Immunology

What it means to be immune to the coronavirus – Mashable SE Asia

The coronavirus is a vexing parasite.

Around one in four infected people may have no symptoms, as far as experts currently know (the disease is new, so these numbers aren't yet fully certain). So it leaves many of us with a burning question: Is it possible you were infected, but didn't get sick?

It's a question of paramount importance. A bedrock of immunology (the study of how the body defends against infections) is if a virus infects you and you fight off the infection you develop an immunity to it for some time, even if you had mild symptoms. This means, after you eventually get a blood test to show immunity, you could then safely reenter society without immediately catching and spreading the respiratory disease COVID-19.

"The golden rule of immunology is if you are infected with a virus, get sick, and recover, you probably won't get reinfected with the same virus," said Mark Cameron, an immunologist at Case Western Reserve University who previously helped contain the outbreak of another deadly coronavirus, SARS, in 2003.

When exposed to a new virus, the body will soon create defensive proteins in your bloodstream, called antibodies, that block the virus from successfully hijacking the body's cells in the future. (That's why vaccines which encourage your body to make antibodies work, and the U.S. eradicated polio over 30 years ago).

This is happening with the new coronavirus, too, but disease experts must observe the response of recovered coronavirus patients to understand how effective this immunity is, how long it will last, and if some people can be reinfected. The CDC, for example, just started recruiting Americans to see who has been infected and made antibodies. People infected with SARS developed immunity for an average of two to three years.

"It's very likely if you got exposed that you mounted a response and you would have antibodies," explained Dr. Vince Silenzio, an M.D. and professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health. "We are fairly certain people are becoming immune [to the new coronavirus]."

And critically, just because someone had a mild response or showed no symptoms at all there's no conclusive evidence they build up a weaker immune defense against the coronavirus, officially named SARS-CoV-2.

"The bottom line is it's not necessarily true yet that people with mild infections have less of an immune response," said Silenzio.

"Asymptomatic infections are just as likely to grant immunity to the bearer as frank infections [meaning infections that cause disease], despite the challenge in identifying these infections and the risk of spread they entail," agreed Cameron.

Why, though, might a significant number of people have such mild (or no) symptoms to this new coronavirus? There could be genetic or health differences that make it more difficult for the coronaviruses to infect a cell. It's also possible that people with milder infections were only exposed to a tiny amount of the virus (like someone picking up just a few particles off a piece of mail versus an ER doctor getting sprayed with millions of viral particles). "It's possible that asymptomatic people were exposed to a much lower dose," said Brian Baker, a biochemist at the University of Notre Dame.

The reason there are severe, mild, and asymptomatic infections will be intensively researched throughout this year, and beyond. Although researchers have learned a great amount about this microbe, the virus is still new to science. After all, this coronavirus only spilled over to humans from other animal species in the last five months. "We dont have all the answers yet," Silenzio said. "But on the other hand," he added, "it's amazing we have as many answers as we do."

As far as peoples' future immunity is concerned, there are still some weighty questions out there. For example, there are recent reports out of South Korea and China of people who supposedly already had coronavirus, but then tested positive for the infection again. This would challenge the idea they developed immunity. "There is some controversy currently regarding whether people are truly immune to COVID-19 once they have it, because there have been stories to the contrary," said Cameron.

"This virus is teaching us new stories"

There's an explanation, however, for these reinfections. There's evidence the virus may have temporarily eased off in these patients, and later picked up steam again. So it could have been the same infection all along not someone getting sick from a new infection. "Infection causes different courses of disease in people that's not unusual," explained Cameron.

Another looming question is how long immunity to the new coronavirus may last, either after recovering from an infection or getting a vaccine (when one becomes available in 2021 at the earliest). For example, if the coronavirus mutates too much, the body's immunity is lost. "Some viruses change rapidly and some don't change rapidly," said Notre Dame's Baker.

The polio virus, for example, doesn't mutate quickly. So a polio vaccination (which sparks the body to produce new antibodies) generally lasts one's entire life. But other viruses, like influenza, mutate constantly and require those annual flu shots you're so familiar with.

The good news is the new coronavirus hasn't been mutating quickly so far, explained Baker. This means it's relatively stable. We don't know how long immunity might last, but this virus is unlikely to change so fast it will reinfect people or outpace forthcoming vaccines, said Cameron.

At the end of the day, this coronavirus may unwittingly help humanity tame the pandemic. While it's true that asymptomatic people can spread the virus when they're infected (that's why everyone must social distance right now), if one in four infected people are truly asymptomatic, that means that likely millions of people will ultimately develop immunity whether they know it or not and won't be able to spread the virus around until we get a vaccine. "That would be a good thing," said Baker.

