COVID-19 Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Merck Faces New Controversy Over Mumps Shot Development Practices

The AHA! Team — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 06:03:10 +0000

Patrick Tims via NaturalHealth365 – Merck is back in the spotlight, facing serious accusations over how it developed its latest mumps shot. Merck is back in the spotlight, facing serious accusations over how it developed its latest mumps shot. According to recently released legal documents, the drugmaker may have cut corners in its rush to bring the shot to market, potentially putting children’s health at risk. Concerns are growing that these actions may compromise vaccine safety and reflect broader issues within the company’s development practices. Merck’s latest mumps shot comes under fire Alarming reports claim Merck’s shot contains up to 4 times the approved amount of live virus – up to 600,000 viral particles per dose, compared to the FDA’s recommendation of 160,000. Shockingly, immunity can be triggered with just 20,000 particles. Some even accuse Merck of intentionally inflating the amount of live virus to falsely boost the vaccine’s “effectiveness,” all while failing to conduct proper safety tests. What’s worse, the company appears to have gone to great lengths to hide these practices from regulators. Despite these concerning findings, health agencies and the government have yet to take action to address or halt the vaccine’s distribution. Rewind time back to 2010, and Merck employees filed a lawsuit claiming the company’s mumps vaccine had 400% of the approved concentration level of the virus. The drugmaker’s whistleblowers filed the lawsuit under the False Claims Act. The insinuation is that Merck overfilled its mumps shots for 12-18-month-olds with many times the approved level of the live mumps virus, opting for passive surveillance instead of transparency. Such passive surveillance took the form of parents’ reports detailing kids’ reactions to the jabs. Other shots facing serious scrutiny Merck’s mumps shot is just the latest in a growing list of shots facing serious scrutiny. Alarming reports have emerged about other jabs, raising concerns about transparency, safety, and rushed approvals. The flu shot, for instance, has been criticized for inconsistent effectiveness, leaving many to question why it’s still pushed so aggressively each year despite these flaws. The COVID-19 shots, fast-tracked under emergency use, are another example. Critics argue that the long-term effects are still unknown, and the lack of comprehensive safety data raises red flags. Whistleblower accounts and legal documents suggest that pharmaceutical giants may have prioritized speed and profit over rigorous safety standards, potentially compromising the health of millions. Parents have every reason to be cautious. With so many unanswered questions and unsettling information coming to light, it’s crucial to dig deeper, research the ingredients, and understand what’s really going into these vaccines before making decisions about your child’s health. Protect your child with a holistic approach to well-being As a parent, you should do your due diligence – research the shots, understand the ingredients, and explore all available information. In addition to informed decision-making, you can naturally support your child’s immune system. Ensure they follow a balanced diet rich in organic fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods. Encourage healthy habits like getting at least 7 – 9 hours of sleep, practicing good hygiene, regular physical activity, and stress management techniques. Natural immune boosters, including foods like leafy greens, berries, citrus fruits, legumes, seeds, and nuts, can provide valuable support. You might also consider incorporating daily probiotics for gut health and herbs like elderberry or echinacea. However, always consult a holistic healthcare provider before introducing new supplements or herbal remedies into your child’s routine. Sources for this article include: Childrenshealthdefense.org Childrenshealthdefense.org Childrenshealthdefense.org Justice.gov To read the original article click here.

The post Merck Faces New Controversy Over Mumps Shot Development Practices appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Saline Nasal Irrigation After COVID-19 Diagnosis Reduces Hospitalization

AHA Publisher — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 07:08:02 +0000

Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University via News-Medical – Starting twice daily flushing of the mucus-lined nasal cavity with a mild saline solution soon after testing positive for COVID-19 can significantly reduce hospitalization and death, investigators report. They say the technique that can be used at home by mixing a half teaspoon each of salt and baking soda in a cup of boiled or distilled water then putting it into a sinus rinse bottle is a safe, effective and inexpensive way to reduce the risk of severe illness and death from coronavirus infection that could have a vital public health impact. “What we say in the emergency room and surgery is the solution to pollution is dilution,” says Dr. Amy Baxter, emergency medicine physician at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and corresponding author of the study in Ear, Nose & Throat Journal. “By giving extra hydration to your sinuses, it makes them function better. If you have a contaminant, the more you flush it out, the better you are able to get rid of dirt, viruses and anything else.” Dr Amy Baxter, Study Corresponding Author and Emergency Medicine Physician, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University “We found an 8.5-fold reduction in hospitalizations and no fatalities compared to our controls,” says senior author Dr. Richard Schwartz, chair of the MCG Department of Emergency Medicine. “Both of those are pretty significant endpoints.” The study appears to be the largest, prospective clinical trial of its kind and the older, high-risk population they studied -; many of whom had preexisting conditions like obesity and hypertension -; may benefit most from the easy, inexpensive practice, the investigators say. They found that less than 1.3% of the 79 study subjects age 55 and older who enrolled within 24-hours of testing positive for COVID-19 between Sept. 24 and Dec. 21, 2020, experienced hospitalization. No one died. Among the participants, who were treated at MCG and the AU Health System and followed for 28 days, one participant was admitted to the hospital and another went to the emergency room but was not admitted. By comparison, 9.47% of patients were hospitalized and 1.5% died in a group with similar demographics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the same timeframe, which began about nine months after SARS-CoV-2 first surfaced in the United States. “The reduction from 11% to 1.3% as of November 2021 would have corresponded in absolute terms to over 1 million fewer older Americans requiring admission,” they write. “If confirmed in other studies, the potential reduction in morbidity and mortality worldwide could be profound.” Schwartz says Baxter brought him the idea early in the pandemic and he liked that it was inexpensive, easy to use and could potentially impact millions at a time where, like other health care facilities, the Emergency Department of the AU Health System was starting to see a lot of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. “We were really looking at what options we had available for treatment,” Schwartz says. The first COVID-19 vaccines were given in December 2020 and the first treatment, the antiviral remdesivir was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in October 2020. They knew that the more virus that was present in your body, the worse the impact, Baxter says. “One of our thoughts was: If we can rinse out some of the virus within 24 hours of them testing positive, then maybe we can lower the severity of that whole trajectory,” she says, including reducing the likelihood the virus could get into the lungs, where it was doing permanent, often lethal damage to many. Additionally, the now-infamous spiky SARS-CoV-2 is known to attach to the ACE2 receptor, which is pervasive throughout the body and in abundance in locations like the nasal cavity, mouth and lungs. Drugs that interfere with the virus’ ability to attach to ACE2 have been pursued, and Baxter says the nasal irrigation with saline helps decrease the usual robust attachment. Saline appears to inhibit the virus’ ability to essentially make two cuts in itself, called furin cleavage, so it can better fit into an ACE2 receptor once it spots one. Participants self-administered nasal irrigation using either povidone-iodine, that brown antiseptic that gets painted on your body before surgery, or sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, which is often used as a cleanser, mixed with water that had the same salt concentration normally found in the body. While the investigators found the additives really added no value, previous research had indicated they might help, for example, make it more difficult for the virus to attach to the ACE2 receptor. But their experience indicates the saline solution alone sufficed. “It’s really just the rinsing and the quantity that matter,” Baxter says. The investigators also wanted to know any impact on symptom severity, like chills and loss of taste and smell. Twenty-three of the 29 participants who consistently irrigated twice daily had zero or one symptom at the end of two weeks compared to 14 of the 33 who were less diligent. Those who completed nasal irrigation twice daily reported quicker resolution of symptoms regardless of which of two common antiseptics they were adding to the saline water. Sixty-two of the participants completed a daily survey, reporting 1.8 irrigations daily; 11 reported irrigation-related complaints and four discontinued use. Study participants and those used as controls had similar ages and rates of common conditions including one or more preexisting health problems. Older adults, those with obesity and excess weight, who are physically inactive and those with underlying medical conditions are considered most at risk for serious complications and hospitalization from COVID-19. A body mass index, or BMI, which measures weight in relation to height, between 18.5 and 24.9, is considered ideal, and study participants had a mean BMI of 30.3; over 30 indicates obesity. Others have shown the nasal irrigation, also called lavage, can also be effective in reducing duration and severity of infection by a family of viruses that include the coronaviruses, which are also known to cause the common cold, as well as the influenza viruses, the investigators write. “SARS-CoV-2 infection was another perfect situation for it,” Baxter says. In fact, nasal irrigation is something that has been done for millennia in Southeast Asia, and Baxter had noted lower death rates from COVID-19 in countries like Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. “Those were places that I knew from having been there where they use nasal irrigation as a normal part of hygiene just like brushing their teeth,” she says. A 2019 pre-COVID study provided evidence that regular nasal irrigation in Thailand can improve nasal congestion, decrease postnasal drip, improve sinus pain or headache, improve taste and smell and improve sleep quality. Schwartz said the simplicity and safety of the treatment had him recommending nasal irrigation to positive patients early on and the published results make him even more confident in recommending nasal irrigation to essentially anyone who tests positive. Baxter noted the skepticism of the medical community before the results could be peer reviewed and published and her frustration with this relatively simple approach not being used when so many were sick and dying. “Many of the people who have been using this now for months have told me their seasonal allergies have gone away, that it really makes a huge difference in any of the things that go through the nose that are annoying.” A study released in September 2020 indicated that gargling with a saline-based solution can reduce viral load in COVID-19, and another released in 2021 suggested that saline works multiple ways to reduce cold symptoms related to infection with other coronaviruses and might work as well as a first-line intervention for COVID-19. Despite the two nostrils, the nasal sinus is just one cavity, so the water is pushed into one side and comes out the other, Baxter notes. To read the original article click here.

