Tag: COVID-19

bookmark_borderCOVID: Vitamin D, Sunlight, the Season, and People of Color

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By Daniel Brouse

COVID-19
A human’s main source of Vitamin D is the synthesis of UVB radiation through your skin. The chemical reaction creates Vitamin D and other photoproducts essential for a healthy immune system. Taking a Vitamin D supplement is NOT the same as your body making Vitamin D.

How You Photosynthesize (And Why a Vitamin D Supplement Is Not the Same)

PEOPLE OF COLOR
People of color are more severely impacted by COVID than people with lighter skin. The darker your skin, the harder it is to synthesis Vitamin D in your body. Vitamin D supplements can not provide you with the photoproducts and metabolic processes necessary for NAD+ to perform optimally. And, this is a predominant factor in why people of color are more severely impacted.

SEASONAL IMPACT
People with all types of skin color are subject to their distance from the sun and the length of exposure to the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, the length of daylight decreases during the fall and winter. At the same time, the angle of the sun becomes less direct to your skin. If left to its own devices, your body will not make as much Vitamin D in the winter. Both your ability to fight pathogens and age related diseases will be diminished. Less synthesized Vitamin D and less NAD+ result in sickness or death.

YOUR HEALTH
You can improve the quality and quantity of your life by learning how to safely expose your skin to sunlight depending on the day of the year, time of day, your location, and skin tone. WARNING: UVB radiation (found in sunlight) is both a savior and a killer. It is of utmost importance to figure out the optimum exposure for your body.

The Vitamin D and other photoproducts made by your body are essential for your immune system to create and utilize NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide). NAD+ is critical in preventing and fighting COVID, cancer, aging, type2 diabetes, neurodegeneration, MS, and many other ailments.

Learn More About Vitamin D and Sunlight

Learn More About NAD+

MORE ON COVID: COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 / Novel Coronavirus

bookmark_borderCOVID: Treatment?

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By Daniel Brouse

COVID
COVID

This is an interview with Ade Wentzel. Ade is a doctor and scientist working with COVID hospitals. I met Ade in a COVID survivors group. Though I did not know it at the time, I survived COVID in February of 2020. It was only months later that I figured out something was wrong with me. Even though I had been isolating since February, I kept getting sick. After a month of scientific research, I was diagnosed with Long Haulers Syndrome.

I had come to the conclusion that my long haulers was caused by lots of little cytokine storms. During a heated debate with a COVID antigen scientist from Spain that is researching for Johns Hopkins, Ade joined the conversation. The Johns Hopkins scientist took issue with the words “cytokine storms”. A cytokine storm is defined as a single large event. Ade helped me come to the conclusion that I was having cytokine disfunctions.

We do know that the virus consumes NAD+ because various studies have measured it. We do know that NAD+ and zinc are needed for SIRT1 activation. We also know that SIRT 1 downregulates TACE and hence downregulates TNFa and hence IL6.

Possibly for the longhaulers it’s cytokine imbalance or just NAD+ deficiency. The symptomatology improves vastly with NAD+ precursors but if cellular damage or organ damage is to occur, this takes time.

I do agree the term cytokine storm for long haulers is very incorrect, but an autoimmune disconnect seems more appropriate.
— Ade Wentzel

Ade referred me to a research paper: COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency may predispose the aged, obese and type2 diabetics to mortality through its effect on SIRT1 activity. It took me several months to figure out that Ade is a co-author of the research. During this time, I embraced “Ade’s Protocol”: Vitamin B3, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium.

INTERVIEW WITH ADE
Do you think you are cured of your long haulers? Do you think it is likely you may have other long term damage that you are not yet aware of?
Ade: So I am probably one of the longest around 6 Dec 2019 and am 99.5% back to normal.

We set out to investigate how to do the above, change risk, and of the about 3500 on a prophylactic regime only 1 person has been positive and had multiple exposures running a covid hospital. His course proved to be mild.

As a clinician I am super scared of such anecdotal evidence and a trial is really the only way to gain exposure and traction.

Am I worried about long term damage that I may not be aware of? No…if it raises its head I will deal with it then.

We never set out to chase the virus, but only to save 1 person….and that we have done. It’s been a team approach with Robert Miller
who first noticed the NAD+ link and Prof Guy A. Richard’s who guided, scrutinized, questioned and encouraged the clinical process.

In my humble opinion, you guys should get the Nobel Prize. I knew the protocol was working on my long haulers, but wasn’t sure if you thought it was a prophylactic, too. And, I’m guessing it might also be a “treatment” for active COVID cases?
Ade: it works wonders for all 3. Pre, during and after and for post covid anxiety.We started with pre covid prophylaxis on a small 250 strong group in Ireland who were then starting to peak and at 3 care centers in the UK all on a voluntary basis. Then, progressed to acute patients. Through this process I was a long hauler who had access to all specialties to discuss our research and often going on to treat them when they became unwell.

