Tag Archive for: virus

What Research Delays Can Cost

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In 1911, a physician named Peyton Rous discovered that a microbe, found in a tumor in chicken, was able to infect other chickens causing the same cancer. His findings were thought to be ridiculous because cancer wasn’t caused by a microbe—so his research stopped. Those microbes were called viruses in later years.

Move forward to the 1950s, when a scientist named Ludwig Gross picked up the research and established that viruses caused cancer in several species of animals. What he did not prove was how that was possible. The problem was that it went against the central dogma: DNA could result in the production of RNA, but RNA could not go backward and interfere with DNA. Without knowing how that could happen, it wasn’t possible to establish that viruses caused cancer in humans.

In the early 1970s, David Baltimore, Renato Dulbecco, and Howard Temin discovered a piece of the virus that could retroactively insert itself into the cell DNA and make it a cancer cell. They called that reverse transcriptase, and it led to the term retroviruses. In 1975, the researchers won Nobel Prizes for that discovery.

Now the science turned to finding a retrovirus in humans. Robert Gallo discovered just such a retrovirus in two different humans and submitted his paper to the Journal of Virology. It was rejected on September 15, 1980.

During the early 1980s, there was a disease that seemed to be impacting primarily gay men; at that time, catching the virus was almost always a death sentence. Dr. Gallo turned his attention to this new virus and co-discovered what became known as the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV for short, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency disorder, also known as AIDS. That was in 1984—four years after Gallo demonstrated that a retrovirus caused a form of blood cancer, leukemia, in humans.

Those lost years delayed the test for HIV, also discovered by Gallo. By 1995, there was a blend of drugs that could arrest HIV and today, while there is no vaccine yet, HIV is blocked by drugs that stops it from replicating itself.

Four years were lost because science stopped. More correctly stated, science didn’t stop, but those scientists who would have been attracted to the research problem didn’t take up the search because there was limited funding for that type of research. Ryan White, a teenage hemophiliac from Indiana, died on April 8, 1990, from AIDS. If you don’t remember him, you may remember Freddie Mercury who died of AIDS on November 11, 1991. Maybe they would have lived if science hadn’t slowed for four years, as would hundreds of thousands of others.

And imagine how far ahead we might be if 114 years ago, scientists had admitted they didn’t know everything and followed up on the research by Dr. Rous. How many lives could have been saved? What major diseases could have been cured?

That’s the price for delaying research. But what about research that is started based on the dogma of the person who dictates where research dollars are spent? I’ll cover that on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Revisionist History. Malcolm Gladwell. The Obscure Virus Club provided the basis for the HIV and AIDS timeline. Every scientific article and fact were independently verified by the Memo writer.

Statistics and Lies

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The past year has been full of opinions about the COVID-19 virus, the treatments that people claim work, and even the number of deaths from the virus. I mean, people were full of it. And still are.

The story I heard most often from a variety of people was that people died from other causes, but physicians were told to put COVID on the death certificate by hospitals—all part of a conspiracy theory to make this innocuous virus seem dangerous. Except it wasn’t an innocuous virus. It was and is dangerous, and the preliminary mortality statistics show that: 345,000 people died from the virus in 2020.

The other lie was that there were no reported deaths from heart disease because everyone who died from heart disease was assigned COVID as the cause of death. That’s a lie; 691,000 people were reported to have died from heart disease. “They would have died from heart disease anyway,” I read again and again. I don’t disagree, but the question is when? Without the added factor of COVID, they might not have died for decades.

Do we have too many people with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, smoking, and type 2 diabetes? Absolutely. But solving that problem requires long-term solutions. Again, without COVID, there would have been many fewer deaths.

The Bottom Line

As I’ve said from the beginning of this pandemic, there’s no reason to fear the virus. You should respect it and do the things that reduce the risk of catching it, especially now with the serious mutations that are evolving. There’s talk of infrastructure legislation coming at some point. To me, we all need to evaluate our personal infrastructure, make a plan, and get our own bodies in order. That’s the way to deal with this pandemic and the next one.

