
I think living healthily and adhering to good hygiene is really all that can be done. I quit going to massages, I quit eating out. I study at home anyway. I don't go to the doctors unless unavoidable. I am not so much worried about myself but the elderly in my surroundings. My father is not very worried. I am though. He is 81, I can't dictate how he lives his life.
Do you think there will be a shortage of psychmeds? That would be close to torture for me! I always have a stock of at least 6 up to 12 weeks.
Posted by beckett2 on March 13, 2020, at 12:34:12
In reply to Will there be shortages with meds? If so, when?, posted by Lamdage22 on March 13, 2020, at 8:33:10
> Hey Guys,
>
> I think living healthily and adhering to good hygiene is all that can be done. I quit going to massages, I quit eating out. I study at home anyway. I don't go to the doctors unless unavoidable. I am not so much worried about myself but the elderly in my surroundings. My father is not very worried. I am though. He is 81, I can't dictate how he lives his life.
>
> Do you think there will be a shortage of psych meds? That would be close to torture for me! I always have a stock of at least 6 up to 12 weeks.
>
>
>
>
>
>I don't think there will be a shortage of mental health meds, but if providers are overwhelmed, access may be disrupted.
The US Center for Disease Control recommends an extra supply of 4 to 6 weeks.
You know, I vacillate between mild alarm and just basic concern. US leadership does not inspire confidence. My MIL is 80 and has severe asthma, so I understand your concerns.
How is it in Germany?
Posted by Lamdage22 on March 13, 2020, at 12:57:26
In reply to Re: Will there be shortages with meds? If so, when?, posted by beckett2 on March 13, 2020, at 12:34:12
Worse... they took a long time to react. We got 2500 cases in Germany.
Posted by beckett2 on March 13, 2020, at 13:20:02
In reply to Re: Will there be shortages with meds? If so, when?, posted by Lamdage22 on March 13, 2020, at 12:57:26
> Worse... they took a long time to react. We got 2500 cases in Germany.
Yikes. Same here. To be blunt, our president is a dumbass with personal issues. At least Merkel is sane.
I think the US's relative isolation has delayed a major outbreak, but I expect we will.
Posted by Lamdage22 on March 14, 2020, at 6:49:07
In reply to Re: Will there be shortages with meds? If so, when?, posted by beckett2 on March 13, 2020, at 13:20:02
In comparison, yes! But she had what looks like panic attacks during several official receptions. She said it was psychological, which doesn't really put my mind at ease at all. Usually she starts shaking during the national anthem. Go figure.
I am not the biggest fan but i would never vote for right wing populists because of that. I like direct democracy.
Posted by PeterMartin on March 15, 2020, at 1:05:41
In reply to Re: Will there be shortages with meds? If so, when?, posted by Lamdage22 on March 14, 2020, at 6:49:07
Remember that 85%+ of US generic medications are manufacturered in India and China. China seems to be getting a grip on things, but if India gets hit hard there most definitely could be a shortage of certain medicines (at least their generic versions).
Posted by Lamdage22 on March 15, 2020, at 14:47:48
In reply to Re: Will there be shortages with meds? If so, when?, posted by PeterMartin on March 15, 2020, at 1:05:41
They are saying that there will be no shortages of meds in Germany at least until summer.
Posted by Hugh on March 31, 2020, at 19:14:19
In reply to Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by PeterMartin on March 3, 2020, at 13:15:00
Scientists in Canada have launched a study to test a drug they hope could prevent people from dying of lung complications caused by the respiratory disease COVID-19.
Researchers at the Montreal Heart Institute aim to recruit 6,000 COVID-19 patients for their COLCORONA study, according to a statement. The drug, called colchicine, is an anti-inflammatory pill used to treat gout, Behcet's syndrome -- which causes blood vessel inflammation -- and the genetic disorder Familial Mediterranean Fever, where people have a recurrent abnormal body temperature.
Professor Jean-Claude Tardif, director of the Research Centre at the Montreal Heart Institute, told Radio Canada his team believes the medication could stop what is known as a cytokine storm, where the immune system overreacts.