COVID NAD+ Deficiency

COVID-19 Index

bookmark_borderCOVID: NAD+ and Zinc

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NAD+ is a crucial part of the immune system. COVID depletes your NAD+. The body needs the time and materials necessary to replenish NAD+. Included in the elements you need are Vitamins C, B3, D, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium.

Ade Wentzel, co-author of “COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency” was asked about about zinc. Ade replied:
Zinc decreases viral replication directly.
35% of Americans over 65 yrs have low zinc NHANES 3 trial.

Zinc and NAD+ are both needed and consumed for Sirt1 activation

SIRT 1 decreases viral replication directly

Sirt1 decreases TACE activity which decreases TNFa

Lower TNFa leads to lower IL6 and IL1

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)- and zinc-dependent molecule, the Silent Information Regulator 1 (SIRT1) represents a potential common thread in the aetiology of the hyperinflammatory response and increased mortality.

When NAD gets low it uses nicotinic acid which is limited in the diet, as well as, tryptophan.

Tryptophan is the base for serotinin. Serotonin controls loads of stuff. A lot of symptomatology is tryptophan based.

You should take the recommend daily allowance of zinc for your weight and age. The problem is that there are many zinc products which deliver different amounts of free zinc per milligram.

Robert Miller added, “Try to find zinc picolinate or zinc citrate.”

NOTE: Zinc may interfere with your iron intake. If your doctor recommends iron supplements, they should be taken at a different time of day than the zinc. Most people don’t need extra iron. Too much iron is thought to contribute to cardiovascular problems. Too little iron makes you anemic.

The Miller/Wentzel/Richards COVID NAD+ protocol:
NAD+: Vitamin B3, Vitamin D and sunlight, Vitamin C, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium

What you need to know about COVID and NAD+ deficiencies.

bookmark_borderCOVID-19: NAD+ Deficiency

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The Miller/Wentzel/Richards COVID NAD+ protocol
NAD+: Niacin B3, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium

NAD+ is a crucial part of the immune system. COVID depletes your NAD+. The body needs the time and materials necessary to replenish NAD+. Included in the elements you need are Vitamins C, Niacin B3, D, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium.

Vitamin B3 / Niacin is the most important ingredient. It must be the correct type of Niacin. Please click here for detailed B3 information.

Vitamin C is best ingested in whole foods not juice or supplements. If it is not possible to consume whole foods, 1,000mg / day is plenty for adults.

Vitamin D is best synthesized by your body. Adults can take an additional 1,000iu / day BUT supplements will not create the photoproducts with unique biologic properties required for your immune system. Exposure of the skin to sunlight is preferred for your body to photosynthesize its own Vitamin D.

Quercetin is best consumed as part of your diet and is contained in abundance in onions, apples, honey, raspberries, red grapes, cherries, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, green tea, coffee, and red wine.

Zinc supplements should be taken daily at the recommend daily allowance for your weight and age. The problem is that there are many zinc products which deliver different amounts of free zinc per milligram.

Selenium should be consumed as part of your diet. Selenium supplements may cause an overdose. Brazil nuts, seafoods, meat, eggs, dairy, and brown rice are the richest food sources of selenium.

In general, it takes 3-6 months to replenish a NAD+ deficiency. You can’t just take higher doses. Your body can only create so much NAD+ in a day. Exercise, inflammation, stress, and/or anxiety can aggravate or prolong long haulers syndrome.


Ade's Original NAD+ Diagram
Ade’s Original NAD+ Diagram

ABOUT NAD+
“Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is both a crucial coenzyme and a cosubstrate for various metabolic reactions in all living cells. Maintenance of NAD+ levels is essential for cell energy homeostasis, survival, proliferation and function. Mounting evidence points to NAD+ as one of the major modulators of immuno-metabolic circuits, thus regulating immune responses and functions. Recent studies delineate impaired host NAD+ metabolism during chronic infections and inflammation, suggesting NAD+ replenishment as an avenue to ameliorate deleterious inflammatory responses.” (Host NAD+ metabolism and infections: therapeutic implications)

NAD+ is often referred to as the anti-aging part of your immune system or “the fountain of youth”. In fact, NAD+ does decline with age. Quite possibly NAD+ deficiencies contribute to most premature deaths. The natural reaction is to want to boost your NAD+; however, there is little evidence that your body will produce more NAD+ than your natural baseline. The best you can do is to make sure you are reaching your baseline level.

REFERENCE
COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency may predispose the aged, obese and type2 diabetics to mortality through its effect on SIRT1 activity Miller/Wentzel/Richards (2020)

MORE ON COVID: COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 / Novel Coronavirus

bookmark_borderCOVID-19: Immunity, Antibodies, Memory T Cells and B Cells

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by Daniel Brouse
email: help@membrane.com

Omicron Update January 4, 2022

The effects of antibodies produced by the immune system’s “memory B cells” against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus are weakened. After the body learns to recognize SARS-CoV-2, B cells generate fresh antibodies against the virus if there are not enough antibodies circulating in the blood.

