COVID hospitalizations Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Kansas Sues Pfizer for Misleading the Public About the Risks of its mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

The AHA! Team — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 08:06:39 +0000

Cassie B. via Natural News – The state of Kansas has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, accusing it of misleading the public when it comes to both the safety and efficacy of its highly controversial mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. According to the suit, Pfizer knew that its vaccine came with significant adverse effects and manipulated its safety trials in order to deceive the public, violating Kansas’s consumer protection laws as well as previous consent judgments. The suit cites a slew of supporting evidence, including scientific and government research, press releases, interviews, and news reports demonstrating Pfizer’s misdeeds. According to the suit, Pfizer knew that its vaccine came with significant adverse effects and manipulated its safety trials For example, they cited a paper from the New England Journal of Medicine and an FDA memo to support the allegation that Pfizer purposely destroyed the control group of a COVID vaccine trial by providing participants with access to the jab. This made it impossible to fairly evaluate the safety of the vaccine by comparing a vaccinated group to one that was not vaccinated, the lawsuit alleges. In addition, they cited two articles from the British Medical Journal indicating that Pfizer delayed the release of vaccine trial data intentionally and only tested healthy patients in its vaccine trials in a marked departure from what is considered protocol. They cited two articles from the British Medical Journal indicating that Pfizer delayed the release of vaccine trial data intentionally To support their allegation that the company purposefully misrepresented the vaccine’s safety, they included press releases from Pfizer and interviews with CEO Albert Bourla in which the vaccine is presented as safe and effective. The lawsuit also refers to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by the watchdog group Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency in America with the FDA, through which they obtained information about the vaccine. From this FOIA suit, the group acquired an internal Pfizer database listing adverse events that was never shared with the public and contained far more incidents than those listed in the public-facing Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. In total, the internal database showed nearly 160,000 adverse events, along with more than 1,200 fatalities among the millions of people who received the vaccine as of February 2021. Heart problems and pregnancy complications weren’t disclosed to public The lawsuit also focused on specific health issues that have been coming to light since the vaccine rollout, such as heart problems. Not long after the vaccine started being administered to young people, it became apparent that it was having an adverse effect on their hearts, particularly young men. Myocarditis, which occurs when the middle layer of the heart’s wall becomes inflamed, can weaken the organ and has the potential to cause heart failure. The lawsuit alleges: “Pfizer said its COVID-19 vaccine was safe even though it knew its COVID-19 vaccine was connected to serious adverse events, including myocarditis and pericarditis, failed pregnancies, and deaths. Pfizer concealed this critical safety information from the public.” Another point of concern cited by the lawsuit is the dangers of the vaccine in pregnant women. It maintains that the company knew from a study that rat fetuses had trouble getting pregnant and implanting embryos and that their fetuses suffered malformations yet insisted to the public that the jab did not present any risk to pregnant women. The rat study was another revelation from the FOIA lawsuit, but the Kansas lawsuit also notes that Pfizer’s own data showed that tens of thousands of women experienced menstrual irregularities after getting the jab as of spring 2022. Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach told the National Review in an interview that the state’s Consumer Protection Act is designed to prevent consumers from being deceived by companies like Pfizer. “They had extraordinary success marketing their vaccine in the state of Kansas and more generally across the globe, and I think that had consumers had this information, many of them might have made a different choice,” he asserted. Sources for this article include: ArmageddonProse.Substack.com NationalReview.com To read the original article, click here: https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-09-20-kansas-sues-pfizer-misleading-public-risks-vaccines.html

The post Kansas Sues Pfizer for Misleading the Public About the Risks of its mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Leaky Gut and Microbial Dysbiosis Could Contribute to Cytokine Storm in Severely Ill COVID-19 Cases

AHA Publisher — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 07:00:13 +0000