The drug "may reduce COVID-19-related complications in adults at risk or with evidence of an inflammatory storm," according to the institute's statement.
To take part in the study, participants must have been diagnosed with COVID-19; be aged at least 40 years old; not hospitalized, and be willing to take the drug or placebo for 30 days. Women who do not take contraceptives, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, are not eligible.
Complete article:
Posted by Hugh on April 7, 2020, at 10:12:36
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by Hugh on March 31, 2020, at 19:14:19
'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling says she's 'fully recovered' after experiencing 'all symptoms' of COVID-19
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has revealed that she has been suffering from "all symptoms" of COVID-19 over the past two weeks -- although hasn't been tested for it.
The writer shared the news via her Twitter account as she linked to a video featuring advice on how to relieve the respiratory symptoms of the virus while stating that she had followed it on the recommendation of her husband Neil Murray, a doctor.
She added that she has "fully recovered."Please watch this doc from Queens Hospital explain how to relieve respiratory symptoms. For last 2 weeks I've had all symptoms of C19 (tho haven't been tested) & did this on doc husband's advice. I'm fully recovered & technique helped a lot.
https://t.co/xo8AansUvc via @YouTube
-- J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 6, 2020https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jk-rowling-recovered-coronavirus-symptoms-150522933.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwLzAdriec0&feature=youtu.be
1. SIT UPRIGHT:
[Deep Breath and Hold it for 5 seconds] Do this 5 times
[Deep Breath and Cough Into Cloth] after the 6th deep breath
Repeat the 6 deep breaths plus cough a 2nd time.2. LIE ON STOMACH:
[Breath slightly deeper than normal]
Continue for 10 minutes.3. REPEAT REGULARLY.
Posted by Hugh on May 25, 2020, at 13:28:40
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by Hugh on March 31, 2020, at 19:14:19
One layer of a tightly woven cotton sheet combined with two layers of polyester-spandex chiffon -- a sheer fabric often used in evening gowns -- filtered out the most aerosol particles (80-99%, depending on particle size), with performance close to that of an N95 mask material. Substituting the chiffon with natural silk or flannel, or simply using a cotton quilt with cotton-polyester batting, produced similar results. The researchers point out that tightly woven fabrics, such as cotton, can act as a mechanical barrier to particles, whereas fabrics that hold a static charge, like certain types of chiffon and natural silk, serve as an electrostatic barrier. However, a 1% gap reduced the filtering efficiency of all masks by half or more, emphasizing the importance of a properly fitted mask.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200424081648.htm
"While medical masks have limited durability and little potential for reprocessing, face shields can be reused indefinitely and are easily cleaned with soap and water, or common household disinfectants," they wrote. "They are comfortable to wear, protect the portals of viral entry, and reduce the potential for autoinoculation by preventing the wearer from touching their face."
And unlike medical masks, face shields do not have to be removed to communicate with others, they said.
Moreover, they noted a simulation study of influenza virus found face shields reduced viral exposure by 96% when worn within 18 inches of a cough, and when this study was repeated using the recommended distancing protocol of 6 feet, inhaled virus was reduced by 92%.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/86273
Posted by Hugh on July 15, 2020, at 13:52:07
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by Hugh on May 25, 2020, at 13:28:40
The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine could help to prevent inflammation in COVID-19, which is associated with the most severe symptoms of the disease.
There is growing evidence to suggest that using existing vaccines could be beneficial against COVID-19 -- even though they are not specific to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
The researchers behind the article suggest that the vaccine could dampen the severe inflammation associated with COVID-19 and mortality, and propose a clinical trial for healthcare workers.
The type of vaccines that have an effect against unrelated infectious are called live attenuated vaccines. This means they contain real viruses or bacteria that scientists have weakened in a laboratory.
Studies show that these vaccines protect against other infections by 'training' the immune system in a non-specific way. This type of non-specific immune response is the first line of defense against infection and is called the innate immune response.
