CORONA Main Coronavirus thread

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
(fair use applies)

Saudi Arabia: Hajj pilgrimage returning to pre-COVID levels
JON GAMBRELL
Tue, January 10, 2023, 12:28 AM EST

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Islam's annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia will return to pre-pandemic levels this year after restrictions saw the annual religious commemoration curtailed over concerns about the coronavirus, authorities say.

The hajj, required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life, represents one of the world's largest gatherings of people. Before the pandemic, the pilgrimage drew millions each year to Islam's holy city of Mecca, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that observant Muslims pray toward five times a day.

In 2019, over 2.4 million people took part in the pilgrimage. But in 2020, amid the lockdowns sparked by the pandemic, Saudi Arabia drastically curtailed the hajj with as as few as 1,000 residents of Saudi Arabia permitted to take part. It was an unprecedented move unseen even during the 1918 flu epidemic that killed tens of millions worldwide.

In 2021, some 60,000 residents of Saudi Arabia attended. Last year saw 1 million faithful perform the pilgrimage.

Speaking on Monday night at a conference about the hajj in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah announced the lifting of the restrictions.

“I bring you two bits of good news in this meeting. The first: The return of the numbers of pilgrims to what they were before the pandemic without any age restrictions," al-Rabiah said, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

“And the second: Allowing any hajj mission from around the world to deal with any licensed company that meets the requirements of the pilgrims of those countries,” he added.

Only those between the ages of 18 to 65 could attend the hajj in recent years. Saudi Arabia also had limited which private companies could conduct travel arrangements for the hajj.

The coronavirus isn't the first public health disaster to strike the hajj. The kingdom’s Al Saud ruling family stakes its legitimacy in this oil-rich nation on overseeing and protecting the hajj sites. Ensuring the hajj happens has been a priority for them — and also a main economic driver bringing billions of dollars of non-oil revenue to Saudi Arabia.

Disease outbreaks have always been a concern surrounding the hajj. Pilgrims fought off a malaria outbreak in 632, cholera in 1821 killed an estimated 20,000, and another cholera outbreak in 1865 killed 15,000 before spreading worldwide.

More recently, Saudi Arabia faced danger from a different coronavirus, one that causes the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. The kingdom increased its public health measures during the hajj in 2012 and 2013, urging the sick and the elderly not to take part.

In recent years, Saudi officials also instituted bans on pilgrims coming from countries affected by the Ebola virus.

It wasn't immediately clear what health precautions would be taken for the hajj, which falls according to the lunar-based Islamic calendar this year at the end of June. While Saudi Arabia has no requirement for coronavirus vaccines or testing, it does require pilgrims to be vaccinated for other maladies.

Muslims have been prohibited from kissing or touching the cube-shaped Kaaba, the metaphorical house of God at the center of Mecca that pilgrims circle as they complete the hajj.

The hajj also involves close contact in large crowds, which in 2015 saw over 2,400 people killed in a crush and stampede.
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
(fair use applies)


Researchers Discover Surprising Risks for COVID-19 Infection + Significant Protection From Vitamin D
By Oxford University Press USA
January 9, 2023


In a new study, researchers identified that mask-wearing and using vitamin D decreased the risk of COVID-19 infection. They also found several characteristics – including male sex, lower age, blood group B, and larger household size – that increased the risk of infection.

A new paper in Biology Methods & Protocols, published by Oxford University Press, investigated risk factors and protections against contracting COVID-19, and also for suffering from severe COVID. Researchers identified several characteristics – including male sex, lower age, blood group B, and larger household size – that increased the risk of infection and many other characteristics – including mask-wearing and using vitamin D – that decreased it. They also identified the things that increased or decreased the risk of a severe course of COVID-19. Some of these findings are unexpected.

SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 600 million people worldwide, resulting in 6.57 million confirmed deaths. But information about factors affecting the probability of infection or suffering from a severe course of the disease remains insufficient and often speculative. Preregistered longitudinal studies about the risk factors of infection are surprisingly rare. Many factors such as contact with animals have been suggested only on a theoretical basis or discussed in non-scientific sources.

Researchers here ran a study on 30 thousand internet users, recruiting participants using sites like Facebook and Twitter, in the Czech Republic who shared information about their exposure to 105 risk factors for COVID-19. Study participants indicated which potential risks and protective factors applied to them. These included health and demographic characteristics as well as information about behaviors, including keeping animals, taking vitamins and supplements, being actively engaged in sports, cold water swimming, frequent singing, marijuana use, tobacco smoking, living alone, walking in nature, and volunteering.

The study found that, expectedly, some sociodemographic factors had a moderate effect on the risks of COVID-19. People who live in larger cities and people with higher levels of education, especially women, had a lower risk of infection. Larger household sizes and the number of children under 20 years of age (in men), were associated with a higher risk of infection. People living on their own had a much lower risk of infection than those who share the household with someone else. Singles also reported a less severe course of COVID-19. Education level and (in women) also household size had the strongest protective effects against a severe or long course of COVID-19.

Many predictable behaviors appeared to protect people against the infection, while three factors, namely being actively involved in sports, frequent singing, and cold-water swimming, increased the risk of infection. The most substantial protective factor against COVID-19 infection was strict adherence to mask-wearing. The second most substantial protective factor was the consumption of vitamins and supplements. This study found in particular that taking vitamin D provided significant protection against acquiring COVID-19.

Adherence to social distancing and frequent handwashing had only a weak protective effect. This study also indicated that having type B blood increased the risk for COVID-19 infection. Having cats or dogs as pets did not affect the risk of infection and had a mostly insignificant positive effect on the risk of someone experiencing a severe course of the disease.

The study here found that tobacco smoking and also marijuana use (in women) have a relatively strong protective effect against infection. The researchers found that marijuana use and tobacco smoking could also have some protective effects against a severe course of COVID-19. The protective effects of tobacco smoking against infection have been reported in previous studies. However, most studies show adverse effects of smoking on the risk of a severe course of COVID-19.

The most unexpected result of the study was a positive correlation between higher severity of the course of COVID-19 and adherence to wearing masks and respirators and, to a lesser extent, keeping social distance. The investigators speculate this is because people predisposed to a severe course of COVID-19 (those who are overweight, suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or have diabetes) tried hard to avoid infection and more strictly adhered to public health recommendations about masks and social distancing. But when they did become infected, they often had a more severe course of the disease due to their underlying health problems.

Reference: “The effects of 105 biological, socioeconomic, behavioral, and environmental factors on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and a severe course of COVID-19: a prospective, explorative cohort study” by Jaroslav Flegr, Pavel Flegr and Lenka Príplatová, 15 December 2022, Biology Methods and Protocols.
DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpac030
 

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
A few comments were made requesting info on the hydrogen peroxide nasal rinse. This article has that and much more info in it.

When reading it, I flash back to when they made fun of Trump for wondering if there was a way to get common disinfectants into the body to kill the virus. He was ahead of his time...

ETA: I put a link for the Betadine mouth wash in the article where it is discussed. Amazon is running a promotion right now, so if you order it now, and you order 2, you get one half off so the total price is around $16 for the 2.