Dr. Liji Thomas, MD via News-Medical – As the world approaches the grim milestone of three million deaths from COVID-19 disease, a new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server shows that the presence of gut bacteria in the plasma may be an indicator of progressive disease. In patients with pre-existing comorbidities, COVID-19 is associated with more severe disease. The gut is a well-established route of infection and target for viral damage by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent for COVID-19. This is supported by the clinical observation that about half of COVID-19 patients exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Hospitalized patients with critical COVID-19 also often have gut complications. Besides the above, venous or arterial thromboembolism [blood clot] of the mesenteric vessels and small bowel ischemia [blockage of blood flow in the small bowel] is reported, especially in patients hospitalized for more extended periods. Study Aims and Details The current study, based in Birmingham, Alabama, in the USA, aimed to capture the presence of plasma biomarkers that indicate breaches of the gut epithelial barrier, and the presence of gut microbes in the plasma. Unfortunately, both could not be tested in the same subset of patients due to the small volume of plasma available. Of the 30 patients enrolled in the study with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, all had diarrhea and nausea along with fever and shortness of breath. The median age was 63 years. Only two patients had a critical disease. Over a third were diabetic, and half experienced blood clots. Of the 30, 23 patients were overweight. Five patients had an in-hospital fatal outcome. Laboratory Results Lymphopenia and anemia were observed in half, and two-thirds of the patients, along with high monocyte counts. Neutrophils were also elevated, in 60% of males compared to 45% of females. This is significant since they are the first responders to any infection. Total leukocyte counts were elevated in about 40% of individuals with COVID-19, but platelet count abnormalities were observed in only 17% of subjects. Only two patients showed high levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), probably due to heart failure. C-reactive peptide, an inflammatory marker, was elevated in all patients, with six patients showing levels consistent with severe inflammation. Eight subjects showed high ferritin levels, with half of them having levels indicative of inflammation. Almost all the patients had high fasting glucose and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. About two-thirds had anemia, Increased troponin-I levels, suggesting cardiac injury, were found in 80% of male subjects, vs only one female subject. Gut Microbes in Plasma The 14 plasma samples sent for evaluation for the presence of bacteria yielded over 150,000 sequencing reads, with the signal indicating strong bacterial presence in two-thirds of the samples. The total microbial population was comparable between patients with COVID-19. Using polymerase chain reaction, a dysbiosis index was arrived at to measure the abundance of bacterial groups in each sample. All the nine samples which indicated the presence of bacteria showed the same three major phyla, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria, with one patient showing unknown bacteria in more significant numbers among all 14. These are the same that have been found in healthy plasma, as well. The most enriched phylum was Proteobacteria, while Bacteroides were present in very limited numbers. Among the two patients with a fatal COVID-19 outcome, the number of Firmicutes was low. Perhaps the abundance of this phylum may be a biomarker for severity of disease. Both Gram-negative bacteria and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which is a major endotoxin originating from the cell wall of these bacteria, are higher in the plasma samples from COVID-19 patients. Gut Barrier Breaches The presence of gut microbes in plasma may suggest defects in the gut epithelial barrier, allowing bacteria to migrate through the epithelial cells into the systemic blood vessels. This is an important component in systemic inflammation and underlies the progression of COVID-19 in these patients. As a marker of gut permeability, fatty acid-binding protein-2 (FABP2) levels were measured, as this is a protein found within intestinal epithelial cells to bind free fatty acids, cholesterol, and retinoids. As such, its elevation in plasma indicates mucosal damage in the gut. As expected, FABP2 levels were high in the plasma of COVID-19 patients relative to healthy individuals. Gut microbial peptides in plasma are toxic in that they trigger inflammatory pathways and lead to systemic damage. As a measure of this phenomenon, the researchers observed higher levels of peptidoglycan (PGN) and LPS in COVID-19 plasma, at almost double the levels in healthy controls. What Are the Implications? The translocation of gut microbes, normally found only in feces, into the systemic circulation is a fundamental determinant of immune function and metabolism. The presence of gut microbes in plasma may trigger and also exacerbate inflammatory signaling pathways in the body. Inflammation is key to the pathogenesis of severe and critical COVID-19. This study’s findings may support the theory that this is driven by gut bacterial movement into the body’s circulation in these patients. This, in turn, could be due to higher gut permeability because of epithelial barrier dysfunction. Virus shedding in the feces has been found to persist for up to a month after lung symptoms resolve, indicating that viral colonization of the gut may be of longer duration than of the airways. COVID-19 patients in this sample were more likely to be diabetic and obese relative to the controls. In such patients, the commensal bacteria Lactobacillus are less abundant, and this reduction was found in a small group of nine patients tested at the beginning of hospitalization in this study. Most COVID-19 deaths are due to sepsis. In this study, the abundance of multiple pathogenic species such as Acinetobacter and Pseudomona was higher in the gut. Even after the infection resolved, dysbiosis persisted, indicating that the gut may suffer the effects of this illness over the long term. The plasma metabolome is linked to the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Failure of the gut barrier leads to the detection of bacterial metabolic products in the plasma, in conditions like ulcerative colitis. The study suggests, “Leaky gut and microbial dysbiosis could contribute to cytokine storm in patients severely ill with COVID -19.” *Important Notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