“Omicron seemed to evade a very large share of the memory B cells,” said Matthieu Mahevas and Pascal Chappert of Universite de Paris.

The research was published in Immune escape of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant from mRNA vaccination-elicited RBD-specific memory B cells. “Memory B cells (MBCs) represent a second layer of immune protection against SARS-CoV-2. Whether MBCs elicited by mRNA vaccines can recognize the Omicron variant is of major concern. We used bio-layer interferometry to assess the affinity against the receptor-binding-domain (RBD) of Omicron spike of 313 naturally expressed monoclonal IgG that were previously tested for affinity and neutralization against VOC prior to Omicron. We report here that Omicron evades recognition from a larger fraction of these antibodies than any of the previous VOCs. Additionally, whereas 30% of these antibodies retained high affinity against Omicron-RBD, our analysis suggest that Omicron specifically evades antibodies displaying potent neutralizing activity against the D614G and Beta variant viruses. Further studies are warranted to understand the consequences of a lower memory B cell potency on the overall protection associated with current vaccines.”

Updated August 4, 2021

COVID-19 Delta Variant and Vaccines
The efficacy of mRna vaccines is about 79% against contracting the Delta variant. Non-mRna vaccines are between 40-60% effective against Delta. Vaccines lose efficacy at about 3%/month after six months of being fully vaccinated. Vaccines appear to help contain the Delta variant to the nasal passage — you are less likely to develop the epigenetic changes to your genes (long-COVID).

We know the epigenetic changes caused by COVID partially dismantle your immune system including dysfunction of NAD+ optimization and suppression of T and NK cells.

There is no natural immunity from previous infection. Everybody needs to get vaccinated.

COVID Vaccine Breakthrough Cases
Q: Why are there so many breakthrough cases of COVID in the vaccinated?

A: There are several reasons why there are breakthrough cases with any vaccine; however, COVID is different. Many of the vaccinated people getting COVID already had COVID prior to being vaccinated. This is the second time they have contracted the virus. Once you have had COVID, your immune system is compromised. You should consider yourself immune compromised. The vaccine will not fully compensate for that fact.

THE ORIGINAL COVID STRAIN
A study published in The Lancet entitled Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody responses and duration of immunity: a longitudinal study found the immunity from a COVID reinfection varies widely from individual to individual from days to decades.

“We identified five distinctive patterns of neutralising antibody dynamics as follows:
* negative, individuals who did not, at our intervals of sampling, develop neutralising antibodies at the 30% inhibition level [12%];
* rapid waning, individuals who had varying levels of neutralising antibodies from around 20 days after symptom onset, but seroreverted in less than 180 days [27%];
* slow waning, individuals who remained neutralising antibody-positive at 180 days post-symptom onset [29%];
* persistent, although with varying peak neutralising antibody levels, these individuals had minimal neutralising antibody decay [32%];
* and delayed response, a small group that showed an unexpected increase of neutralising antibodies during late convalescence (at 90 or 180 days after symptom onset [2%]).

Persistence of neutralising antibodies was associated with disease severity and sustained level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. By contrast, T-cell responses were similar among the different neutralising antibody dynamics groups. On the basis of the different decay dynamics, we established a prediction algorithm that revealed a wide range of neutralising antibody longevity, varying from around 40 days to many decades.

The question may also apply to vaccines: will the COVID immunity offered by vaccinations last for 40 days to many decades? What is the durability of vaccines and will it be uniform or vary widely from person to person?

Previously released on January 24, 2021:
1) Natural Immunity
If you get a moderate to severe case of COVID-19, most people maintain viable antibodies for 90 days and memory T-cells for 5 months. This will likely give you natural immunity to the same strain of COVID for up to 5 months. The resistance to the UK variant is thought to be diminished. The resistance to the South African variant is thought to be none. There is some concern that COVID may erase all or part of your T cells’ memory for other pathogens.

2) Vaccines
You should anticipate that vaccines will give you a very similar immune response as the natural immunity acquired from contracting COVID. It doesn’t matter which vaccine you receive. You should get whatever vaccine you can get and as soon as possible. You should anticipate needing to get vaccinated every 90 days once vaccines are developed for all the different variants.

The message is — we have to stop the community spread and the exponential rise in variants WORLDWIDE. Individual countries can not obtain herd immunity.

More Information on COVID-19

What We Use to Know about Immunity
Q: What do we know about immunity to COVID-19, the immune system, antibodies, memory T cells, and autoimmune disfunctions?
A: Not much. Today is September 2, 2020. The virus is still new. We probably won’t be able to know the longterm affects of COVID-19 until the longterm; however, there is a growing body of research that is starting to uncover some of the mysteries.