The post Saline Nasal Irrigation After COVID-19 Diagnosis Reduces Hospitalization appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Study Identifies New Approach for Developing Simple-to-Use, ‘Shelf-Available’ COVID Treatment Options

AHA Publisher — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 07:00:26 +0000

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) via Newswise – An array of new, simple “shelf-available” SARS-CoV-2 treatment options could soon be available in the fight against COVID thanks to a new study, “Engineered ACE2-Fc counters murine lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection through direct neutralization and Fc-effector activities,” published July 13 in Science Advances. The researchers, led by Dr. Marzena Pazgier, Professor of Medicine at USU, Infectious Disease Division of Department of Medicine, in collaboration with researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH),Yale University, Centre de Recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM) at Université de Montréal and Dartmouth College, used a strategy to design new therapeutics to treat SARS-CoV-2 by adopting the protein that the virus naturally uses as an entry portal to infect human cells. The protein is called the ACE2 receptor and it is found on the surface of airway cells and other tissues. By making this protein in a soluble form (not bound to a cell) and by modifying it by attaching part of an antibody, researchers created a drug named ACE2-Fc. Because of the attached antibody portion, ACE2-Fc neutralizes the virus, and binds to cells of the immune system, signaling them to effectively eliminate the virus and infected cells. In addition, by structure-based design, the researchers identified and introduced three ACE2 mutations that significantly enhanced the activity of ACE2-Fc against most of currently known variants of SARS-CoV-2, including the Delta and Omicron variants. The researchers believe that by using this strategy it is possible to develop inexpensive, simple-to-use, shelf-available treatment options to combat the virus, shorten recovery times and reduce the severity of any subsequent complications, while also cutting down on the need for repeated vaccinations. Additionally, these new potential treatment options could also be suitable for patients with or without cardiovascular complications. With more than six million deaths worldwide as a result of the pandemic, there has been a significant impact on the general population and military members, dependents, veterans, and operations. Studies have also shown that about 10 percent of adults are also experiencing long-haul symptoms in the weeks after a COVID infection that can include cognitive issues, shortness of breath, activity-limiting fatigue, cough, and headaches. In this latest study, researchers sought to develop new treatment options that could prevent and treat new infections, therefore preventing long-haul symptoms, which could, ultimately, also help bypass the need for repeated vaccinations. “Our overall goal is to save lives by developing a simple-to-use COVID-19 treatment that could be used to prevent and treat current and future outbreaks. One huge advantage of utilizing ACE2 to counter coronaviruses is that SARS-CoV-2 and all its known mutants including Delta and the recent Omicron can be targeted and inactivated by ACE2-Fc therapeutic as they need to use ACE2 to bind and enter human cells. This means that no matter which variant of the virus infects or how much it has changed, this drug will always be able to bind to and kill it.” said Dr. Pazgier, the study’s lead and corresponding author. To read the original article click here.