"We can count on the fact that the vast majority of COVID infections will cause immunity," said Cameron, noting that a vaccine will then only add to the number of immune people. Ultimately, this is how we end this grim pandemic, now that we've failed to contain it.

Though immunologists have an ever-strengthening grip on this coronavirus, they're aware the microbe is still revealing itself. Each day scientists around the globe learn more about how it behaves and infects people. So stay tuned for an improved understanding of how immunity will play out with SARS-CoV-2, a virus that's on pace to kill some 68,000 Americans by August (but likely many more if we don't sustain extreme social distancing measures).

"This virus is teaching us new stories," said Cameron. "The story is not yet written."

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What it means to be immune to the coronavirus - Mashable SE Asia

Anatomy

Justice League Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Superman’s Body – CBR – Comic Book Resources

You don't get a name like Superman without being anything less than extraordinary -- and the world's most famous superhero certainly earns his stripes. While Clark Kentmay seem like a typical Midwestern Kansas boy (though maybe more square-jawed and chiseled), what's going on under his cape and blue tights is far from the results of simple farm work. He's called the Last Son of Krypton because he's a one-of-a-kind alien and nowhere is that clearer thanin his anatomy.

There's a whole lot of weirdness going on with any characterwho has so many decades under his belt, butCBR narrowed the following list down to the five absolute weirdest aspects of Superman's anatomy. You may think you know every inch of Superman, but do you know the back of his hand like the back of your hand?

RELATED:Avengers Anatomy: 5 Weird Facts About Iron Man's Body, Explained

One of the most important things to understand about Superman is just how much he's changed over the years. When he first debuted in 1938, he didn't fly like and he didn't have heat vision -- but what wastrue then and remains true now is that he's one of the strongest beings in the universe.

The original explanation for Superman's astonishing strength and durability came couched in his alien origins, with the gravity of Krypton supposedly several times that of Earth. Whereas modern adaptations of the character fall back on explanations of how he absorbs energy from the Sun, in those early days he simply had denser bones and muscles after millenia of evolution in a harsher environment made him that way. No wonder he turned out so super -- a simple game of hopscotch on Krypton becomes leaping tall buildings in a single bound on Earth.

RELATED:Avengers Anatomy: 5 Amazing Facts About Captain America's Body, Explained

After writer John Byrne brought his own sweeping changes to the character in the late 1980s, the gravity explanation for the Man of Steel's powers started to fall to the wayside. Over the years Superman had developed far too many powers that a different gravity or atmosphere just couldn't explain. So, an alternative explanation was born: Superman gets his powers from thesun.

Superman's cells absorb their energy passively from Earth's yellow sun. Since Krypton had a red sun, none of the inhabitants there experienced such phenomenal powers throughout the doomed planet's existence. The reservoir of power allows Superman to perform all of his greatest feats. Writers like Grant Morrison inAll-Star Superman clung onto the detail to enhance Superman's mythological aspect. Far from a powered human, such depictions portray him as a modern day sun god.

RELATED:When Superman Tried to Protect Li'l Abner From Al Capp, Abner's Creator!

All the energy stored in Superman's cells doesn't go to waste. Although it most often manifests itself in his strength or his flight, there is a much deadlier ability lurking just beneath the surface of his lovely baby blues. The Blue Boy Scout can release solar energy directly from his eyes with his famous heat vision, which is the result of a photonucleic effect with deadly consequences.

The lenses of Superman's eyes allow him to adjust the aperture of the blastto widen or focus the beam more acutely. Interestingly, his heat vision is actually tied in with his X-Ray vision: Both release different forms of radiation. They manifest as different powers because Superman has so much control over his abilities.

RELATED:Did Superman Really Have a Twin Brother Who Was a Hunchback?

It's probably impossible for a character like Superman to exist so many years without there being at least oneFantastic Voyage-style adventure where other heroes venture into his body. That time came during a moment of crisis when the world's greatest hero stood on the brink of death.Superman took on a green hue after suffering from severe kryptonite poisoning from an unknown source. So, the shrinking hero Atom, Superboy and Steel endeavored to investigate the matter as closely as possible by taking a trip inside Superman's body to discover justhow freaking his inner workings got.

Not only is Superman's super immune system a threat to the heroes -- which helps explainwhy Superman so rarely gets sick -- but there areentire nuclear processes taking place within his body. Superman's body is like one giant, self-perpetuating battery and maintaining the whole system requires a super immune system no one would want to cross.

