Coronavirus

[Pebbledash]

Hello everyone--it's been a while.

I thought I would check in after reading this article in The Atlantic, "While Covid 19 Makes Some People Get Sicker than Others." It specifically names Celiacs and Colitis in relation to Cytokine Storms (inflammatory responses) which unnerved me--at a theoretical level rather than evidential:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/arch ... olw-3xIQhM

My apologies if this has already been linked to--I'm working backwards through the thread.

Stay well.

Paul

[brandy]

Hi Paul,

I saw that article on another site and it is an interesting article. I was a bit unnerved also, again on the theoretical level.

If I am in remission and Mom (celiac) is in remission I'm not sure how our inflammatory responses would be as compared to someone with a very high level of daily inflammation if that makes sense?

[Pebbledash]

I hope so, Brandy, though I'm never totally convinced I'm in complete remission.

Two other relevant articles that have come my way today--I've only glanced at them at this point, but feel they are likely relevant to our community:

Perspective
Published: 20 April 2020
Nutrition amid the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-level framework for action

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-020-0634-3

Are Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Increased Risk for Covid-19 Infection?

https://academic.oup.com/ecco-jcc/artic ... 61/5811674

If you want some cheering up, as I do, this latter concludes relatively positively:

The overall available evidence suggests that IBD patients do not have an increased risk of developing Covid-19 and should stay on IBD medications. Patients receiving immunesuppressors should be carefully monitored for the occurrence of symptoms and/or signs suggesting Covid-19. Moreover, those patients over 60 years and/or with comorbidities, who have been reported to have a greater risk for Covid-19-induced pneumonia [e.g. with coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, lung disease, cerebrovascular diseases], should stay at home and avoid public gatherings

[tex]

Paul,

Thanks for those links. Those articles do indeed appear to be especially relevant for our community. I note that the writer of the article at the second link is on advisory boards for seven major pharmaceutical organizations. Therefore, it's not surprising that he concluded that medications (even immune system suppressants) do not increase Covid-19 risks. While I'm in agreement that IBD cases in remission should not increase Covid-19 risks (since inflammation levels have been controlled), I'm not convinced that immune system suppressants do not increase infection risks for IBD patients. Why would this condition be exempt? The increased risk of infections, cancer, etc. due to the use of those medications have been well established ever since they first became available.

I firmly believe that this is further evidence that dietary changes are the safest way to treat IBDs, especially microscopic colitis.

And of course the article at the first link you cited underscores the need to maintain proper nutrition in order to keep our immune system strong so that it can best handle health threats, something that we've emphasized all along.

Thanks for bringing these articles to our attention. They strengthen my beliefs that microscopic colitis (when properly and effectively treated) does not increase our risk of developing Covid-19, or any other disease. It may even increase our resistance to disease by forcing us to look at our nutrition, inflammation levels, etc, so that we significantly improve the capabilities of our immune system.

Tex

[Greengoddess]

Now supplements to be given in the UK: https://www.thejournal.ie/vitamin-d-cov ... urce=email

[tex]

Thanks for that link. I wonder if the U. S. will ever catch on?

Tex

[Pebbledash]

Drug trial for immunosuppresant for covid 19:

https://themedicalprogress.com/2020/04/27/439/

[tex]

Thanks Paul,

That's an arthritis treatment, an IL-6 suppressant, designed to prevent cytokine storms, and it's an interesting option. It certainly might work in certain cases (especially for those who haven't supported their immune systems). But I still believe that if someone has his or her immune system well supported with vitamin D and magnesium, cytokine storms are not as likely to happen. If they would only bother to monitor patients' vitamin D and magnesium levels during these trials (at least at the start) it would be much easier to see what was actually happening.

Several independent clinical trials have already begun globally to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia; however, there are still no well-controlled studies and limited published evidence on the safety or efficacy of tocilizumab in the treatment of patients suffering from COVID-19.

. . .

Tocilizumab alters the way a patient’s immune system works, and this has the potential to make a patient more likely to get infections or make any current infection worse. Moreover, some people taking tocilizumab have died from such infections.

Common side effects observed in patients treated with tocilizumab include:

Upper respiratory tract infections
Headache
Hypertension
Injection site reactions

Tocilizumab is also known to cause serious side effects, including:

Tears of the stomach or intestines
Liver problems (hepatotoxicity)
Changes in blood test results, including low neutrophil and platelet counts, and increases in certain liver function test levels and blood cholesterol levels
An increased risk of certain cancers by changing the way a patient’s immune system works
Hepatitis B infection
Serious allergic reactions, including death
Nervous system problems

Note that the first three common side effects are also symptoms of coronavirus.

Upper respiratory tract infections
Headache
Hypertension

FDA Approves Phase III Clinical Trial of Tocilizumab for COVID-19 Pneumonia

Tex

[Greengoddess]

A sobering read....
https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/01/thr ... -covid-19/

[tex]

I notice that doctors in intensive care units are reporting good results giving plasma transfusions to Covid-19 patients who have severe cases, using plasma donated by individuals who have recovered from Covid-19. Once someone has recovered and no longer tests positive (to Covid-19), their plasma contains antibodies for several months (at least) that will prompt healthy immune systems in new patients to successfully fight off their Covid-19 infections.

In my opinion, this is much better than a vaccine, because it should work virtually every time, not once in a while, like flu vaccines. The downside, of course, is that it will only be used for patients after they are placed in an intensive care unit. But this should drastically reduce fatality risks. It's certainly possible that the technique will not work for patients who have compromised immune systems, but vaccines won't work either, for those who have compromised immune systems. This is just one more reason (a very good reason) why no one should be using drugs that disable the immune system to treat any condition other than organ transplants, unless they fully understand (and are willing to accept the consequences of) the fatality risks.

Tex