The post Study Identifies New Approach for Developing Simple-to-Use, ‘Shelf-Available’ COVID Treatment Options appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Taken by Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Reduces Mortality

AHA Publisher — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 07:00:54 +0000

Duke Health via New-Medical – A monoclonal antibody treatment taken by patients hospitalized with COVID-19 did not improve recovery time but did reduce deaths, according to a study published July 8 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The therapy, tixagevimab/cilgavimab, was developed and deployed quickly in response to the pandemic. Data was analyzed as part of an international NIH-sponsored clinical trial, including a site at Duke that enrolled about 10% of the study participants. In the very early days of COVID, approximately 25 percent of hospitalized patients died from their illness, and there was a huge imperative to find something that works. Now, with better therapies, in addition to better population immunity from vaccination and prior infections, that number is down. We still have work to do, and trials like this one help point us to additional therapies that may benefit our patients. Thomas Holland, M.D., co-lead author, infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine at Duke Data on another successful approach, using the immune modulator baricitinib in combination with the antiviral remdesivir, were also recently reported in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Lead author Cameron Wolfe, M.D. is an infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine at Duke. “The big picture is, monoclonal antibodies are a full-spectrum treatment,” Wolfe said. “They have a role from prevention, treatment of early disease, and hospitalized respiratory failure. We are hopeful this could be another class of medications for use in hospitals for COVID patients.” In the study of tixagevimab/cilgavimab, the phase 3 placebo-controlled trial included 1,455 patients and took place at 81 sites on four continents. Duke enrolled 147 patients, making it the highest enrolling site. Patients were randomized and infused with tixagevimab/cilgavimab or a placebo, in addition to remdesivir and other standard care. By day 90, sustained recovery was achieved by 87% of people who were given tixagevimab/cilgavimab and 84% of placebo group participants. Mortality was lower by nearly 4% in the tixagevimab/cilgavimab group. “One out of every three patients who would have died without the treatment survived after receiving the monoclonal antibodies,” said co-lead author Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and emergency department physician at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. “That’s a remarkable signal for benefit and suggests that this and other similar treatments may save lives in patients with severe COVID-19.” In addition to Holland and Ginde, a full list of study authors is included on the study. To read the original article click here.

The post Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Taken by Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Reduces Mortality appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Frontline Doctors Develop Protocol to Help Those Injured by COVID Jab