"Live attenuated vaccines seemingly have some nonspecific benefits as well as immunity to the target pathogen," explains co-author of the new paper Dr. Paul Fidel, Jr., Associate Dean for Research at Louisiana State University Health School of Dentistry in New Orleans.
Dr. Fidel, together with Dr. Mairi Noverr, Professor of Microbiology & Immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, suggest that the protection afforded by these vaccines is due to myeloid-derived suppressor cells, or MDSCs, a type of immune cell that comes from bone marrow.
Scientists have shown that these cells can reduce inflammation and mortality in mouse models of infection. In their own research, Drs. Fidel and Noverr have shown that vaccination with a live-attenuated fungus may protect against sepsis thanks to MDSCs.
Drs. Fidel and Noverr say an MMR vaccine could induce MDSCs in people with COVID-19, which could help them to fight the lung inflammation and sepsis associated with the most severe forms of the disease.
As evidence for this, they cite the recent case where 955 sailors on the U.S.S. Roosevelt tested positive for COVID-19 but only experienced mild symptoms.
The researchers suggest that this may be because all U.S. Navy recruits receive the MMR vaccination. However, it is likely that the age and fitness of the sailors also played a part in their recovery.
Other evidence in support of a connection between the MMR vaccine and COVID-19 recovery comes from epidemiological data. People who live in areas that routinely receive the MMR vaccine have lower COVID-19 death rates.
COVID-19 is also less likely to affect children, which may also have links to vaccination. While age is a known risk factor for COVID-19 severity, the fact that many children have had more recent exposure to live attenuated vaccines could also play a role in their protection, the article suggests.
Adults who received the MMR vaccine as a child will likely still have antibodies against the measles, mumps and rubella viruses, but are unlikely to still have MDSCs, says Dr. Fidel. This means they would require a 'booster' vaccination to obtain the potential benefits against COVID-19.
"While the MDSCs are long-lived, they are not life-long cells. So, a booster MMR would enhance the antibodies to measles, mumps, and rubella and reinitiate the MDSCs. We would hope that the MDSCs induced by the MMR would have a fairly good life-span to get through the critical time of the pandemic."
The researchers have proposed a clinical trial of the MMR vaccine in high-risk healthcare workers and first responders in New Orleans. They have also been awarded a grant to compare the MMR and BCG vaccines in a primate model of COVID-19.
"While we are conducting the clinical trials, I don't think it's going to hurt anybody to have an MMR vaccine that would protect against the measles, mumps, and rubella with this potential added benefit of helping against COVID-19."
Dr. Paul Fidel
If their hypothesis is correct, the authors say use of the MMR vaccine could present a 'low-risk-high-reward' measure to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Complete article:
It's thought that if a person has received an MMR vaccine within the past 15-20 years, it might offer protection against the worst symptoms of COVID-19.
Posted by Hugh on November 2, 2020, at 11:35:14
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by Hugh on July 15, 2020, at 13:52:07
U.S. health officials are urging Americans to get their flu shots this year in the hopes of thwarting a winter "twindemic" -- a situation in which both influenza and COVID-19 spread and sicken the public. But a new study suggests that there could be another key reason to get a flu jab this year: it might reduce your risk of COVID-19. The research, released as a preprint that has not yet been peer-reviewed, indicates that a flu vaccine against the influenza virus may also trigger the body to produce broad infection-fighting molecules that combat the pandemic-causing coronavirus.
And in a preprint paper released in July, researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the biomedical computing company nference found that adults who had received vaccines for flu, polio, chicken pox, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), hepatitis A or B, or pneumococcal disease over the past five years were less likely to test positive for the novel coronavirus than people who had not received any of them.
Now nearly two dozen clinical trials around the world are underway to determine whether the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis could protect against COVID-19. (Netea is helping to run one of them.) BCG has been linked to a reduced risk of infections and of overall child mortality even when tuberculosis is not spreading in a particular region. In Netea's new study, he and his team exposed a subset of immune cells to the BCG vaccine before the flu vaccine. They found that exposure to both vaccines increased cytokine production even more than the flu vaccine alone. Netea says that he plans to design additional studies to tease out the flu vaccine's effects on COVID-19 risk, including among older adults.