(fair use applies)

Is Nasal Irrigation More Important Than Hand-Washing?
Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
January 10, 2023

  • Flushing your sinuses may be an effective way to inhibit the progression of a virus such as SARS-CoV-2 by lowering the viral load in your sinuses
  • Research has demonstrated that nasal irrigation reduces the symptoms and duration of viral illnesses such as the seasonal flu and common cold
  • Nasal irrigation and gargling with hypertonic saline has been shown to reduce the duration of the common cold by 1.9 days and reduce transmission within the household by 35% by reducing viral shedding when done within 48 hours of symptom onset
  • You may also be able to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 migrating into your lungs by gargling a saline solution or using a povidone-iodine solution such as Betadine Sore Throat Gargle
  • Nebulizing hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver may be even more effective. A recent review found 0.5% hydrogen peroxide effectively inactivated a range of human coronaviruses, including those responsible for SARS and MERS, within one minute of exposure

By now, you probably understand the importance of hand-washing to prevent the spread of infectious illness. But did you know flushing your sinuses might be an even better way to inhibit the progression of a viral illness such as COVID-19? In an April 20, 2020, article, Best Life features the recommendations of Dr. Amy Baxter, a pediatric emergency medicine physician in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nasal irrigation, she says, is a rarely discussed strategy that can help reduce the progression of illness in those who have tested positive for COVID-19 infection. In an April 2, 2020, response to a BMJ paper about the lack of personal protection equipment on COVID-19 frontlines, professor Robert Matthews also brought up the importance and potential usefulness of oropharyngeal washing to protect health care workers from infection. As reported by Best Life:

“Nasal irrigation, or a nasal wash, has long been considered an effective way to remove viruses or bacteria from sinus cavities.

According to Baxter, recent clinical trials show that nasal irrigation reduces the duration and symptoms for other viral illnesses like flu and the common cold, though it hasn't yet been studied for COVID-19. Still, she has multiple reasons for believing that this approach can be effective in preventing coronavirus from worsening in a sick patient.”

Why Nasal Irrigation?

As noted by Baxter, researchers have found that the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 tends to be heaviest in the sinuses and nasal cavity. Regularly rinsing your sinuses therefore makes sense since it would help clear out the pathogen and prevent it from gaining a strong foothold and migrating into your lungs.

The age and gender discrepancies observed in COVID-19 also supports nasal irrigation. Children are at virtually no risk from COVID-19, while death rates among the elderly are at their highest. More men than women also die from the infection.

“Children don't develop full sinuses until teens; males have larger cavities than women, and the cavities are largest [in those] over 70 years,” Baxter notes.

Research has previously demonstrated that nasal irrigation reduces the symptoms and duration of other viral illnesses such as the seasonal flu and common cold.

In one randomized controlled trial,4 nasal irrigation and gargling with hypertonic saline were found to reduce the duration of the common cold by 1.9 days and reduce transmission within the household by 35% by reducing viral shedding when done within 48 hours of symptom onset.

While it has not yet been studied as a preventive method for COVID-19 specifically, there’s reason to suspect nasal irrigation might be helpful.

Baxter points out that COVID-19 death rates in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Laos have been surprisingly low, and nasal irrigation is common practice in those areas. According to Baxter, some 80% of the Southeast Asian population do it.

How to Irrigate Your Sinuses

Baxter suggests irrigating your sinuses any time you’ve been exposed to an infected individual or test positive for COVID-19. She recommends flushing your sinuses in the morning using a mixture of boiled lukewarm water (8 ounces) and povidone-iodine (half a teaspoon).

Povidone-iodine has been shown to effectively kill not only Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, but to also rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, H1N1 influenza virus A and rotavirus after 15 seconds of exposure.5

The mixture used in this study: 7% povidone-iodine diluted 1-to-30, which equates to a total concentration of 0.23% povidone-iodine, inactivated over 99% of the coronaviruses causing SARS and MERS.

Either a neti pot or NeilMed sinus rinse bottle can be used. The water pressure you get from a sinus rinse bottle can provide a more effective flush. If higher pressure is uncomfortable, a neti pot, which relies on gravity, may be a more comfortable choice. In the evening, Baxter recommends flushing your sinuses again with a mixture of:

8 ounces of boiled lukewarm water
0.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt

Gargling May Also Be Helpful

You may also be able to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 migrating into your lungs by gargling. As noted by Dr. Neal Naito in a March 29, 2020, New York Times article,6 while there’s “no firm proof” that gargling can prevent COVID-19, there are virtually no downsides to the advice.

Like Baxter, Naito points out that many East Asian countries such as Japan see gargling as a commonsense hygiene practice.

“In East Asia, particularly in Japan, gargling is strongly encouraged by the national government, along with other practices like hand-washing, wearing face masks and social distancing, as a matter of routine hygiene during the regular cold and flu season.

(Not everyone, though, can gargle effectively, including some people with neck pain, stroke or dementia, as well as children generally under the age of 8.) Most of the early studies suggesting that gargling may help to prevent and treat upper and lower respiratory infections, not surprisingly, come from Japan,” Naito writes.

An over-the-counter povidone-iodine oral gargle solution, used for decades by the Japanese for the treatment of sore throat, appears most useful. One small study from Japan, published in 2002, found patients diagnosed with chronic respiratory disease who gargled with a povidone-iodine solution at least four times a day reduced their incidence of acute respiratory infection by about 50%.

Do Not Use Iodine-Based Skin Disinfectant for Gargling

Importantly, Naito stresses that povidone-iodine solutions sold as skin disinfectants are NOT suitable for gargling as they contain potentially harmful ingredients that should not be ingested.

“It’s critical that people not gargle with skin disinfectant solutions, including those that contain povidone-iodine,” he says. So, when using povidone-iodine for gargling, be sure to look for solutions such as Betadine formulated specifically as a sore throat gargle, not products intended for cuts and wound care.

[my comment: link to product on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Betadine-Antiseptic-Throat-Relieve-Symptoms/dp/B088LBWDH1 ]


Nebulized Hydrogen Peroxide — Another Prevention Strategy

31 min 19 sec

While gargling and nasal irrigation may certainly be useful, I believe nebulizing hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver may be even more effective. Dr. Thomas Levy10 has issued guidance on how to use nebulized hydrogen peroxide for the prevention and treatment of viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19.

To inactivate viruses with hydrogen peroxide, all you need is a face mask that covers your mouth and nose and a nebulizer that emits a fine mist with properly diluted food grade hydrogen peroxide.

Typically, food grade peroxide comes in concentrations of 12%, which must be diluted down to 1% or less before use, as described in the chart below and video above. If you are using 3% hydrogen peroxide, then you would multiply the number in the first column by 4, or divide the second column by 4.

peroxide-dilution-1-percent-chart-v2.jpg


The microscopic mist, similar to smoke or vapor, can be comfortably inhaled deep into your nostrils, sinuses and lungs. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) consists of a water molecule (H2O) with an extra oxygen atom, and it is the additional oxygen atom that allows it to inactivate viral pathogens.

Coronaviruses are held together by a lipid (fat) envelope. Soap, being amphipathic — meaning it can dissolve most molecules — dissolves this fat membrane, causing the virus to fall apart and become harmless.