Similarto his eyes, Superman's lungs actually help explain how seemingly disparate powers all originate from the same source. Superman's ability to hold his breath for unbelievable amounts of time, his ability to breath it back out in massive gales of wind and his ability to freeze the breath to cocoon his foes in ice all seem disconnected. However, it all ties together on the inside.

Superman's super strong muscles explain his ability to expel the air from his lungs with such force, whereas their hyper density explains their ability to withstand to the punishment they take holding his breath for so long during intergalactic trips. While he still needs the oxygen, his body is extremely efficient at processing it and expelling carbon-dioxide because of the nuclear processes taking place within his cells. The sun's fuel also gives his body something to work with besides oxygen. Lastly, the same control he shows with his heat vision is present in his lungs -- he holds super cooled air in a specific portion of his lungs and exhales it at his leisure as ice.

Keep Reading:Avengers Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Thor's Body, Explained

X-Men Confirms the Secret Return of a Fan-Favorite Mutant

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Justice League Anatomy: The 5 Weirdest Things About Superman's Body - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Anatomy

Shonda Rhimes Shares Information on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ – The Blast

While Grey's Anatomy was forced to end early due to COVID-19, they still managed to end with their signature cliff-hanger. Season 16 is over and everyone is eagerly awaiting Season 17.

Now, anyone who has ever watched Grey's is aware that characters come and go, but one character stays consistently alive (mostly). That character is Ellen Pomepo's Meredith Grey. Many people still remember Dr. Cristina Yang, Grey's best friend, and of course her husband, dubbed McDreamy.

Shonda Rhimes revealed that when she plotted this show, she took parts of her own personality and placed them into the shows characters, specifically the mains. She had an interview with Oprah Winfrey, after the show launched, and revealed just which characters she most identified with.

In 2006, Rhimes revealed how Chandra Wilson got the role of Miranda Bailey, and the original vision she had for Bailey: The script was written with no character descriptions, no clue as to what anyone should look likeexcept for [resident doctor] Miranda Bailey." See, Rhimes had specific thoughts on what Bailey should look like.

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Shonda Rhimes Shares Information on 'Grey's Anatomy' - The Blast

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Creator Shonda Rhimes Shares Which Character She is Like and How Patrick Dempsey Got That Famous Nickname – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

ABCs Greys Anatomy just wrapped Season 16 with its usual cliffhanger of a finale. Though the show has seen some actors come and go over the years, Ellen Pompeos Meredith Grey remains the series central focus while many characters will live in infamy (think McDreamy and Dr. Cristina Yang) despite no longer being at Grey Sloan Memorial.

When originally plotting out the medical drama, show creator Shonda Rhimes took some parts of her own personality and put them into her main characters. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey after the shows launch, she revealed which roles she identified with most and how Patrick Dempsey got that famous moniker.

Greys Anatomy burst on the airwaves in 2005 and immediately brought in a massive audience. Now the longest running medical drama in history, Rhimes told Winfrey in 2006 that she had a blank page when it came to assembling the cast.

The script was written with no character descriptions, no clue as to what anyone should look likeexcept for [resident doctor] Miranda Bailey, Rhimes said in 2006, revealing that she went in a completely different direction when she cast actress Chandra Wilson in the role.

I pictured [Bailey] as a tiny blonde with curls. I thought it would be unexpected to have this sweet-looking person open her mouth and say tough things, Rhimes explained. But then Chandra Wilson auditioned, and she opened her mouth and said those same things. I thought, Thats exactly who Miranda is.'

When Winfrey asked if the character of Bailey is based on Rhimes mother, she admitted there were some aspects that were similar between the two. A little bit. Shes very no-nonsense, Rhimes replied. Dr. Bailey says stuff like These people are nastyall they think about is sex while were trying to save lives here. My mother is definitely that kind of realist.

When developing the types of characters she envisioned on the show, Rhimes focused on presenting females as strong and ambitious.

I wanted to create a world in which you felt as if you were watching very real women. Most of the women I saw on TV didnt seem like people I actually knew, Rhimes shared. They felt like ideas of what women are. They never got to be nasty or competitive or hungry or angry. They were often just the loving wife or the nice friend. But who gets to be the bitch? Who gets to be the three-dimensional woman?

Rhimes started building her characters for Greys with the shows main female leads. I began with Meredith. Cristina was second, simply because shes the kind of woman I know really well, and I like her, the show creator explained. Theres something interesting about a person who is that driven, a little bit emotionally disconnected but still a caring, sweet, and smart individual you could be friends with.