AHA Publisher — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 07:00:16 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – Since the late 1980s, the number of petitions filed with the United States National Injury Compensation Program (VICP) seeking compensation for injury or death caused by vaxxes has increased considerably. Last year’s total (2,057) neared the historical peak of 2003 (2,592). It’s yet to be seen how the trend will play out over the next few years. Incredibly, more than half of these petitions have been dismissed, and not all cases that received actual compensation were necessarily able to “prove” that a vax caused the purported injury or illness (although one could safely surmise that the entire VICP process is bogged down with bureaucratic red tape and other behind-closed-doors decisions that protect the best interests of anyone but the vax-injured). Regardless, the point is clear: people have and will continue to be injured by the COVID shots currently authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Thankfully, while many public health officials, Big Pharma folks, and conventional healthcare providers are sticking their heads in the sand, some frontline doctors are taking a stand – and possibly risking their medical licenses by doing so – to help those who are harmed. No Conspiracy Here: Children and Adults Are Getting Hurt by COVID-19 Shots… But Are They Being Listened to? It’s hard to claim that we’re still in an “emergency” state when it comes to the pandemic (although that certainly isn’t stopping the FDA from authorizing the “emergency” use of the gene-based COVID shots for virtually everyone in the United States older than 6 months old). Meanwhile, data continues to emerge that muddies the water for anyone trying to make informed decisions about these injections. For instance, getting vaxxed seems to increase your risk of getting COVID-19 (a painfully ironic phenomenon known as “negative efficacy,”) which we can infer from the observation that highly vaxxed countries suffer from soaring infection and death rates compared to low vaxxed countries. Additionally, as summarized by Dr. Joseph Mercola in a recent newsletter, official vax safety surveillance data confirm that the mRNA jabs have “caused more harm in 18 months than all other vaxxes on the market, combined, over the past three decades.” And that’s even leaving alone the likelihood that VAERS is not capturing the true incidence of adverse effects from the COVID jabs due to the frustrating reality of adverse event underreporting. Of course, acknowledging that people are suffering serious and sometimes fatal issues because of these heavily propagandized drugs in no way ignores the fact that people have also been suffering because of COVID-19. But bringing to light this issue hopefully will encourage more providers to at least put vax injury on their radar when seeing people suffering from problems such as strokes, fall-related injuries after fainting episodes, heart inflammation, worsening chronic illness, “sudden unexplained deaths,” and more. Because truthfully, if doctors aren’t even considering the possibility that their patients’ suffering could be related to recent jabs due to ignorance or fear of professional repercussions, how would a potential link ever be uncovered? If patients aren’t listened to when they show up to urgent care clinics and emergency rooms, if their concerns are downplayed or ignored, or if their symptoms aren’t reported to VAERS, then how exactly will ongoing safety monitoring of these shots ever be appropriately carried out? Here Are Some Things You Can Do If You Develop Post-Vax Syndrome Following a COVID Shot, According to Frontline Experts The Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) is a group of healthcare providers – led by esteemed Pulmonary and Critical Care Specialists Dr. Pierre Kory, M.D., M.P.A., and Dr. Paul E. Marik, M.D., FCCM, FCCP – who have created and shared life-saving, evidence-based protocols for patients throughout the pandemic (protocols that often go against mainstream messaging and are therefore frequently censored). Now, they’ve developed a protocol specifically for people who have suffered illness or injury following a COVID jab. The FLCCC endorses the importance of such a protocol given that “a temporal correlation between a patient receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and beginning or worsening of clinical manifestations is sufficient to diagnose as a COVID-19 vaccine-induced injury when the symptoms are unexplained by other concurrent causes.” If you’re curious, here are some “first-line” treatments from the FLCCC Alliance’s “I-RECOVER POST-VACCINE TREATMENT PROTOCOL” (the protocol includes many more treatments as well, including several non-pharmacological options): Intermittent daily fasting Vitamin C, D, and K2 Magnesium Melatonin Quercetin Nigella Sava Omega-3 fatty acids Ivermectin Aspirin Readers note: the FLCCC encourages patients to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new treatment protocol, and that any treatment protocol should be individualized based on each patient’s needs. Keep this in mind as you search for a healthcare provider you can trust with your family’s health and wellbeing. Sources for this article include: Statista.com Rumble.com COVID19criticalcare.com Mercola.com Mercola.com To read the original article click here.

The post Frontline Doctors Develop Protocol to Help Those Injured by COVID Jab appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Researchers Discover New, Potent COVID-19 Antibody Cocktail

AHA Publisher — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 07:00:34 +0000