Hydrogen peroxide works in a similar way. You can find more details about the mechanism of action in my previous article, “Could Hydrogen Peroxide Treat Coronavirus?”

Some of your immune cells actually produce hydrogen peroxide to destroy pathogens. By killing the infected cell, viral reproduction is stopped. So, hydrogen peroxide therapy is in essence only aiding your immune cells to perform their natural function more effectively.

Hydrogen peroxide is also a key redox signaling agent that creates oxidative eustress. Contrary to oxidative stress or oxidative distress, oxidative eustress denotes an oxidative challenge that has positive or beneficial effects and is essential in redox signaling.

Many studies have looked into the use of hydrogen peroxide against different pathogens. One of the most relevant is a review of 22 studies, published in March 2020 in the Journal of Hospital Infection. They found 0.5% hydrogen peroxide effectively inactivated a range of human coronaviruses, including those responsible for SARS and MERS, within one minute of exposure.

If you’re already presenting with a runny nose or sore throat, Levy recommends using the nebulizer for 10 to 15 minutes four times a day until your symptoms are relieved. You can also use nebulized hydrogen peroxide for prevention and maintenance, which may be advisable during flu season, or while the COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing. According to Levy:

“As it is a completely non-toxic therapy, nebulization can be administered as often as desired. If done on a daily basis at least once, a very positive impact on bowel and gut function will often be realized as killing the chronic pathogen colonization present in most noses and throats stops the 24/7 swallowing of these pathogens and their associated toxins.

If daily prevention is not a practical option, the effectiveness of this treatment is optimized when somebody sneezes in your face or you finally get off of the plane after a trans-Atlantic flight. Don’t wait for initial symptoms. Just nebulize at your first opportunity.”



Sources and References


 
Last edited:

Zoner

Veteran Member
A few comments were made requesting info on the hydrogen peroxide nasal rinse. This article has that and much more info in it.

When reading it, I flash back to when they made fun of Trump for wondering if there was a way to get common disinfectants into the body to kill the virus. He was ahead of his time...

ETA: I put a link for the Betadine mouth wash in the article where it is discussed. Amazon is running a promotion right now, so if you order it now, and you order 2, you get one half off so the total price is around $16 for the 2.

(fair use applies)

Is Nasal Irrigation More Important Than Hand-Washing?
Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
January 10, 2023

  • Flushing your sinuses may be an effective way to inhibit the progression of a virus such as SARS-CoV-2 by lowering the viral load in your sinuses
  • Research has demonstrated that nasal irrigation reduces the symptoms and duration of viral illnesses such as the seasonal flu and common cold
  • Nasal irrigation and gargling with hypertonic saline has been shown to reduce the duration of the common cold by 1.9 days and reduce transmission within the household by 35% by reducing viral shedding when done within 48 hours of symptom onset
  • You may also be able to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 migrating into your lungs by gargling a saline solution or using a povidone-iodine solution such as Betadine Sore Throat Gargle
  • Nebulizing hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver may be even more effective. A recent review found 0.5% hydrogen peroxide effectively inactivated a range of human coronaviruses, including those responsible for SARS and MERS, within one minute of exposure

By now, you probably understand the importance of hand-washing to prevent the spread of infectious illness. But did you know flushing your sinuses might be an even better way to inhibit the progression of a viral illness such as COVID-19? In an April 20, 2020, article, Best Life features the recommendations of Dr. Amy Baxter, a pediatric emergency medicine physician in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nasal irrigation, she says, is a rarely discussed strategy that can help reduce the progression of illness in those who have tested positive for COVID-19 infection. In an April 2, 2020, response to a BMJ paper about the lack of personal protection equipment on COVID-19 frontlines, professor Robert Matthews also brought up the importance and potential usefulness of oropharyngeal washing to protect health care workers from infection. As reported by Best Life:

“Nasal irrigation, or a nasal wash, has long been considered an effective way to remove viruses or bacteria from sinus cavities.

According to Baxter, recent clinical trials show that nasal irrigation reduces the duration and symptoms for other viral illnesses like flu and the common cold, though it hasn't yet been studied for COVID-19. Still, she has multiple reasons for believing that this approach can be effective in preventing coronavirus from worsening in a sick patient.”

Why Nasal Irrigation?

As noted by Baxter, researchers have found that the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 tends to be heaviest in the sinuses and nasal cavity. Regularly rinsing your sinuses therefore makes sense since it would help clear out the pathogen and prevent it from gaining a strong foothold and migrating into your lungs.

The age and gender discrepancies observed in COVID-19 also supports nasal irrigation. Children are at virtually no risk from COVID-19, while death rates among the elderly are at their highest. More men than women also die from the infection.

“Children don't develop full sinuses until teens; males have larger cavities than women, and the cavities are largest [in those] over 70 years,” Baxter notes.

Research has previously demonstrated that nasal irrigation reduces the symptoms and duration of other viral illnesses such as the seasonal flu and common cold.

In one randomized controlled trial,4 nasal irrigation and gargling with hypertonic saline were found to reduce the duration of the common cold by 1.9 days and reduce transmission within the household by 35% by reducing viral shedding when done within 48 hours of symptom onset.

While it has not yet been studied as a preventive method for COVID-19 specifically, there’s reason to suspect nasal irrigation might be helpful.

Baxter points out that COVID-19 death rates in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Laos have been surprisingly low, and nasal irrigation is common practice in those areas. According to Baxter, some 80% of the Southeast Asian population do it.

How to Irrigate Your Sinuses

Baxter suggests irrigating your sinuses any time you’ve been exposed to an infected individual or test positive for COVID-19. She recommends flushing your sinuses in the morning using a mixture of boiled lukewarm water (8 ounces) and povidone-iodine (half a teaspoon).

Povidone-iodine has been shown to effectively kill not only Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, but to also rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, H1N1 influenza virus A and rotavirus after 15 seconds of exposure.5

The mixture used in this study: 7% povidone-iodine diluted 1-to-30, which equates to a total concentration of 0.23% povidone-iodine, inactivated over 99% of the coronaviruses causing SARS and MERS.

Either a neti pot or NeilMed sinus rinse bottle can be used. The water pressure you get from a sinus rinse bottle can provide a more effective flush. If higher pressure is uncomfortable, a neti pot, which relies on gravity, may be a more comfortable choice. In the evening, Baxter recommends flushing your sinuses again with a mixture of:

8 ounces of boiled lukewarm water
0.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt

Gargling May Also Be Helpful

You may also be able to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 migrating into your lungs by gargling. As noted by Dr. Neal Naito in a March 29, 2020, New York Times article,6 while there’s “no firm proof” that gargling can prevent COVID-19, there are virtually no downsides to the advice.

Like Baxter, Naito points out that many East Asian countries such as Japan see gargling as a commonsense hygiene practice.

“In East Asia, particularly in Japan, gargling is strongly encouraged by the national government, along with other practices like hand-washing, wearing face masks and social distancing, as a matter of routine hygiene during the regular cold and flu season.

(Not everyone, though, can gargle effectively, including some people with neck pain, stroke or dementia, as well as children generally under the age of 8.) Most of the early studies suggesting that gargling may help to prevent and treat upper and lower respiratory infections, not surprisingly, come from Japan,” Naito writes.