Complete article:
Posted by Hugh on January 5, 2021, at 12:24:07
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by Hugh on November 2, 2020, at 11:35:14
Infusion helps repair COVID-19 damage in severe cases
by University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers led a unique and groundbreaking randomized controlled trial showing umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell infusions safely reduce risk of death and quicken time to recovery for the severest COVID-19 patients, according to results published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine in January 2021.
The study's senior author, Camillo Ricordi, M.D., director of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and Cell Transplant Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said treating COVID-19 with mesenchymal stem cells makes sense.
Results: Treatment group vs. control group
The paper describes findings from 24 patients hospitalized at University of Miami Tower or Jackson Memorial Hospital with COVID-19 who developed severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Each received two infusions given days apart of either mesenchymal stem cells or placebo.
"It was a double-blind study. Doctors and patients didn't know what was infused," Dr. Ricordi said. "Two infusions of 100 million stem cells were delivered within three days, for a total of 200 million cells in each subject in the treatment group."
Researchers found the treatment was safe, with no infusion-related serious adverse events.
Patient survival at one month was 91% in the stem cell treated group versus 42% in the control group. Among patients younger than 85 years old, 100% of those treated with mesenchymal stem cells survived at one month.
Dr. Ricordi and colleagues also found time to recovery was faster among those in the treatment arm. More than half of patients treated with mesenchymal stem cell infusions recovered and went home from the hospital within two weeks after the last treatment. More than 80% of the treatment group recovered by day 30, versus less than 37% in the control group.
"The umbilical cord contains progenitor stem cells, or mesenchymal stem cells, that can be expanded and provide therapeutic doses for over 10,000 patients from a single umbilical cord. It's a unique resource of cells that are under investigation for their possible use in cell therapy applications, anytime you have to modulate immune response or inflammatory response," he said. "We've been studying them with our collaborators in China for more than 10 years in type 1 diabetes, and there are currently over 260 clinical studies listed in clinicaltrials.gov for treatment of other autoimmune diseases."
Mesenchymal stem cells potential to restore normal immune response
Mesenchymal cells not only help correct immune and inflammatory responses that go awry, they also have antimicrobial activity and have been shown to promote tissue regeneration.
"Our results confirm the powerful anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory effect of UC-MSC. These cells have clearly inhibited the 'cytokine storm', a hallmark of severe COVID-19," said Giacomo Lanzoni, Ph.D, lead author of the paper and assistant research professor at the Diabetes Research Institute. "The results are critically important not only for COVID-19 but also for other diseases characterized by aberrant and hyperinflammatory immune responses, such as autoimmune type 1 diabetes."
When given intravenously, mesenchymal stem cells migrate naturally to the lungs. That's where therapy is needed in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, a dangerous complication associated with severe inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs.
"It seemed to me that these stem cells could be an ideal treatment option for severe COVID-19," said Dr. Ricordi, Stacy Joy Goodman Professor of Surgery, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, and professor of biomedical engineering, microbiology and immunology. "It requires only an intravenous (IV) infusion, like a blood transfusion. It's like smart bomb technology in the lung to restore normal immune response and reverse life-threatening complications."
Early success with mesenchymal stem cells
When the pandemic emerged, Dr. Ricordi asked collaborators in China if they had studied mesenchymal stem cell treatment in COVID-19 patients. In fact, they and Israeli researchers reported great success treating COVID-19 patients with the stem cells, in many cases with 100% of treated patients surviving and recovering faster than those without stem cell treatment.
But there was widespread skepticism about these initial results, because none of the studies had been randomized, where patients randomly received treatment or a control solution (placebo), to compare results in similar groups of patients.
"We approached the FDA and they approved our proposed randomized controlled trial in one week, and we started as quickly as possible," Dr. Ricordi said.
Dr. Ricordi worked with several key collaborators at the Miller School, the University of Miami Health System, Jackson Health System, and collaborated with others in the U.S. and internationally, including Arnold I. Caplan, Ph.D., of Case Western Reserve University, who first described mesenchymal stem cells.