Texas Biomedical Research Institute via Newswise – SAN ANTONIO (March 18, 2022) – As SARS-CoV-2 has continued to evolve and outsmart existing treatments, scientists have not let up looking for ever-more effective tools to keep people safe and successfully recover from COVID-19, and to prepare for future outbreaks. A long-time partnership between Texas Biomedical Research Institute Professor Luis Martinez-Sobrido and University of Alabama at Birmingham Associate Professor James Kobie has resulted in the discovery of a promising treatment – one that the virus cannot so easily escape. The collaborators found two antibodies that target different parts of the virus’s spike protein and more importantly, block different steps required for viral infection. “This cocktail has worked against all SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron, as well as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV – the two coronaviruses that caused past outbreaks,” says Martinez-Sobrido. “Given that, we expect this antibody cocktail to also work against future coronavirus outbreaks as well.” The researchers recently shared a pre-print of their research paper describing the cocktail. The first antibodytargets the top of the spike protein, which helps block the virus from entering a person’s cells. It is similar to other antibody treatments, but continues to work against the latest variants, while others have not. The second antibody targets a lower section of the spike protein, which helps block the virus from fusing with the cell’s membrane and releasing its genetic material into the cell. This second antibody has the potential to be a game changer because it is targeting a much more stable section of coronaviruses that has been conserved, or remains the same, in SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV through all the variants of SARS-CoV-2, including Omicron. SARS-CoV-2 has continued to evolve throughout the pandemic, as is typical and expected of any virus. Some of those mutations have meant other antibodies can no longer latch on and neutralize the virus. But if SARS-CoV-2 mutates this stable lower section of the spike’s stem, it will not be able to replicate inside its host, and would die out. “It is the Achilles’ heel of the virus,” says Tracey Baas, Innovations Manager at Texas Biomed and manager for the Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio. The antibodies were found in the serum of recovered COVID-19 patients. The UAB team collected blood samples for research with patients’ informed consent, and screened them for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. The UAB team then replicated the antibodies in large enough quantities so they could be used in multiple studies. Those antibodies were sent to Texas Biomed, where researchers tested them against the virus in biosafety laboratories, first in cells and then in small animal models, which were established or validated at Texas Biomed. The team was able to see the results in cells and animal models in real time using fluorescent viruses they developed. “We have tested hundreds and hundreds of antibodies since the start of the pandemic,” Martinez-Sobrido says. “But all that effort paid off by identifying these two novel antibodies that target different parts of the spike protein, making for an extremely effective, broad-spectrum treatment.” UAB and Texas Biomed teamed up with Aridis Pharmaceuticals to develop successful antibody candidates into an inhaled treatment, much like inhalers for asthma. This delivery system promises to be low cost and easy to distribute because it can be self-administered. “Our researchers used their decades of experience to step back and look for solutions to tough problems,” says Cory Hallam, VP of Business Development at Texas Biomed. “But we are not in the business of manufacturing treatments; we partner with industry to quickly translate discoveries made in our labs into approved products to treat people.” Texas Biomed is actively working with Aridis to identify potential manufacturing partners that can produce the treatments, so they can move into human clinical trials. The antibodies have many promising applications, by treating those who fall ill around the world, and by providing antibodies to people who have trouble creating their own even though they have been vaccinated. “Right now, we don’t have a sterilizing vaccine for COVID-19 like we do for polio, so these antibodies help complete the package of prevention and treatment,” Hallam says. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently awarded Aridis, in collaboration with Texas Biomed and UAB, nearly $2 million to develop low cost, inhaled antibody treatments for COVID-19, the flu and other infectious pathogens. Some of that funding will support continued research, development and testing at Texas Biomed, including studies to ensure the cocktail remains effective as new variants emerge. To read the original article click here.

The post Researchers Discover New, Potent COVID-19 Antibody Cocktail appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Exercise May Treat Long COVID-Induced Diabetes, Depression

AHA Publisher — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 07:00:04 +0000

Pennington Biomedical Research Center via Newswise – BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – While no medically recognized treatment exists for Long COVID, exercise may break the vicious cycle of inflammation that can lead to developing diabetes and depression months after a person recovers from the virus. “We know that Long COVID causes depression, and we know that it can increase blood glucose levels to the point where people develop diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening condition common among people with type 1 diabetes,” said Candida Rebello, Ph.D., a research scientist at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “Exercise can help. Exercise takes care of the inflammation that leads to elevated blood glucose and the development and progression of diabetes and clinical depression.” It’s unclear how many people suffer from Long COVID. But estimates range from 15 percent to 80 percent of the people infected. Based on those figures, it’s possible that as many as 1 million of Louisiana’s residents suffer from Long COVID. Long COVID causes what the Centers for Disease Control describes as “a constellation of other debilitating symptoms” including brain fog, muscle pain, and fatigue that can last for months after a person recovers from the initial infection. “For example, a person may not get very sick from COVID-19, but six months later, long after the cough or fever is gone, they develop diabetes,’ Dr. Rebello said. One solution is exercise. Dr. Rebello and her co-authors describe their hypothesis in “Exercise as a Moderator of Persistent Neuroendocrine Symptoms of COVID-19,” published in the journal Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. “You don’t have to run a mile or even walk a mile at a brisk pace,” Dr. Rebello said. “Walking slowly is also exercising. Ideally, you would do a 30-minute session of exercise. But if you can only do 15 minutes at a time, try to do two 15-minute sessions. If you can only walk 15 minutes once a day, do that. The important thing is to try. It doesn’t matter where you begin. You can gradually build up to the recommended level of exercise.” “We know that physical activity is a key component to a healthy life. This research shows that exercise can be used to break the chain reaction of inflammation that leads to high blood sugar levels, and then to the development or progression of type 2 diabetes,” said Pennington Biomedical Executive Director John Kirwan, Ph.D., who is also a co-author of the paper. To read the original article click here.