An over-the-counter povidone-iodine oral gargle solution, used for decades by the Japanese for the treatment of sore throat, appears most useful. One small study from Japan, published in 2002, found patients diagnosed with chronic respiratory disease who gargled with a povidone-iodine solution at least four times a day reduced their incidence of acute respiratory infection by about 50%.

Do Not Use Iodine-Based Skin Disinfectant for Gargling

Importantly, Naito stresses that povidone-iodine solutions sold as skin disinfectants are NOT suitable for gargling as they contain potentially harmful ingredients that should not be ingested.

“It’s critical that people not gargle with skin disinfectant solutions, including those that contain povidone-iodine,” he says. So, when using povidone-iodine for gargling, be sure to look for solutions such as Betadine formulated specifically as a sore throat gargle, not products intended for cuts and wound care.

[my comment: link to product on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Betadine-Antiseptic-Throat-Relieve-Symptoms/dp/B088LBWDH1 ]


Nebulized Hydrogen Peroxide — Another Prevention Strategy

31 min 19 sec

While gargling and nasal irrigation may certainly be useful, I believe nebulizing hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver may be even more effective. Dr. Thomas Levy10 has issued guidance on how to use nebulized hydrogen peroxide for the prevention and treatment of viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19.

To inactivate viruses with hydrogen peroxide, all you need is a face mask that covers your mouth and nose and a nebulizer that emits a fine mist with properly diluted food grade hydrogen peroxide.

Typically, food grade peroxide comes in concentrations of 12%, which must be diluted down to 1% or less before use, as described in the chart below and video above. If you are using 3% hydrogen peroxide, then you would multiply the number in the first column by 4, or divide the second column by 4.

peroxide-dilution-1-percent-chart-v2.jpg


The microscopic mist, similar to smoke or vapor, can be comfortably inhaled deep into your nostrils, sinuses and lungs. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) consists of a water molecule (H2O) with an extra oxygen atom, and it is the additional oxygen atom that allows it to inactivate viral pathogens.

Coronaviruses are held together by a lipid (fat) envelope. Soap, being amphipathic — meaning it can dissolve most molecules — dissolves this fat membrane, causing the virus to fall apart and become harmless.

Hydrogen peroxide works in a similar way. You can find more details about the mechanism of action in my previous article, “Could Hydrogen Peroxide Treat Coronavirus?”

Some of your immune cells actually produce hydrogen peroxide to destroy pathogens. By killing the infected cell, viral reproduction is stopped. So, hydrogen peroxide therapy is in essence only aiding your immune cells to perform their natural function more effectively.

Hydrogen peroxide is also a key redox signaling agent that creates oxidative eustress. Contrary to oxidative stress or oxidative distress, oxidative eustress denotes an oxidative challenge that has positive or beneficial effects and is essential in redox signaling.

Many studies have looked into the use of hydrogen peroxide against different pathogens. One of the most relevant is a review of 22 studies, published in March 2020 in the Journal of Hospital Infection. They found 0.5% hydrogen peroxide effectively inactivated a range of human coronaviruses, including those responsible for SARS and MERS, within one minute of exposure.

If you’re already presenting with a runny nose or sore throat, Levy recommends using the nebulizer for 10 to 15 minutes four times a day until your symptoms are relieved. You can also use nebulized hydrogen peroxide for prevention and maintenance, which may be advisable during flu season, or while the COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing. According to Levy:

“As it is a completely non-toxic therapy, nebulization can be administered as often as desired. If done on a daily basis at least once, a very positive impact on bowel and gut function will often be realized as killing the chronic pathogen colonization present in most noses and throats stops the 24/7 swallowing of these pathogens and their associated toxins.

If daily prevention is not a practical option, the effectiveness of this treatment is optimized when somebody sneezes in your face or you finally get off of the plane after a trans-Atlantic flight. Don’t wait for initial symptoms. Just nebulize at your first opportunity.”



Sources and References


Thanks for this info. Appreciate it
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
(fair use applies)


China halts visas for Japan, South Korea in COVID-19 spat
By KEN MORITSUGU
January 11, 2023

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese embassies stopped issuing new visas for South Koreans and Japanese on Tuesday in apparent retaliation for COVID-19 measures recently imposed by those countries on travelers from China.

It wasn’t clear whether China would expand the visa suspensions to other countries that have imposed virus testing on passengers from China following its COVID-19 surge.

The embassies in Tokyo and Seoul announced the suspensions in brief online notices.

The Seoul notice, posted on the embassy’s WeChat social media account, said the ban would continue until South Korea lifts its “discriminatory entry measures” against China. The announcement covered tourist, business and some other visas.

China’s Foreign Ministry threatened countermeasures last week against countries that had announced new virus testing requirements for travelers from China. At least 10 in Europe, North America and Asia have done so recently, with officials expressing concern about a lack of information about the Chinese outbreak and the potential for new virus variants to emerge.

South Korea had also stopped issuing most short-term visas at its consulates in China for the month of January, except for government activities, essential business and humanitarian reasons. Japan has not announced a similar step.

China’s embassy in Tokyo said only that visa issuance had been suspended. The announcements appeared to apply only to new applicants, with nothing about people currently holding visas.

Japan has protested the move through diplomatic channels, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Argentina.

“It is extremely regrettable that China has restricted visa issuances,” he said, adding that Japan would respond appropriately while watching China’s outbreak and how much information the government shares about it.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry statement said that “our government’s step to strengthen anti-virus measures on passengers arriving from China is based on scientific and objective evidence ... and we have communicated with the Chinese side in advance.”

A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said earlier that it would be “regrettable” if restrictions were imposed. The official spoke on customary condition of anonymity.

A withholding of visas from South Korean or Japanese businesspeople could delay a hoped-for revival of commercial activity and potential new investment following China’s abrupt lifting of anti-virus controls last month.

Business groups had warned earlier that global companies were shifting investment plans away from China because it was too hard for foreign executives to visit under the pandemic controls. A handful of foreign auto and other executives have visited China over the past three years, but many companies have relied on Chinese employees or managers already in the country to run their operations.

A South Korean restaurant owner in Beijing said the announcement forced friends to postpone plans to visit China. He spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern his business might be affected. He added that he is preparing to renew his Chinese work visa and doesn’t know whether that will be affected.

In a phone call on Monday before the visa suspension was announced, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang “expressed concern” about the measures taken by South Korea to his counterpart, Foreign Minister Park Jin. Qin said he “hopes that the South Korean side will uphold an objective and scientific attitude.”

China’s move appeared to be grounded in its demands that its citizens be treated the same as those of other countries. About a dozen countries have followed the U.S. in requiring either a negative test before departing China, a virus test on arrival at the airport, or both.

“Regrettably, a handful of countries, in disregard of science and facts and the reality at home, have insisted on taking discriminatory entry restriction measures targeting China,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Tuesday. “China firmly rejected this and took reciprocal measures.”

He did not respond directly when asked if new visas had been suspended for South Koreans and Japanese, saying only that he had “made it very clear.”