Health is a choice. Choose wisely today and every day.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.5469.

Vitamin C, Zinc, and COVID-19: Ask the Right Questions

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As we left off Tuesday’s memo, I suggested that both the researchers in the study that was halted as well as the physicians who used dietary supplements as part of their treatment were wrong in their conclusions. At this point we don’t know for certain whether vitamin C and/or zinc can help with COVID-19.

Let’s define which questions we’re asking. Are we trying to prevent people from catching COVID-19? Are we trying to help them recover from a COVID-19 infection? Are we trying to prevent hospitalization? Are we trying to prevent death? Those are all different questions.

The Videos

Let’s stick with helping people recover once they’ve been infected with COVID-19. At this point, we don’t have solid data as to how long the patients were infected before they sought treatment, how many days it took them to fully recover, or if they recovered without any further treatment of any type. We also get no data on the people who needed further treatment in the hospital.

It’s not reasonable to suggest that every patient seen in these physicians’ videos all recover and no one ever gets worse, but that’s never discussed.

The Research

As for the researchers, they didn’t ask two very valuable questions: what were the subjects’ vitamin C and zinc levels before the treatment began? Without that measure, they couldn’t know whether they needed supplements; maybe their levels were as high as needed, and they didn’t need any more.

Second, how did they administer the vitamin C? If they were familiar with the research, they’d know vitamin C is more effective when given intravenously. The subjects could have been given vitamin C on an outpatient basis to begin, and then used supplements for the rest.

The Bottom Line

Neither group really provides us with much information about vitamin C and zinc to help people recover from COVID-19. When it comes to the use of dietary supplements and COVID-19, there’s a difference between preventing a person from catching the infection at all, reducing the number of days that they’re infected with the virus, and reducing the risk of having the infection progressing to hospitalization and potentially death.

Where does that leave us? Now more than ever, we should support our immune system. Vitamins D, C, and the mineral zinc can help us do that, and at the first hint of illness I’d recommend the Immune Boost supplements. I’d also like to recommend getting tested for C and zinc as we do for D, but it’s not practical at present.

Most multivitamin-multiminerals can provide a baseline to get you started. Don’t forget food has nutrients as well, so a healthy diet may help you stay COVID free.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: JAMA Network Open. 2021; doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0369

Vitamin C, Zinc, and COVID-19

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Last week, a study was published in JAMA Online that did a randomized controlled trial using vitamin C and zinc to treat people diagnosed with COVID-19. Several longtime readers asked me to review videos posted by physicians and other healthcare professionals who’ve used vitamin C and zinc to treat COVID-19 infections. I did and I’ll comment on Saturday, but let’s look at the science.

Researchers from a well-respected healthcare organization, the Cleveland Clinic, requested volunteers from multiple locations in Ohio and Florida for a study. The purpose was to see if vitamin C (8000 mg), or zinc (50 mg), or vitamin C plus zinc would reduce symptoms associated with diagnosed COVID-19 when compared to a group taking no dietary supplements. The objective was to see if symptoms in the groups taking the supplements could be reduced by 50% within five days or less when compared with controls. They used symptom scales such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, among others.

The researchers stopped the study early due to futility: there were no differences in any of the experimental groups compared to the controls after reaching 40% of the subjects they intended to recruit. Frontline physicians say supplements work against COVID; this research trial says they don’t. Who’s correct? I think they’re both wrong, and I’ll tell you why on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: JAMA Network Open. 2021; doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0369

Can Omega-3s Reduce Inflammation?

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Omega-3 fatty acids have been in the science news this week. In this Memo, I’ll take a look at a small study that examined the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on specific markers of inflammation in 21 subjects between 50 and 75 who had elevated levels of inflammation. Researchers had subjects follow a particular regimen: take three grams of either DHA or EPA for 10 weeks, cease all omega-3s for 10 weeks, and then take three grams of the other omega-3.