Q: Do we know if recovered COVID-19 patients have immunity to reinfection.
A: No. We do not know the durability of the antibodies, nor the length of memory of the T cells. Originally, researchers thought you could only catch COVID-19 once, and you would gain immunity. Scientists started off thinking you would have a minimum of 1 year immunity and quite possibly 2-3 years. Now, 6 months later, that theory is history.

There are several cases globally where reinfection was confirmed by identifying that the second infection was by a different mutation of COVID than the original infection. “So far, there are three patients known to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 twice, and in at least one case the second time around was asymptomatic.”(1) Reinfection is rare, researchers said, but people should still be cautious. “If you’ve had it, you can’t necessarily be considered invulnerable to the infection,” Mark Pandori, one of the authors and director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory said.(2)

An extensive case study was conducted on the reinfection case from Nevada”
“These findings suggest that the patient was infected by SARS-CoV-2 on two separate occasions by a genetically distinct virus. Thus, previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 might not guarantee total immunity in all cases. All individuals, whether previously diagnosed with COVID-19 or not, should take identical precautions to avoid infection with SARS-CoV-2. The implications of reinfections could be relevant for vaccine development and application.”(3) Half of the those that became reinfected had more serious symptoms with the reinfection.

Since this paper was first published, a study done by the Imperial College of London found a 26% decline in antibodies over a three month period. The study all but eliminates the possibility of herd immunity. The study also indicates any post-COVID immunity is short lived and chances of being reinfected are large.(4)

Q: Why do so many recovered patients appear to be getting reinfected?
A: Most recovered individuals are not getting reinfected, rather their immune system mistakes inactive strands of COVID RNA as active virus. The autoimmune system reacts with an autoimmune disconnect resulting in cycles of recurring symptoms.(5) In the short term, it is thought the recurring symptoms will not cause irreparable damage. The long haul for long haulers is less certain with the duration of your body attacking your own organs in question.

Q: How long do COVID antibodies last?
A: Again, we do not know. Originally, it was thought the antibodies would last for a long period and the memory T cells might give you lifelong immunity. That is no longer the science. “There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 are protected from a second infection.”(6) A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that antibody levels against the novel coronavirus decreased by about half every 73 days and, if that rate were sustained, would be depleted within about a year. The findings are similar to those of several previous reports showing rapidly decreasing antibody levels after infection, including one published Jun 18 in Nature, which showed that levels of antibodies against COVID-19 began to decrease within 2 or 3 months of infection.(7)

Q: What immunity do T Cells give?
A: We don’t know. There are two types of T Cells. Memory T cells live for six months or less in healthy humans (Westera et al., 2013), whereas naive T cells can live for up to nine years (Vrisekoop et al., 2008). Memory T cells are the ones that remember your previous infections and how to fight them. Memory T cells reproduce passing on their memory. There is growing concern that the memory T cells may be forgetting. It is possible that COVID erases the memory of your T cells making you susceptible to get infected by any other disease or illness you have previous had or have been vaccinated for (as measles can do.) Measles seem to wipe out immune cells that ‘remember’ encounters with specific bacteria and viruses.(8)

RECOMMENDATION:
Until more is known, recovered COVID patients should take great care and avoid exposure to all bacteria and viruses, including COVID, that may cause illness.

1. Patients Reinfected with Coronavirus in Hong Kong, Europe (The Scientist)
2. 1st U.S. COVID-19 Reinfection Reported in Nevada Patient (WebMD / NBC)
3. Genomic evidence for reinfection with SARS-CoV-2: a case study (The Lancet)
4. Declining prevalence of antibody positivity to SARS-CoV-2: a community study of 365,000 adults Imperial College London
5. COVID-19 Long Haulers: autoimmune response due to inactive particles of the virus (Daniel Brouse)
6. “Immunity passports” in the context of COVID-19 (WHO)
7. COVID-19 antibodies decay quickly after mild illness (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
8. Measles erases immune ‘memory’ for other diseases (Nature)

COVID-19 Index

bookmark_borderCOVID-19 and Negative Feedback Loops

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COVID=19

As more time passes and more information is gathered on the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, there is growing evidence that any infection from COVID-19 may cause chronic damage to your body.

Negative Feedback Loops
The more often your body suffers damage, than the more severe each additional exposure will become. After you recover from COVID, there is likely some damage to one or more of your organs. Even asymptomatic individuals may suffer chronic illness. Immunity from COVID antibodies appears to be short lived. A person gets COVID, spreads COVID, and gets it again. Each time you get COVID-19, you are more compromised. The negative feedback loop repeats until failure.

Originally, researchers thought you could only catch COVID-19 once, and you would gain immunity. Scientists started off thinking you would have a minimum of 1 year immunity and quite possibly 2-3 years. Now, 6 months later, that theory is history.