The World Health Organization and several nations have accused China of withholding data on its outbreak. A WHO official said Tuesday that t he agency sees no immediate threat for the European region from China’s outbreak, but that more information is needed.

China’s ambassador to Australia said the response of those nations to China’s COVID-19 outbreak hadn’t been proportionate or constructive.

Xiao Qian told reporters in Canberra that China had shifted its strategy late last year from preventing infections to preventing severe cases. He said countries should use a science-based response.

“Entry restrictions, if they’re targeted at China, they’re unnecessary,” the ambassador told reporters.

Once-cordial ties between South Korea and China, its biggest trading partner, soured in recent years after Beijing targeted businesses, sports teams and even K-pop groups to protest deployment of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea.

China abruptly reversed its “zero-COVID” strategy of trying to contain the virus last month in response to what it says was the changing nature of the outbreak. That came after three years of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing that prompted rare politically tinged protests in the streets in Beijing and other major cities.

The most optimistic forecasts say China’s business and consumer activity might revive as early as the first quarter of this year. But before that happens, entrepreneurs and families face a painful squeeze from a surge in virus cases that has left employers without enough healthy workers and kept wary customers away from shopping malls, restaurants, hair salons and gyms.

China is now facing a surge in cases and hospitalizations in major cities and is bracing for a further spread into less developed areas with the start of the Lunar New Year travel rush, set to accelerate in the coming days. While international flights are still reduced, authorities say they expect domestic rail and air journeys will double over the same period last year.
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
(fair use applies)


Pentagon drops COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
January 11, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon formally dropped its COVID-19 vaccination mandate Tuesday, but a new memo signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also gives commanders some discretion in how or whether to deploy troops who are not vaccinated.

Austin’s memo has been widely anticipated ever since legislation signed into law on Dec. 23 gave him 30 days to rescind the mandate. The Defense Department had already stopped all related personnel actions, such as discharging troops who refused the shot.

“The Department will continue to promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all service members,” Austin said in the memo. “Vaccination enhances operational readiness and protects the force.”

Austin said that commanders have the authority to maintain unit readiness and a healthy force. He added, however, that other department policies — including mandates for other vaccines — remain in place. That includes, he said, “the ability of commanders to consider, as appropriate, the individual immunization status of personnel in making deployment, assignment, and other operational decisions, including when vaccination is required for travel to, or entry into, a foreign nation.”

The contentious political issue, which has divided America, forced more than 8,400 troops out of the military for refusing to obey a lawful order when they declined to get the vaccine. Thousands of others sought religious and medical exemptions. Austin’s memo ends those exemption requests.

Austin, who instituted the mandate in August 2021 after the Pfizer vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and as the coronavirus pandemic raged, was staunch in his desire to maintain it insisting the vaccine was necessary to protect the health of the force. He and other defense leaders argued that for decades troops, particularly those deployed overseas, had been required to get as many as 17 different vaccines. No other vaccine mandates were affected by the new law.

But Congress agreed to rescind the mandate, with opponents reluctantly saying that perhaps it had already succeeded in getting the bulk of the force vaccinated. Roughly 99% of active-duty troops in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had gotten the vaccine, and 98% of the Army. The Guard and Reserve rates are lower, but generally are more than 90%.

Austin’s memo was unapologetic in his continued support for the vaccine, and his belief that the mandate kept the force healthy and able to protect America. The Pentagon’s vaccine efforts, he said, “will leave a lasting legacy in the many lives we saved, the world-class force we have been able to field, and the high level of readiness we have maintained, amidst difficult public health conditions.”

In addition to ending efforts to discharge troops who refuse the vaccine, Austin’s memo says that those who sought exemptions and were denied will have their records updated and any letters of reprimand will be removed.

Those who were discharged for refusing to obey a lawful order to take the vaccine received either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions. Austin’s memo says that anyone who was discharged can petition their military service to request a change in the “characterization of their discharge” in their personnel records. It does not, however, say what possible corrections could be awarded.

Austin’s decision leaves some discretion to commanders, allowing them to decide whether they can require vaccines in some circumstances, such as certain deployments overseas.

Military officials vividly recall the overwhelming crisis of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy aircraft carrier that was knocked out of duty and sidelined in Guam for 10 weeks in early 2020 as the emerging virus swept through the ship. More than 1,000 crew members eventually became infected, and one sailor died.

Military leaders worry that if troops begin to refuse the vaccine in large numbers, similar outbreaks could occur. The risk is particularly high on small ships or submarines where service members are jammed into close quarters for weeks or months at a time, or on critical combat missions, such as those involving special operations forces that deploy in small teams.

According to data compiled by the military as of early December, the Marine Corps leads the services with 3,717 Marines discharged. There have been 2,041 discharged from the Navy, 1,841 from the Army and 834 from the Air Force. The Air Force data includes the Space Force.

What’s not clear is if the services, who are facing recruiting challenges, will want — or be able to — allow any of those service members to return to duty, if they still meet all necessary fitness and other requirements.

Lawmakers argued that ending the mandate would help with recruiting. Defense officials have pushed back by saying that while it may help a bit, a department survey during the first nine months of last year found that a large majority said the mandate did not change the likelihood they would consider enlisting.
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
A few comments were made requesting info on the hydrogen peroxide nasal rinse. This article has that and much more info in it.

When reading it, I flash back to when they made fun of Trump for wondering if there was a way to get common disinfectants into the body to kill the virus. He was ahead of his time...

ETA: I put a link for the Betadine mouth wash in the article where it is discussed. Amazon is running a promotion right now, so if you order it now, and you order 2, you get one half off so the total price is around $16 for the 2.

(fair use applies)

Is Nasal Irrigation More Important Than Hand-Washing?
Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
January 10, 2023

  • Flushing your sinuses may be an effective way to inhibit the progression of a virus such as SARS-CoV-2 by lowering the viral load in your sinuses
  • Research has demonstrated that nasal irrigation reduces the symptoms and duration of viral illnesses such as the seasonal flu and common cold
  • Nasal irrigation and gargling with hypertonic saline has been shown to reduce the duration of the common cold by 1.9 days and reduce transmission within the household by 35% by reducing viral shedding when done within 48 hours of symptom onset
  • You may also be able to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 migrating into your lungs by gargling a saline solution or using a povidone-iodine solution such as Betadine Sore Throat Gargle
  • Nebulizing hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver may be even more effective. A recent review found 0.5% hydrogen peroxide effectively inactivated a range of human coronaviruses, including those responsible for SARS and MERS, within one minute of exposure

By now, you probably understand the importance of hand-washing to prevent the spread of infectious illness. But did you know flushing your sinuses might be an even better way to inhibit the progression of a viral illness such as COVID-19? In an April 20, 2020, article, Best Life features the recommendations of Dr. Amy Baxter, a pediatric emergency medicine physician in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nasal irrigation, she says, is a rarely discussed strategy that can help reduce the progression of illness in those who have tested positive for COVID-19 infection. In an April 2, 2020, response to a BMJ paper about the lack of personal protection equipment on COVID-19 frontlines, professor Robert Matthews also brought up the importance and potential usefulness of oropharyngeal washing to protect health care workers from infection. As reported by Best Life:

“Nasal irrigation, or a nasal wash, has long been considered an effective way to remove viruses or bacteria from sinus cavities.