The post Leaky Gut and Microbial Dysbiosis Could Contribute to Cytokine Storm in Severely Ill COVID-19 Cases appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Fare Worse When They Have High Blood Sugar

AHA Publisher — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 07:00:16 +0000

Endocrine Society via Newswise – Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have worse outcomes if they have high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, regardless of whether they have diabetes, a new study finds. The researchers will present their results, of the first known study of the impact of hyperglycemia on a largely Black patient population with the novel coronavirus, at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting. The investigators found that patients with COVID-19 who had hyperglycemia on admission to the hospital were more likely than those with normal glucose (sugar) to require a breathing machine or admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). These patients also were reportedly likelier to have kidney injury and to die in the hospital. “COVID-19 patients presenting to the hospital with hyperglycemia require closer observation, as they are likely to require more aggressive therapies,” said the study’s lead investigator, Samara Skwiersky, M.D., M.P.H., an internal medicine resident physician at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Although a few prior studies have identified hyperglycemia or diabetes as an independent risk factor for worse COVID-19 outcomes, Skwiersky said they did not take place in a predominantly Black population. The virus has disproportionately affected Black people, including higher rates of hospitalization and death than in white people, she noted. Their study included 708 adults with COVID-19 admitted to SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 89 percent of whom were Black. About half were men, and 54 percent of patients had a history of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes on admission. The researchers studied patient outcomes by the presence or absence of diabetes and by their blood glucose values on admission. Because guidelines recommend that hospitalized patients with diabetes maintain blood glucose levels between 140 and 180 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), the investigators divided patients into groups by glucose levels less than 140 and less than 180 mg/dL. Patients with diabetes whose blood glucose values on admission exceeded 140 mg/dL had a 2.4-fold increased odds of ICU admission and intubation—needing a breathing machine—versus those whose glucose levels were lower, the researchers reported. Furthermore, patients with diabetes whose admission glucose levels were higher than 180 mg/dL had an approximately twofold increased odds of in-hospital death, their data showed. However, Skwiersky said the odds of death also were increased twofold for patients who did not have diabetes and whose glucose values exceeded 140 mg/dL. Additionally, these patients had a 3.5-fold raised odds of ICU admission and a 2.3-fold higher odds of intubation and of experiencing acute kidney injury. According to Skwiersky, patients without diabetes whose blood glucose levels topped 180 mg/dL had a fourfold greater death risk, a nearly threefold increased odds of ICU admission, and a 2.7-fold higher odds of intubation. “The results from our study,” she said, “reiterate the importance of regularly monitoring blood glucose in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, even without a prior diagnosis of diabetes.” It is unclear whether hyperglycemia is the result of or a cause of more severe COVID-19 illness, Skwiersky stated. Still, she said their results suggest the need for intensive glucose control in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with high blood sugar. This is consistent with the current Endocrine Society guidelines, which recommend that all patients with blood glucose above 140 mg/dL be monitored with point–of–care glucose testing and treated with appropriate therapies. “More frequent glucose monitoring and treatment with insulin therapy to a target glucose value less than 140 mg/dL could improve outcomes in these patients,” Skwiersky said. To read the original article click here.