There are several cases globally where reinfection was confirmed by identifying that the second infection was by a different mutation of COVID than the original infection. “So far, there are three patients known to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 twice, and in at least one case the second time around was asymptomatic.”(1) Reinfection is rare, researchers said, but people should still be cautious. “If you’ve had it, you can’t necessarily be considered invulnerable to the infection,” Mark Pandori, one of the authors and director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory said.(2)

UPDATE: COVID-19: Chronic Conditions
October 15, 2021

COVID causes negative feedback loops. COVID appears to cause the most damage to the weakest or most vulnerable parts of the body. If you were predisposed to a condition prior to COVID, you will likely develop the condition after COVID. An example would be people with type II diabetes. If you have diabetes prior to COVID, then you are at high risk of dying from COVID. If you are prediabetic, COVID will likely make you diabetic. If you are not inclined to develop diabetes, COVID will likely increase the probability of developing diabetes. The same holds true with NAD+, IDO, P53 tumor suppression genes, and all the other conditions listed above. The more times you contract COVID, the more cumulative damage you will suffer.

UPDATE: Reinfection Greater Risks & Exacerbates Underlying Conditions
November 11, 2022

The study Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection was published in the Journal Nature.

* The evidence shows that reinfection further increases risks of death, hospitalization and damage to multiple organ systems
* COVID exacerbates underlying conditions including pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematological, diabetes, gastrointestinal, kidney, mental health, musculoskeletal and neurological disorders

First infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with increased risk of acute and postacute death and sequelae in various organ systems. Compared to no reinfection, reinfection contributed additional risks of death, hospitalization, and sequelae including pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematological, diabetes, gastrointestinal, kidney, mental health, musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. The risks were evident regardless of vaccination status. The risks were most pronounced in the acute phase but persisted in the postacute phase at 6 months. Compared to noninfected controls, cumulative risks and burdens of repeat infection increased according to the number of infections. Limitations included a cohort of mostly white males. The evidence shows that reinfection further increases risks of death, hospitalization and sequelae in multiple organ systems in the acute and postacute phase. Reducing overall burden of death and disease due to SARS-CoV-2 will require strategies for reinfection prevention.

More on COVID-19: Chronic Conditions

1. Patients Reinfected with Coronavirus in Hong Kong, Europe (The Scientist)
2. 1st U.S. COVID-19 Reinfection Reported in Nevada Patient (WebMD / NBC)

COVID-19 Index

bookmark_borderCOVID-19 Long Haulers: SARS-CoV-2 Causes Dysfunctional Autoimmune Response

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Coronavirus / COVID
By Daniel Brouse
Email: help@membrane.com
Last Updated December 18, 2021

Long haulers syndrome is in part due to “an autoimmune response that makes you feel symptoms in waves, or due to stress, and anxiety that triggers your immune system.”
— Daniel Brouse (August, 2020)

My original description of long-COVID was, “It feels like my body is having lots of micro cytokine storms.” Now two years later, the hypothesis has been proven true. “‘It is important to note that the severity of disease in humans is not determined only by virus replication but also by the host immune response to the infection, which may lead to dysregulation of the innate immune system, i.e. “cytokine storm”‘ (Omicron SARS-CoV-2 can infect faster and better)

My gravest concerns about long-COVID remain the same — what are the long term consequences of my immune system attacking my healthy body?

Do recovered coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 patients have immunity?
Why do some people appear to be reinfected?

Maybe. Those who recover from COVID-19 appear to have some immunity.(1) “It’s reasonable to assume that there will be protection for a time frame of one to three years,” says Florian Krammer.(2) Though recent examples suggest immunity, if any, may be very short lived. The Omicron variant appears to escape immunity from both prior infection and vaccination.

It appears there are 2 different types of COVID damage: direct damage from the COVID infection, as well as, a variety of post-COVID syndromes. The direct damage appears to be dependent on the severity of the COVID infection (which likely has to do with viral load, age, and underlying conditions.) The post-COVID long haulers syndrome appears to have little to do with the severity of the COVID infection and more to do with the post-infection immune response.

Then, why do some people appear to get reinfected?
“Over the last 2 weeks, I’ve been working with my doctor about recurring symptoms. It turns out I have ‘long haulers’ syndrome. Every couple of weeks I go through a wave of symptoms. Though not as severe as the original experience, it is still not pleasant. The symptoms don’t come on all at the same time, rather they cycle through over two weeks or so (and not necessarily in the same order.) I’m not infected again, nor am I contagious.(3) The symptoms include:
* difficulty breathing (feeling like you’re not taking in enough oxygen)
* congestion / mild cough
* stomach issues / diarrhea
* loss of taste, smell, and appetite
* night sweats
* nightmares / vivid dreams
* dizziness / the spins / foggy thinking
* headaches / body aches / soreness
* fatigue
* ear aches

What causes the recurring COVID symptoms?
It is too early for a definitive answer; however, an examination of cases appear to point to an autoimmune response due to epigenetic changes caused by the virus.

Is the person still contagious? No.