The post Exercise May Treat Long COVID-Induced Diabetes, Depression appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Study Reveals Mechanisms Associated with Severe Blood Clotting in COVID-19 Patients

AHA Publisher — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 08:00:10 +0000

NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute via News-Medical – After studying blood samples from 244 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, a group of researchers, including those who work at the National Institutes of Health, identified “rogue antibodies” that correlate with severe illness and may help explain mechanisms associated with severe blood clotting. The researchers found circulating antiphospholipid antibodies, which can be more common among people with autoimmune disorders, such as lupus. However, these “autoantibodies,” which target a person’s own organs and systems, can also be activated in response to viral infections and activate other immune responses. Scientists compared the blood samples to those from healthy controls and found the COVID-19 samples contained higher levels of the antibody IgG, which works with other immune cells, such as IgM, to respond to immune threats. Higher levels of IgG were also associated with COVID-19 disease severity, such as in patients who required breathing assistance. The researchers observed similar patterns, but to a lesser extent, after analyzing blood samples from 100 patients hospitalized for sepsis, which can leave the body in inflammatory shock following a bacterial or viral infection. IgG helps bridge a gap between innate and adaptive immune responses – a process that helps the body recognize, respond to, and remember danger. In normal cases, these features help protect the body from illness and infection. However, in some cases, this response can become hyperextended or altered and exacerbate illness. A unique finding from this study is that when researchers removed IgG from the COVID-19 blood samples, they saw molecular indicators of “blood vessel stickiness” fall. When they added these same IgG antibodies to the control samples, they saw a blood vessel inflammatory response that can lead to clotting. Since every organ has blood vessels in it, circulating factors that lead to the “stickiness” of healthy blood vessels during COVID-19 may help explain why the virus can affect many organs, including the heart, lungs, and brain. A query of this study was evaluating “upstream” factors involved with severe blood clotting and inflammation among people with severe COVID-19 illness. The researchers note future studies could explore the potential benefits of screening patients with COVID-19 or other forms of critical illness for antiphospholipids and other autoantibodies and at earlier points of infection. This may help identify patients at risk for extreme blood clotting, vascular inflammation, and respiratory failure. Corresponding studies could then assess the potential benefits of providing these patients with treatments to protect blood vessels or fine-tune the immune system. To read the original article click here.

The post Study Reveals Mechanisms Associated with Severe Blood Clotting in COVID-19 Patients appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Antibodies Perform Best After Covid Infection, Not Vaccine

AHA Publisher — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 08:00:07 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – Over time, the number of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies falls in both previously infected and vaccinated people, but the performance of antibodies improves only after previous infection and not vaccination. This groundbreaking research, led by Dr. Carmit Cohen of Israel’s Sheba Medical Center, will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in April. Cohen’s finding may explain why previously infected patients appear to be better protected against a new Covid infection than those who have only been vaccinated. She and her colleagues analyzed antibody-induced immune response in 130 recovered individuals for up to a year and compared it to 402 matched individuals who were double-vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine but never had Covid-19. The researchers found that the numbers of antibodies a month after vaccination were higher than those in the Covid-19 recovered patients. However, these numbers declined more steeply in the vaccinated group. While the avidity (antibody performance quality) index was higher in vaccinated individuals than in recovered patients initially, avidity did not significantly change over time in vaccinated individuals but increased gradually in recovered patients. This could explain why double-vaccinated individuals who never contracted Covid-19 are more likely to experience infection after six months. The study also found that, contrary to expectations, antibodies of recovered patients with a body mass index of 30 or higher (in the obese range) were higher at all time points when compared with those with a BMI under 30 (overweight to normal weight range). The obese people who had been previously infected were therefore better protected against future infection. Of all recovered patients, 42 (36%) experienced long Covid including mental health (5%), neurological (9%), cardiovascular (5%) and respiratory (31%) symptoms. The authors conclude: “While the number of antibodies decrease with time in both Covid-19 recovered patients and vaccinated individuals, the quality of antibodies increases following infection but not after vaccination. These results provide specific characteristics of the immune response that may explain the differential protection against Covid-19 in previously infected and vaccinated individuals.” To read the original article click here.

The post Antibodies Perform Best After Covid Infection, Not Vaccine appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.