The study showed both omega-3s were effective; they just worked differently, and I can’t explain that without getting technical. It seemed that DHA reduced specific cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10 to a greater degree than did EPA. One of the ways that may have happened was a reduction or replacement of the proinflammatory omega-6 arachidonic acid. The important point is this: however they worked and although they worked in different ways, both DHA and EPA were effective in reducing the inflammatory response in this small study.

Could adding high-DHA fish oil supplements to the diet reduce cytokine production in every case? Specifically, could it potentially have some benefit for the cytokine storm that’s associated with severe cases of COVID-19? We don’t know that yet because that specific research hasn’t been done. But since there are so many other well-documented benefits of omega-3s, make sure you regularly eat fatty fish or take fish oil supplements with DHA and EPA. It’s always a good bet.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2020.11.018

Another Year of Wearing Masks?

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“What do you think? Will we be wearing masks another year?” That’s the question that someone asked me at the health club. I shrugged and said “Maybe. But you know in reality, it isn’t all that bad. My grandson’s kindergarten class wears masks all day, and they seem to manage just fine.” He agreed it wasn’t a problem.

He then went on: “I think it makes you pay more attention. One thing I’ve noticed is that there doesn’t seem to be as much flu this year so far.”

He went on to say, “You know, I clean the machines before I work out and again after I work out. In the past, we were supposed to clean them when we were done, which I did. But I’m just taking the extra step like they ask and clean it before I use it. I bet that makes a difference.” I told him I agree.

I’ve thought about it for a couple of days, but I’m not clairvoyant so I have no idea how much longer we’ll be wearing masks. I don’t think it would be all that bad if we got into the habit of using masks in public, social distancing a little, washing our hands, and cleaning public surfaces before touching them. We would reduce the risk of catching all infectious diseases. The following years’ flu seasons would be easier, and you can’t spread it if you don’t get it.

Just like the guy in the health club said, I think changing our habits would really make a difference. If we did, we just might find that stay-at-home mandates are a thing of the past. How great would that be?

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Ideas for Long-Hauler Recovery from COVID-19

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There is currently no research on ways to recover faster if you have chronic symptoms after your initial COVID-19 infection. When this occurs, the best thing we can do is to use what we know to help restore the body as long as it does no harm. That’s the approach I used when putting this together.

Understand these recommendations are hypothetical, but they’re based on what we currently know. Much of it depends on the types of symptoms that you may have; deep muscle pain is not the same as a chronic cough or the loss of smell.

  • Try to get some exercise, preferably outdoors. Even brief stretching exercises, including deep breathing, are better than nothing. As you gain back strength and lung capacity, you can increase the amount and types of exercise, but it’s important to get blood flowing to the extent that you can.
  • Increase your intake of vegetables and fruits and decrease your intake of refined carbohydrates and saturated fats, especially from deep fried foods. Give your body the best nutrition that you can afford—it doesn’t have to be all organic. Raw fruits and vegetables are better because of the phytonutrients and the potential for beneficial bacteria.
  • Take these supplements that may help, depending on your symptoms. Use vitamin D for immune support; probiotics for the microbiome and immune support; high-DHA fish oil for any neurological issues including the loss of smell and taste; coenzyme Q10 for muscle fatigue and soreness; and a multivitamin-multimineral that contains plant concentrates. I know that there are a whole lot more antioxidants and herbs that you may hear about, but all of these have known functions they can benefit the organs involved.

That’s it. It sounds like the recommendations I always give: Eat less. Eat better. Move more. Well, there’s a reason for that; they really help you get healthy. The supplements target those body systems and organs to help their recovery as well.

One more thing: because the mental aspect of being a long-hauler is so tough, make an extra effort to do the things that make you happy but don’t take too much energy: video chat with your favorite people, wear your favorite or most comfortable clothes, listen to your favorite music, or get some sunshine even if it’s just putting on a coat and sitting outside for a few minutes. If prayer and meditation help you, be sure you make time for those.