Next steps
The next step is to study use of the stem cells in COVID-19 patients who have not yet become severely ill but are at risk of having to be intubated, to determine if the infusions prevent disease progression.
The findings have implications for studies in other diseases, too, according to Dr. Ricordi.
Hyper-immune and hyper-inflammatory responses in autoimmune diseases might share a common thread with why some COVID-19 patients transition to severe forms of the disease and others don't.
"Autoimmunity is a big challenge for healthcare, as is COVID-19. Autoimmunity affects 20% of the American population and includes over 100 disease conditions, of which type 1 diabetes can be considered just the tip of the iceberg. What we are learning is that there may be a common thread and risk factors that can predispose to both an autoimmune disease or to a severe reaction following viral infections, such as SARS-CoV-2," he said.
The DRI Cell Transplant Center is planning to create a large repository of mesenchymal stem cells that are ready to use and can be distributed to hospitals and centers in North America, he said.
"These could be used not only for COVID-19 but also for clinical trials to treat autoimmune diseases, like type 1 diabetes," Dr. Ricordi said. "If we could infuse these cells at the onset of type 1 diabetes, we might be able to block progression of autoimmunity in newly diagnosed subjects, and progression of complications in patients affected by the disease long-term. We are planning such a trial specifically for diabetes nephropathy, a kidney disease that is one of the major causes of dialysis and kidney transplantation. We are also planning to do a study on umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in combination with pancreatic islets to see if you can modulate the immune response to an islet transplant locally."
Funding by The Cure Alliance made launching the initial trial possible, while a $3 million grant from North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) allowed Dr. Ricordi and colleagues to complete the clinical trial and expand research with mesenchymal stem cells.
"North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) has been a major supporter of the Diabetes Research Institute since 1984, when they started a campaign to fund, and build, our state-of-the-art research and treatment facility. NABTU has continued to support our work through the years, including our mesenchymal stem cell research that helped lead the way to this clinical trial," he said.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-01-infusion-covid-severe-cases.html
Posted by Hugh on March 9, 2021, at 10:41:36
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by Hugh on March 31, 2020, at 19:14:19
What's showing the most promise as a treatment for Covid-19 is fluvoxamine (Luvox).
https://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20210120/msgs/1114015.html
Supplements that might help: vitamin B6, other B vitamins, selenium, NAC, melatonin, vitamin D3.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-vitamin-b6-covid-cytokine-storms.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7428453/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400921/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649937/
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201203/Can-melatonin-help-prevent-severe-COVID-19.aspx
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-vitamin-d-deficiency-covid-.html
Posted by Hugh on April 20, 2021, at 10:51:06
In reply to Re: Medicines/Supplement that might help 4 coronavirus, posted by Hugh on March 9, 2021, at 10:41:36
Cold lasers are used by numerous chiropractors, physical therapists, physicians. Passing a cold laser over the lungs of four Covid patients for 28 minutes a day for four days in a row appeared to halt or reduce lung tissue inflammation. This article has a video demonstrating the technique, with before and after X-rays.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/laser-treatment-shows-promise-in-treating-covid-19-symptoms/36111395
This old leprosy drug may save the lives of people suffering from Covid, as well as from MERS:
Military Programs Aiming to End Pandemics Forever. One of the experimental treatments discussed in this TV report has already been used to treat 300 people with Covid. It involves using a dialysis machine with a special filter that removes coronavirus from the blood.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/last-pandemic-science-military-60-minutes-2021-04-11/
> What's showing the most promise as a treatment for Covid-19 is fluvoxamine (Luvox).
>
> https://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20210120/msgs/1114015.html
>
> Supplements that might help: vitamin B6, other B vitamins, selenium, NAC, melatonin, vitamin D3.
>
> https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-vitamin-b6-covid-cytokine-storms.html
>
> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7428453/
>
> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400921/
>
> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649937/
>
> https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201203/Can-melatonin-help-prevent-severe-COVID-19.aspx
>
> https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-vitamin-d-deficiency-covid-.html
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