How long will it take for the immune system to recognize that there is no longer a threat? It’s too early to tell. So far, symptoms have been observed for over 2 years. BUT, there are still many questions about COVID-19 and autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.

“Emerging reports show that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection precedes the appearance of various autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, including paediatric inflammatory multisystemic syndrome (PIMS) or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), thus adding to the growing mystery of this virus and raising questions about the nature of its link with autoimmune and autoinflammatory sequelae.” (4)

What is long haulers syndrome?
The vast majority of long haulers experience fluctuations both in the type and intensity of symptoms over the course of being symptomatic.(5)

Research is pointing to “an autoimmune response due to changes in the genes of the infected host” for causing “long haulers syndrome” in adults. “Support groups on Facebook include thousands of people who say they have been wrestling with serious COVID-19 symptoms for at least a month, if not two or three. The groups have coined a name for themselves: ‘long-haulers.’ But their lives have been irrevocably changed by the onslaught of symptoms — relentless and rolling waves of fever, headache, nausea, and the terrifying inability to catch their breath. For Roberts, it’s robbed her of time. ‘I was so good. This COVID-19 has stolen my life,’ she says.” (6)

According to a WHO report, most people fall into one of two groups when it comes to the virus. Approximately 80% of those with COVID-19 end up having a mild response and most of those cases resolve in about two weeks. For people who have a severe response to the virus, it can take between three and six weeks to recover.

But now, there is growing concern over a separate group that doesn’t seem to fall into either of those categories. A number of people are now reporting lingering symptoms of the illness for one, two or even three months. This new group is mixed with those who experienced both mild and severe cases. As health experts step in to try to manage these patients and learn more, many are referring to this group as coronavirus “long-haulers” or “long-termers.”

“We’re now seeing a percentage of patients whose symptoms seem to be lasting a while,” explains family medicine provider Christopher Babiuch, MD. “This is challenging because everyone’s needs are so unique. We’re finding that collaborating as a team between different specialists helps to manage and support these patients, but there’s a lot that we just don’t know yet.” (7)

What is actually causing the immune system to have an autoimmune disconnect?
All the research is still theoretical. More studies and longer recovery times are required to confirm the theories. So, we still do not know for sure about the antigen presentation of COVID-19.

Possibly for the longhaulers it’s cytokine imbalance which causes an Down Regulating NAD+, * Up Regulating IDO, Rogue Antibodies, and other conditions that result from genetic changes. The symptomatology improves vastly with NAD+ precursors but if cellular damage or organ damage is to occur the damage is likely permanent.

“The SARS-CoV-2 hyperinflammatory response is associated with high mortality. This hypothesis suggests that a deficiency of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) may be the primary factor related to the SARS-Cov-2 disease spectrum and the risk for mortality, as subclinical nutritional deficiencies may be unmasked by any significant increase in oxidative stress.

NAD+ levels decline with age and are also reduced in conditions associated with oxidative stress as occurs with hypertension, diabetes and obesity. These groups have also been observed to have high mortality following infection with COVID-19. Further consumption of NAD+ in a pre-existent depleted state is more likely to cause progression to the hyperinflammatory stage of the disease through its limiting effects on the production of SIRT1,” said Ade Wentzel, co-author of the research.(9)

Does an auto-immune disconnect explain all long haulers’ symptoms?
No. Evidence is mounting that long haulers are unique and may have a variety of ailments. Many post-viral COVID cases exhibit the Lyme-like autoimmune disfuntions. Many also exhibit symptoms, such as, dysautonomia (10)(11). Long haulers have reported over 100 different symptoms. COVID appears to impact many of the body’s systems including respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, neurological, and immune systems to name a few. This makes diagnosis and treatment very confusing for doctors. And, those aren’t the only difficulties. An additional problem for diagnosing is memory T-cells. Some people’s memory T-cells may be getting erased. That means your body does not recognize previous infections nor vaccines. So, long haulers syndrome may be a combination of new conditions (Lyme-like autoimmune, dysautonomia, chronic fatigue, etc.) AND re-infections to everything you use to be immune to… with no one person having the same ailments as another.

Is there a treatment or cure for long haulers syndrome?
No. Currently, there is no cure or treatment for the onset of these autoimmune responses. The closest comparison appears to be when Lyme disease was first discovered or HIV.

Ade Wentzel replied: You can take nicotinic acid orally or niagen (if you have deep pockets). The IV will help, but however you supplement, you need to keep going for at least a good few months.

Ade has developed a protocol for a NAD+ deficiency: NAD+: Vitamin B3, Vitamin D and sunlight, Vitamin C, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium

COVID-19 Index

FOOTNOTES:
0. Technically speaking a virus is never alive. It is only RNA. Dead is not the scientifically correct way to describe it. But, in all essence, the virus is dead.