The post Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Fare Worse When They Have High Blood Sugar appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

The Four Underlying Conditions Most Associated with COVID-19 Hospitalizations, According to New Study

AHA Publisher — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 07:00:38 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – Throughout this pandemic, it’s been understood by doctors and researchers that people with underlying chronic conditions appear more likely to not only get infected by SARS-CoV-2 but also have a more severe or even fatal bout of COVID-19. But new research out of Tufts University in Boston points the finger at four specific conditions that appear to dramatically increase a person’s risk of becoming hospitalized with an infectious illness and underlines the critical importance (on an individual and public health scale) of taking steps to reduce disease risk. Two-Thirds of All COVID-19 Hospitalizations Are Due to These Four Conditions, According to New Tufts Research The Tufts researchers published the results of their study in the latest edition of the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA). They used statistical modeling and mathematical simulation techniques to estimate the number of hospitalizations that could have been prevented in the United States if people didn’t have the following four major cardiometabolic diseases. These diseases include obesity, diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. Based on data they compiled from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 – Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network database, the COVID Tracking Project, and nationally represented data from a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the researchers found that nearly a third of all COVID-19 hospitalizations as of November 2020 was due to obesity, about a quarter was due to hypertension and diabetes, and around 12 percent was due to heart failure, a form of heart disease. The authors conclude, “A substantial proportion of U.S. COVID‐19 hospitalizations appear attributable to major cardiometabolic conditions. These results can help inform public health prevention strategies to reduce COVID‐19 healthcare burdens.” Here Are 4 “Surprising” Facts About Lifestyle Interventions and Chronic Disease Exercise the body, eat whole (organic) foods, avoid highly processed food, don’t overeat, stay at a healthy weight, avoid smoking, manage your stress levels – at this point, healthy lifestyle tips like these practically sound like boilerplate advice for people looking to improve their health and reduce their disease risk. But the importance of these strategies can’t be overlooked. For a little perspective (and perhaps some extra incentive to commit or re-commit to your health habits), here are 4 things about the link between lifestyle and chronic disease that might surprise you: According to Obesity in Action, losing just 5-10 percent of your body weight is associated with several important changes in the body that can reduce inflammation, lower your triglyceride levels by an average of 40 mg/dl, raise your “healthy” HDL cholesterol levels by about 5 points, and decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 5 mmHg – all factors which can have a tremendous impact on heart disease risk. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises people, especially older adults, to reduce their exposure to environmental toxins, including smoke, carbon monoxide, fumes, pesticides, and heavy metals associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Yes, the “five a day” advice stands up to scientific scrutiny. According to a recent study cited by the National Institutes of Health, eating five servings of fruits and veggies per day on average is associated with a 13 percent reduced risk of death compared to eating just two servings per day. 2017 research out of Imperial College London also suggests that eating as much as 10 servings per day could offer added health benefits. Consistently getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night is linked with just about every chronic disease under the sun, including “weight gain and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke, depression,” as well as “impaired immune function, increased pain, impaired performance, increased errors, and greater risk of accidents,” according to a 2015 joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. So, there you have it: despite what you hear (or not) from the mainstream media … there is so much we can do to feel better. The key is to get started, stay focused and never give up on our health and well-being. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com AHAjournals.org EPA.gov Obesityinaction.org AJMC.com NIH.gov Imperial.ac.uk NIH.gov To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

The post The Four Underlying Conditions Most Associated with COVID-19 Hospitalizations, According to New Study appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.