According to Baxter, recent clinical trials show that nasal irrigation reduces the duration and symptoms for other viral illnesses like flu and the common cold, though it hasn't yet been studied for COVID-19. Still, she has multiple reasons for believing that this approach can be effective in preventing coronavirus from worsening in a sick patient.”

Why Nasal Irrigation?

As noted by Baxter, researchers have found that the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 tends to be heaviest in the sinuses and nasal cavity. Regularly rinsing your sinuses therefore makes sense since it would help clear out the pathogen and prevent it from gaining a strong foothold and migrating into your lungs.

The age and gender discrepancies observed in COVID-19 also supports nasal irrigation. Children are at virtually no risk from COVID-19, while death rates among the elderly are at their highest. More men than women also die from the infection.

“Children don't develop full sinuses until teens; males have larger cavities than women, and the cavities are largest [in those] over 70 years,” Baxter notes.

Research has previously demonstrated that nasal irrigation reduces the symptoms and duration of other viral illnesses such as the seasonal flu and common cold.

In one randomized controlled trial,4 nasal irrigation and gargling with hypertonic saline were found to reduce the duration of the common cold by 1.9 days and reduce transmission within the household by 35% by reducing viral shedding when done within 48 hours of symptom onset.

While it has not yet been studied as a preventive method for COVID-19 specifically, there’s reason to suspect nasal irrigation might be helpful.

Baxter points out that COVID-19 death rates in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Laos have been surprisingly low, and nasal irrigation is common practice in those areas. According to Baxter, some 80% of the Southeast Asian population do it.

How to Irrigate Your Sinuses

Baxter suggests irrigating your sinuses any time you’ve been exposed to an infected individual or test positive for COVID-19. She recommends flushing your sinuses in the morning using a mixture of boiled lukewarm water (8 ounces) and povidone-iodine (half a teaspoon).

Povidone-iodine has been shown to effectively kill not only Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, but to also rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, H1N1 influenza virus A and rotavirus after 15 seconds of exposure.5

The mixture used in this study: 7% povidone-iodine diluted 1-to-30, which equates to a total concentration of 0.23% povidone-iodine, inactivated over 99% of the coronaviruses causing SARS and MERS.

Either a neti pot or NeilMed sinus rinse bottle can be used. The water pressure you get from a sinus rinse bottle can provide a more effective flush. If higher pressure is uncomfortable, a neti pot, which relies on gravity, may be a more comfortable choice. In the evening, Baxter recommends flushing your sinuses again with a mixture of:

8 ounces of boiled lukewarm water
0.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt

Gargling May Also Be Helpful

You may also be able to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 migrating into your lungs by gargling. As noted by Dr. Neal Naito in a March 29, 2020, New York Times article,6 while there’s “no firm proof” that gargling can prevent COVID-19, there are virtually no downsides to the advice.

Like Baxter, Naito points out that many East Asian countries such as Japan see gargling as a commonsense hygiene practice.

“In East Asia, particularly in Japan, gargling is strongly encouraged by the national government, along with other practices like hand-washing, wearing face masks and social distancing, as a matter of routine hygiene during the regular cold and flu season.

(Not everyone, though, can gargle effectively, including some people with neck pain, stroke or dementia, as well as children generally under the age of 8.) Most of the early studies suggesting that gargling may help to prevent and treat upper and lower respiratory infections, not surprisingly, come from Japan,” Naito writes.

An over-the-counter povidone-iodine oral gargle solution, used for decades by the Japanese for the treatment of sore throat, appears most useful. One small study from Japan, published in 2002, found patients diagnosed with chronic respiratory disease who gargled with a povidone-iodine solution at least four times a day reduced their incidence of acute respiratory infection by about 50%.

Do Not Use Iodine-Based Skin Disinfectant for Gargling

Importantly, Naito stresses that povidone-iodine solutions sold as skin disinfectants are NOT suitable for gargling as they contain potentially harmful ingredients that should not be ingested.

“It’s critical that people not gargle with skin disinfectant solutions, including those that contain povidone-iodine,” he says. So, when using povidone-iodine for gargling, be sure to look for solutions such as Betadine formulated specifically as a sore throat gargle, not products intended for cuts and wound care.

[my comment: link to product on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Betadine-Antiseptic-Throat-Relieve-Symptoms/dp/B088LBWDH1 ]


Nebulized Hydrogen Peroxide — Another Prevention Strategy

31 min 19 sec

While gargling and nasal irrigation may certainly be useful, I believe nebulizing hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver may be even more effective. Dr. Thomas Levy10 has issued guidance on how to use nebulized hydrogen peroxide for the prevention and treatment of viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19.

To inactivate viruses with hydrogen peroxide, all you need is a face mask that covers your mouth and nose and a nebulizer that emits a fine mist with properly diluted food grade hydrogen peroxide.

Typically, food grade peroxide comes in concentrations of 12%, which must be diluted down to 1% or less before use, as described in the chart below and video above. If you are using 3% hydrogen peroxide, then you would multiply the number in the first column by 4, or divide the second column by 4.

peroxide-dilution-1-percent-chart-v2.jpg


The microscopic mist, similar to smoke or vapor, can be comfortably inhaled deep into your nostrils, sinuses and lungs. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) consists of a water molecule (H2O) with an extra oxygen atom, and it is the additional oxygen atom that allows it to inactivate viral pathogens.

Coronaviruses are held together by a lipid (fat) envelope. Soap, being amphipathic — meaning it can dissolve most molecules — dissolves this fat membrane, causing the virus to fall apart and become harmless.

Hydrogen peroxide works in a similar way. You can find more details about the mechanism of action in my previous article, “Could Hydrogen Peroxide Treat Coronavirus?”

Some of your immune cells actually produce hydrogen peroxide to destroy pathogens. By killing the infected cell, viral reproduction is stopped. So, hydrogen peroxide therapy is in essence only aiding your immune cells to perform their natural function more effectively.

Hydrogen peroxide is also a key redox signaling agent that creates oxidative eustress. Contrary to oxidative stress or oxidative distress, oxidative eustress denotes an oxidative challenge that has positive or beneficial effects and is essential in redox signaling.

Many studies have looked into the use of hydrogen peroxide against different pathogens. One of the most relevant is a review of 22 studies, published in March 2020 in the Journal of Hospital Infection. They found 0.5% hydrogen peroxide effectively inactivated a range of human coronaviruses, including those responsible for SARS and MERS, within one minute of exposure.

If you’re already presenting with a runny nose or sore throat, Levy recommends using the nebulizer for 10 to 15 minutes four times a day until your symptoms are relieved. You can also use nebulized hydrogen peroxide for prevention and maintenance, which may be advisable during flu season, or while the COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing. According to Levy:

“As it is a completely non-toxic therapy, nebulization can be administered as often as desired. If done on a daily basis at least once, a very positive impact on bowel and gut function will often be realized as killing the chronic pathogen colonization present in most noses and throats stops the 24/7 swallowing of these pathogens and their associated toxins.