REFERENCES:
1. Potent antibodies found in people recovered from COVID-19 (NIH)
2. How Long Will Immunity To The Coronavirus Last? (NPR)
3. COVID-19 Testimonial (The Membrane Domain)
4. Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases following COVID-19 (Nature)
5. COVID-19 Prolonged Symptoms Survey – Analysis Report (MIT)
6.What It’s Like When COVID-19 Lasts For Months (NPR)
7. What It Means to Be a Coronavirus “Long-Hauler” (Cleveland Clinic)
8. Study: COVID-19 antibodies decay quickly after mild illness (University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
9. COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency may predispose the aged, obese and type2 diabetics to mortality through its effect on SIRT1 activity (Science Direct)
10. Dysautonomia: An Overlooked Neurological Manifestation in a Critically ill COVID-19 Patient (NIH)
11. Redefining Covid-19: Months after infection, patients report breathing difficulty, excessive fatigue (CNN)

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:
A. Long-term consequences of COVID-19: research needs (The Lancet)
B. Humoral Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Iceland (New England Journal of Medicine)
C. Is a Bradykinin Storm Brewing in COVID-19? (The Scientist)
D. The Power of Antibody-Based Surveillance (New England Journal of Medicine)
E. Coronavirus Infection and PARP Expression Dysregulate the NAD Metabolome: A Potentially Actionable Component of Innate Immunity bioRxiv
G. Relationships between hyperinsulinaemia, magnesium, vitamin D, thrombosis and COVID-19: rationale for clinical management British Cardiovascular Society

bookmark_borderCOVID-19 Testimonial

Posted on by admin

COVID=19
By Daniel Brouse
help@membrane.com

I’ve been reluctant to talk about my COVID experience for several reasons, but have decided — if my testimony can convince just 1 person to avoid contracting or spreading the disease, it will be worth it.

I had COVID back at the end of January and the first weeks of February and conducted a study of people that got infected along with me. The sample size of infected individuals in my study sample is 6.
Ages 30-80
16.7% died
33.3% had severe symptoms
33.3% had moderate symptoms
16.7% were asymptomatic
Age and blood type appear to be the dominant factors.

I’ve been working with my doctor for a couple months. In May, he first told me not to bother with the antibody test. That my symptoms were most certainly COVID. Insurance only covers the antibody test if you have previously tested positive, and getting tested doesn’t tell you anything, anyway. (eg inaccurate test results, inability of tests to determine the amount of antibodies and T cells, etc.) He believes I’ll have immunity until around December.

Now, here’s the interesting part…
I’ve been questioning whether recovered patients have immunity and how some people have appeared to be reinfected? Over the last 2 weeks, I’ve been working with my doctor about recurring symptoms. It turns out I have “long haulers” syndrome. Every couple of weeks I go through a wave of symptoms. Though not as severe as the original experience, it is still not pleasant. The symptoms don’t come on all at the same time, rather they cycle through over two weeks (not necessarily in the same order.) I’m not infected again, nor am I contagious. Exercise or anything that causes inflammation aggravates my symptoms. The symptoms include:

* difficulty breathing (feeling like you’re not taking in enough oxygen)
* congestion / mild cough
* stomach issues / diarrhea
* loss of taste, smell, and appetite
* temperature regulation / night sweats
* nightmares / vivid dreams
* dizziness / the spins / foggy thinking
* headaches / body aches / soreness
* fatigue
* ear aches
* peripheral neuropathy (tingling of the hands and feet)

There is currently no treatment or cure for long haul syndrome.

IMPORTANT UPDATE (November 2020)
A treatment has been found for long haulers syndrome. After 8 long, long, brutal months of long haulers, I am back to better than I was before. I am a scientist living in Pennsylvania (USA). In August of 2020, I joined a COVID survivors group. There I met Dr. Ade Wentzel from Port Elizabeth (South Africa). Ade and his colleagues, Robert Miller (Cape Town) and Guy Richards (Johannesburg), developed a diet based protocol based on their research COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency may predispose the aged, obese and type2 diabetics to mortality through its effect on SIRT1 activity.

Long haulers syndrome is the depletion of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). NAD+ is involved in cell creation, maintenance, metabolism, and regulating cell processes. COVID both increases the breakdown of NAD+ and decreases the production of NAD+. The result is the same as the disease pellagra. A niacin deficiency results in pellagra. Long haulers syndrome is COVID-19 Induced Secondary Pellagra (CISP).

Once I started the protocol, my symptoms diminished and then disappeared completely. In fact three weeks later, my quality of life improved back to when I was 20 years younger. Obviously, I was NAD+ deficient prior to contracting the virus, and COVID depleted my NAD+ even further (bringing me close to death.)