Until the science and research catches up with the long-haul COVID-19 symptoms, this is the best approach I can recommend. This plan may work or it may not. But one thing is for sure: you’ll be getting better nutrition as a result.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

The COVID-19 Long-Haulers

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I’ve spent most of my time on COVID-19 talking about how to prevent getting the infection, but I haven’t talked about what happens if you get the infection and recover from it. I hope you have a mild case, and in a week or two, you’re back in business. Your body has built up antibodies, so research shows you should be in good shape at least for a while.

However, some people are experiencing symptoms long after they’ve recovered from the initial infection. They call themselves long-haulers. The path of the disease is unpredictable; people feel better and think they’re on the mend and then get walloped by the symptoms again. The top five symptoms are fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, chest pain, and cough. For some people, the after-effects of having COVID-19 are actually worse than the initial infection. Fatigue and shortness of breath seemed to occur in over half the people who’ve had confirmed COVID-19 infections, and they last for several months.

Paula and I, and actually the entire family here at home, probably had the virus. This happened way back in January and early February, before we were really aware the virus existed. Paula had other complicating factors and still has unexplained fatigue. What can we do about it? There’s no research to guide us, but I’ll give it my best effort in Saturday’s Memo.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-tragedy-of-the-post-COVID-long-haulers-2020101521173
2. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.12603.

Why We Need Hope

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I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and were as safe as possible. The COVID-19 seven-day average continues to stay over 150,000 cases per day. We’ll find out in a couple weeks how we did during the Thanksgiving holiday related to masking and social distancing. It’s difficult to be without family and friends, especially over the holidays, but the one thing we can take solace in is that this is temporary; the better we all follow the rules, the sooner we can all be together again.

It reminds me of an interview a well-known business advisor had with a prisoner of war in Viet Nam years after the war ended. He asked who did better in captivity—people who were optimistic about rescue or those who decided they would simply endure? The answer surprised him: the optimists did far worse than other POWs. The optimists would say, “We’ll be out by Christmas for sure!” Then Christmas would come and go, so they would pick the next significant event and say the same thing. The events would pass, one after another, and soon, the optimists lost all hope.

Don’t do that. One thing we have is hope. The current treatments for those who get COVID are better than six months ago, and they will be better tomorrow as we learn more about the disease. Vaccinations will start soon and while the distribution will take time, there’s hope for those who are most at risk. If we do all we can with the things we can control, there will be an end to this. We don’t know exactly when that will be, but it will happen. Until then we grind it out, we endure. We’re tougher than we think we are. Let’s prove it.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Another Path to Trained Innate Immunity

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There is one more action that may give a person a way to enhance trained innate immunity short of catching COVID-19 itself, and that’s to catch a cold. Specifically, a coronavirus cold. I read a great article in the New Scientist that I’ll summarize for you. I urge those of you who want to know more to read the paper listed below.

There are four fairly common coronavirus colds we all get at some time: OC43, HKU1, 229E, and NL63. In a study cited by the article in the New Scientist, researchers collected data from medical records of just under 16,000 patients. Of those, 875 had a documented case of coronavirus colds verified by a test; the rest of the subjects did not. Those who had a confirmed case of one of the types of coronavirus colds had milder cases of COVID-19, fewer required intensive care, and fewer had to be put on mechanical ventilation. The mortality rate was 4.8% in those who had a prior cold and 17.7% without a verified cold test.

The upside is that it seems to provide some trained immunity against COVID-19. The downside is that the immunity seems to wane over the years. I think this research is important because it shows one more way to train the immune system. It may not be practical in the real world, but if you happened to catch a simple cold in the past six months, you may have some innate immunity—if you happened to catch the correct form of the cold virus. For the rest of us, the flu shot is still the best course of action in training our immune system.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. The New Scientist. https://bit.ly/35yxbDY
2. J Clin Invest. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI143380.