If daily prevention is not a practical option, the effectiveness of this treatment is optimized when somebody sneezes in your face or you finally get off of the plane after a trans-Atlantic flight. Don’t wait for initial symptoms. Just nebulize at your first opportunity.”



Sources and References



Speaking of povidone iodine here's another product some may be interested in:


It's a nasal spray with betadine and with xylitol. I think the xylitol itself is going to help, this adds the betadine to it. (and Vitamin D). I heard Dr. McCullough promote it on one of his podcasts, I am going to assume they are a paid advertiser. First I heard of the product; I have no monetary connection, just bringing it over;)

Also if you have thyroid issues, you need to see if you can use iodine products. Check with your physician or other trusted source.

HD
 

Zoner

Veteran Member
So Geert continues to share the science that leads him to teach and believe that a serious outbreak of COVID is inevitable. He admits he was wrong about the timeline but the inevitable has only been delayed. Geert is a scientist, not a Doctor, so Doctors need to listen to the scientists. My takeaway is that he sees XBB1.5 as a strain of Omnicron. There is still one yet to come that will be catastrophic.
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
So Geert continues to share the science that leads him to teach and believe that a serious outbreak of COVID is inevitable. He admits he was wrong about the timeline but the inevitable has only been delayed. Geert is a scientist, not a Doctor, so Doctors need to listen to the scientists. My takeaway is that he sees XBB1.5 as a strain of Omnicron. There is still one yet to come that will be catastrophic.
So he doesn't think XBB1.5 is the 'geert variant' ? I haven't watched it yet, I hope to watch it later today or tomorrow.

Thank you for the link! Good to hear from him. I still wish he'd do a video about what's going on in China...(and I'm guessing since this one was done in Nov, the Chinese outbreak wasn't yet a 'thing' for him to discuss, but again, haven't watched yet)

HD
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
More about nosesprays for covid although this is more mainstream.. (vs the iodine and the xlear recommendations).

(fair use applies)



Simple spray could keep COVID away
by Gina Wadas, Johns Hopkins University
January 12, 2023

What if preventing respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 and influenza could be as easy as a quick spritz of nasal spray every morning?

Numerous bacteria and viruses, including those that cause COVID-19 and influenza, enter the body through the lungs when people breathe, resulting in illness. Johns Hopkins engineers have created thin, thread-like strands of molecules called supramolecular filaments that are designed to be sprayed into the nose, blocking those harmful viruses from entering the lungs.

"The idea is that the filaments will work like a sponge to absorb the COVID-19 virus and other viruses before they have the chance to bind to cells in our airways. Even if the therapeutic can block the virus for an hour or two, that can be helpful when people must be in a public setting," said research team leader Honggang Cui, core researcher at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology and associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.

The team's results appeared recently in Matter, and the work was done through a collaboration with Hongpeng Jia, assistant professor of surgery, and other researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

The key to this approach is the way that the filaments carry a receptor called angiotensin converting enzyme-2, or ACE2. These receptors are also found in cells in the nasal lining, the lung surface, and small intestine, and have many biological roles, such as regulating blood pressure and inflammation. The novel coronavirus enters our bodies primarily through interactions with this receptor. The virus's characteristic spike protein clicks into this receptor, much like a key going into a lock, allowing it to enter the cell and replicate. Once the virus is locked into the cell, it prevents the cell from executing its normal functions, leading to and exacerbating infections.

Researchers have long known that adding extra ACE2 into airways can block virus entry, essentially preventing the virus from binding with ACE2 in the lungs. However, since ACE2 has biological functions, simply delivering more ACE2 to the body may have unforeseeable complications. The research team's newly engineered filament, called fACE2, serves as a decoy binding site for the virus, with each filament offering several receptors for the COVID-19 spike protein to attach to, and silences ACE2's biological functions to avoid potential side effects.

"Our plan is that this would be administered as a nasal or oral spray, allowing it to be suspended in the lungs or settle on the surface of airways and lungs. When a person breathes in the COVID-19 virus, the virus will be fooled into binding to the decoy receptor and not the ACE2 receptors on cells," Cui said.

And because the filaments attract SARS-CoV-2's characteristic spike protein, it should work equally well on any current or future variants, the researchers predict.

The team tested its design in mouse models and found their filament was not only present in the rodents' lungs up to 24 hours later, but also elicited no inflammation or obvious damage to the lungs' structures, suggesting that fACE2 may be retained in the lungs for a period of time, and is safe.

While the team's original approach was to design a preventative therapeutic, they say that it also may have the potential to treat people with active COVID-19 infections by thwarting replication of newly acquired viruses.

"We think that fACE2 could also be used on other respiratory viruses that use the ACE2 receptor to infiltrate cells. The filament design is versatile and can be modified to carry various therapeutic proteins that target different receptors," Jia said.

More information: Caleb F. Anderson et al, Supramolecular filaments for concurrent ACE2 docking and enzymatic activity silencing enable coronavirus capture and infection prevention, Matter (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2022.11.027
Journal information: Matter

Provided by Johns Hopkins University
 

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
I posted his other article on this subject on this thread when it first came out. You can find it here or follow the link in this substack to read it on his page.

(fair use applies)


Immune Tolerance: IgG4 Class Switch Starts with Even Two Doses of mRNA Vaccines
This is bad news - and a very interesting new study

Igor Chudov
Jan 12 2022

Three weeks ago, I reported on mRNA vaccines causing immune tolerance.

Igor’s Newsletter
Booster-Caused IgG4 Immune Tolerance Explains Excess Mortality and "Chronic Covid"
Rintrah Radagast posted a very important article yesterday. It shows us a potential explanation of why excess mortality is related to COVID boosters, why the association of Covid vaccines with mortality strengthens as time goes on instead of declining, and why…
Read more
18 days ago · 847 likes · 814 comments · Igor Chudov


That previous post, which went viral and brought me 1,008 new subscribers, was based on a study that reported levels of IgG4 (causing deadly immune tolerance to Sars-Cov-2) rising after a booster dose of mRNA vaccines and especially after breakthrough infections.

Unfortunately, another piece of bad news came out yesterday. A study analyzing antibody classes in vaccinated people was just published. It has many findings and is worth several separate posts.



The main finding and the bad news is that mRNA vaccines induce immune tolerance, evidenced by IgG4 antibodies, even after two doses (initial “fully vaccinated” series).

This is one chart from it, to be looked at again later, with my annotations in RED:



It shows that for previously uninfected people, as time passes after mRNA vaccinations (purple for Moderna and blue for Pfizer):

Interestingly, the same problem does not appear after inoculation with AstraZeneca, which is viral-vector based and has no mRNA.



You can see in the picture above that the AstraZeneca line (yellow) stays on the bottom. Thus, the problem of immune tolerance and rising IgG4 only applies to mRNA vaccines. That’s good news for people who had their adenovirus vector vaccination only.

Another good news is that for people who had previous Covid-19 infection (before vaccination), IgG4 also does NOT rise, even after mRNA injections:



So, the kinds of people most affected by IgG4 are infection-naive persons who got mRNA vaccinated before having their Covid-19 infection.