THE PROTOCOL is:
Niacin B3, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium

Here’s what I’m doing:
Vitamin C, Quercetin and Selenium you can get from your diet. Careful not too much Selenium. I eat 1 Brazil nut a day. The Vitamin D is best gotten from 15 minutes a day in the sun. You can take 1000iu, too. A 15mg zinc/day supplement. The niacin is the trickiest and most important part. You need to make sure you get the right kind. Non-flush is no good. You can start with 35mg/day, but it will depend on your deficiency. I take 50-75mg with each meal. Here’s the walk through on getting the niacin right. It is recommended I stay on the protocol for 6 months. This is how Ade and Rob walk me through getting the correct Niacin B3.

COVID-19 Index

bookmark_borderCOVID-19 Durability, Enhancement, Infection and Exposure?

Posted on by admin

I asked:
have you seen any studies on COVID immunity durability and enhancement?

No, but here is some material on the difficulty of testing for
COVID infection and COVID exposure

Article by lowe in science blogs:

“from The Lancet on a large study in Spain. Testing tens of thousands of people across the country continues to show that (on average) only about 5% of the population is seropositive (that is, has antibodies to the virus).”

“at least one-third of the people who now test positive never showed any symptoms at all. ”

“we are still not sure if this means that 95% of the Spanish population has never been exposed to the virus, because we don’t know how many people might have cleared it without raising enough of an antibody response to still be detectable. ”

” 40% of asymptomatic patients went completely seronegative during their convalescence.”

“At a minimum, you’d want to know antibody levels over time, T-cell response over time, and (importantly) what a protective profile looks like for both of those. We barely have insight into any of this: the large-scale data are just a snapshot of antibody levels, and that’s not enough.”

“We could have people who look vulnerable but aren’t – perhaps they show no antibodies, but still have a protective T-cell response. Or we could have people who look like they might be protected, but aren’t – perhaps they showed an antibody response many weeks ago that has now declined, and they don’t have protective levels of T-cells to back them up.”

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/07/07/more-on-t-cells-antibody-levels-and-our-ignorance

This references a twitter thread by Bleicher:

” Virus must get through mucous membranes, a physical barrier. 2. Innate immunity can destroy virus before it starts. 3. Neutralizing antibodies and memory B cells protect against future infection 4. T cells destroy infected cells”

https://twitter.com/pbleic/status/1278357445023109121

Note that it is much more difficult to test for T-cell and B-cell response than it is to test for antibodies. Very few results have been published for T and B cell response compared to the antibody serological results.

sidd

COVID-19 Index

bookmark_borderThe Real Mortality Rate of COVID-19

Posted on by admin

By Daniel Brouse, scientist and statistician
July 7, 2020

The Mortality Rate for COVID-19 in the State of Pennyslvania is 13.68%.

I grew weary of people trying to argue the mortality rate in the state of PA. I was being conservative and lazy… estimating it around 7.5% (deaths / cases = mortality rate). The science deniers were still telling me it is no worse than the flu. So, this is what I had to do.

I contacted the State of Pennsylvania and asked:
Can you tell me how PA is counting “cases” — 91,299 cases. Technically, traditionally… the mortality rate = deaths / cases.
A case: symptomatic individual that presents themselves to a healthcare facility/hospital. I can not find a definition of a “COVID case” on the PA website. It looks like we are counting all the asymptomatic people that are being tested? That is not how the mortality rate for the flu, nor any other disease, is calculated. Normally, with the flu and all other diseases, the infected are counted as “symptomatic presenting as a case in a healthcare facility.” It is a doctor’s “case”. That is not how the COVID mortality rate is being calculated. This is important because, if we deviate toward counting others as “infected”, we can never get an accurate accounting. We can never know the number of asymptomatic infected. That is why only symptomatic patients are, or should be, counted.

The State replied: “Positive viral lab tests = confirmed cases. They have also included 634 patients in the count who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.”

So, to calculate an accurate mortality rate to compare to a mortality rate for the flu, I need to subtract out how many of the positive tests were from asymptomatic individuals, and then I need to estimate the time from “testing positive” to death.

The second part is easier. Average time from testing to death for most deaths is about 45 days, but some are hospitalized for 100 days after being symptomatic for days (like Nick Cordero at age 41). In an effort to pacify the conservatives, I’ll go with around 45 days.
45 days ago there was a total of 62,000 people testing positive.
Now, I’ll be even more conservative and say 80% of those tested were symptomatic.
62,000 x .8 = 49,600
The reported deaths as of today is 6,787.

6,787 deaths / 49,600 cases = 13.68% mortality rate for COVID-19 in the state of PA on 7/7/2020

For the most recent flu season there were 102 deaths out of 129,912 lab confirmed cases. (https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/Flu/Pages/2019-20-Flu.aspx)

102 deaths / 129,912 cases = .079% mortality rate for the flu in the state of PA on 7/7/2020

MORTALITY RATES IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA
COVID-19 = 13.68%
Flu = .079%

More Than 900,000 People Have Died Of COVID-19 In U.S (May 6, 2021 / IHME)

More Science Based Information on the COVID Mortality Rate

COVID-19 Index