People’s Antibody Responses Are Wildly Different

Take another look at the same charts. I picked a couple and highlighted (in orange) how wildly spread are the antibody counts. Look at the surprised face:



Is that wild variation because of the different lots of mRNA vaccines? Is that because of individual differences? Could accidental injections into small blood vessels play a role? I have no idea, but someone needs to look into this.

Good News for mRNA Vaccinated People!

The wild spread of antibody counts means some individuals did not develop immune tolerance despite receiving mRNA shots!

So if you, dear reader, or your loved ones had mRNA vaccines, do not despair — you may be one of those lucky people whose IgG4 count is low, and thus you would NOT be affected by immune tolerance. Such people exist -- see the chart above.

How would such a vaccinated person know if they are, or are not, immune-tolerant to Sars-Cov-2 without expensive lab tests?

My answer is SPECULATIVE, but: if your breakthrough infection involved a lot of fever and bone aches, ended within a week with negative tests, and you had other signs of a vigorous immune reaction, you may be lucky and have low IgG4 levels. Do not take this suggestion with any degree of certainty!

This is a Great Study. We need MORE of Those!​

The study I am discussing is excellent and gives an in-depth dive into what sorts of “antibodies” people develop. The study offers multiple interesting findings; the one I am reporting is only one of many.

One aspect I always lamented about our “Covid response” is that the science is not interested in comprehensive research on people's immune reactions, the differences between natural and vaccinated immunity, and so on.

This Buhre et al. study finally provides an in-depth look and detailed answers to the questions we were all asking.

There is enough material for many interested substack authors to analyze and report on.

What do you think explains a huge variation in immune responses? Any idea?







https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch...3676-42df-4a3e-b55f-ca698ff200ec_496x347.jpeg
 

Zoner

Veteran Member
So he doesn't think XBB1.5 is the 'geert variant' ? I haven't watched it yet, I hope to watch it later today or tomorrow.

Thank you for the link! Good to hear from him. I still wish he'd do a video about what's going on in China...(and I'm guessing since this one was done in Nov, the Chinese outbreak wasn't yet a 'thing' for him to discuss, but again, haven't watched yet)

HD
Yes the date is Nov. 22. Not sure when xbb1.5 became a thing. Thx HD
 

Zoner

Veteran Member
Yes the date is Nov. 22. Not sure when xbb1.5 became a thing. Thx HD
I guess it wasn’t until late December that it became a thing because CDC dragged its feet getting the word out.

So we’ll still have to wait to see what Geert says about XBB. Although he posted this interview on January 6, I would think he should be saying something soon.

Here’s the 30 part thread that really publicized XBB.

View: https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1608704548536975360?s=46&t=tutaf8hpAbBY3VEdgJIU2w
 
Last edited:

jward

passin' thru

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
crossin fingers n toes, lightin' candles for those whose lost lives linked together to get us to this point. . .

Dr Aseem Malhotra
@DrAseemMalhotra
BREAKING BBC News:

Cardiologist says likely contributory factor to excess cardiovascular deaths is covid mRNA vaccine and roll out should be suspended pending an inquiry.

We did it. We broke mainstream broadcast media


View: https://twitter.com/DrAseemMalhotra/status/1613837487796850688?s=20
Finally!!!
 

Zoner

Veteran Member
crossin fingers n toes, lightin' candles for those whose lost lives linked together to get us to this point. . .

Dr Aseem Malhotra
@DrAseemMalhotra
BREAKING BBC News:

Cardiologist says likely contributory factor to excess cardiovascular deaths is covid mRNA vaccine and roll out should be suspended pending an inquiry.

We did it. We broke mainstream broadcast media


View: https://twitter.com/DrAseemMalhotra/status/1613837487796850688?s=20
View: https://twitter.com/DowdEdward/status/1614008020585054208?s=20&t=sfVXwOW-X0VK5Zcs9qq25g
 

Ractivist

Pride comes before the fall.....Pride month ended.
More about nosesprays for covid although this is more mainstream.. (vs the iodine and the xlear recommendations).

(fair use applies)



Simple spray could keep COVID away
by Gina Wadas, Johns Hopkins University
January 12, 2023

What if preventing respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 and influenza could be as easy as a quick spritz of nasal spray every morning?

Numerous bacteria and viruses, including those that cause COVID-19 and influenza, enter the body through the lungs when people breathe, resulting in illness. Johns Hopkins engineers have created thin, thread-like strands of molecules called supramolecular filaments that are designed to be sprayed into the nose, blocking those harmful viruses from entering the lungs.

"The idea is that the filaments will work like a sponge to absorb the COVID-19 virus and other viruses before they have the chance to bind to cells in our airways. Even if the therapeutic can block the virus for an hour or two, that can be helpful when people must be in a public setting," said research team leader Honggang Cui, core researcher at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology and associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.

The team's results appeared recently in Matter, and the work was done through a collaboration with Hongpeng Jia, assistant professor of surgery, and other researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

The key to this approach is the way that the filaments carry a receptor called angiotensin converting enzyme-2, or ACE2. These receptors are also found in cells in the nasal lining, the lung surface, and small intestine, and have many biological roles, such as regulating blood pressure and inflammation. The novel coronavirus enters our bodies primarily through interactions with this receptor. The virus's characteristic spike protein clicks into this receptor, much like a key going into a lock, allowing it to enter the cell and replicate. Once the virus is locked into the cell, it prevents the cell from executing its normal functions, leading to and exacerbating infections.

Researchers have long known that adding extra ACE2 into airways can block virus entry, essentially preventing the virus from binding with ACE2 in the lungs. However, since ACE2 has biological functions, simply delivering more ACE2 to the body may have unforeseeable complications. The research team's newly engineered filament, called fACE2, serves as a decoy binding site for the virus, with each filament offering several receptors for the COVID-19 spike protein to attach to, and silences ACE2's biological functions to avoid potential side effects.

"Our plan is that this would be administered as a nasal or oral spray, allowing it to be suspended in the lungs or settle on the surface of airways and lungs. When a person breathes in the COVID-19 virus, the virus will be fooled into binding to the decoy receptor and not the ACE2 receptors on cells," Cui said.

And because the filaments attract SARS-CoV-2's characteristic spike protein, it should work equally well on any current or future variants, the researchers predict.

The team tested its design in mouse models and found their filament was not only present in the rodents' lungs up to 24 hours later, but also elicited no inflammation or obvious damage to the lungs' structures, suggesting that fACE2 may be retained in the lungs for a period of time, and is safe.

While the team's original approach was to design a preventative therapeutic, they say that it also may have the potential to treat people with active COVID-19 infections by thwarting replication of newly acquired viruses.

"We think that fACE2 could also be used on other respiratory viruses that use the ACE2 receptor to infiltrate cells. The filament design is versatile and can be modified to carry various therapeutic proteins that target different receptors," Jia said.

More information: Caleb F. Anderson et al, Supramolecular filaments for concurrent ACE2 docking and enzymatic activity silencing enable coronavirus capture and infection prevention, Matter (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2022.11.027
Journal information: Matter

Provided by Johns Hopkins University
I don't trust Johns Hopkins. They have been in cahoots with Fauci thru n thru.....
 
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