When the talk show icon asked Rhimes if she is most like Meredith, the Greys creator revealed that she considers herself a combination of the two female leads.

Im like both Meredith and Cristina. Theres a side to Meredith that keeps everything together at work, she told Winfrey. I do that. And like Cristina, I sometimes open my mouth and say things I just shouldnt say. I do that less now. Im learning.

When describing her vision for the character of Dr. Derek Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey, Rhimes admitted that she created a man whos almost too good to be true at first.

In some ways, hes a man who doesnt exist, the Greys creator said. In the first eight episodes, he seems like a perfect guy whos into Meredithand the audience falls in love with him. But then it is revealed that he has a huge flaw: He has a wife. Isnt that the way it often happens in life? You get hooked before you discover the truth?

As for that infamous moniker of McDreamy which has stayed with Dempsey to this day, Rhimes revealed that the name just came naturally.

When we were shooting the pilot, Patrick was seriously the most adorable man wed ever seen on camera, Rhimes confessed. Wed watch the monitor and think, Look at his dreamy eyes! So we started calling him Patrick McDreamy, and it stuck.

Fans are already counting the days until the premiere of Season 17!

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'Grey's Anatomy' Creator Shonda Rhimes Shares Which Character She is Like and How Patrick Dempsey Got That Famous Nickname - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Anatomy

Why ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Creator Shonda Rhimes Says There’s ‘No Such Thing as Balance’ When It Comes To Being a Working Mom – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Shonda Rhimes has created some of televisions hottest series including Greys Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away with Murder. Now producing several shows for Netflix, Rhimes remains one of todays top talents in television development.

Fans of Rhimes may not realize that she is also the mom of three daughters Harper, Emerson, and Beckett. The media mogul has previously shared her thoughts on the challenges of being a working mom and how she tries to keep a realistic perspective.

Rhimes sat down with talk show icon Oprah Winfrey in 2006, shortly after the launch of Greys Anatomy. Rhimes daughter Harper was just 4 years old at the time, where the television show creator shared what prompted her to adopt her first child.

Id rented a farmhouse in Vermont, and I took a navel-gazing trip to think about my life, Rhimes told Winfrey. The day after I arrived, 9/11 hit. So I was sitting in the middle of nowhere, watching the whole terrible thing unfold on CNN. When I finally turned off the television, I thought, Well, if the worlds going to end, what are all the things Ive ever wanted to do? I went home and hired an adoption attorney.

Discussing the massive impact that 9/11 had on the country and how it gave many individuals the motivation to take stock of their lives, Rhimes told Winfrey that the tragedy was a huge wake up call for her.

Up until then, Id spent a lot of time asking myself, Whats wrong with my life? I was feeling so unhappy, Rhimes revealed. September 11 woke me up to the realization that there was nothing wrong with my life when I considered what really could be wrong. Nine months and two days after 9/11, my daughter was born. I named her after Harper Lee. Now I cant remember what I did with my time before she got here.

Rhimes went on to adopt daughter Emerson in 2012, and welcomed daughter Beckett in 2013 via surrogate. After inking her multi-year deal with Netflix, the Scandal creator shared her view on juggling motherhood and her high-profile career.

There is no such thing as balance. That I will say right away, she told Business Insider in 2017. If you are a working mother you are often not there as much as youd like to be. I said this once somewhere, that if Im standing on set watching some amazing thing being shot, then I am missing my daughters science fair. Or if Im at my daughters dance recital, then I miss Sandra Ohs very last day, and very last scene being shot on Greys Anatomy Those are the trade-offs.

Rhimes chooses to accept the losses rather than beating herself up about them. You have to make a decision that youre going to miss one thing and be good at another, she explained. Ive always said if Im winning at one thing, Im failing at another. And a lot of people say, failure? And I say, yes! I like to call it failure because it makes me feel better.

The Private Practice creator has always made diversity a priority when casting, wanting art to imitate real life. I wanted to see people on television who look like me, and I wanted to see people on television who look like my friends, Rhimes told Business Insider. I didnt relate to a lot of the women on television because they didnt seem realistic. It was just about writing people I wanted to watch, and writing people who felt like the people I knew.

With Hollywood being so focused on physical appearance, Rhimes role behind the camera spares her from having to deal with that type of scrutiny.

I never once thought about how I look in this industry in that way. Probably because Im not in front of the camera all the time, she said. Im behind one, and Im writing words for other people to say and I try to be very encouraging of my actresses and my actors to be themselves.

Rhimes first Netflix show Bridgerton is scheduled to be released this year.

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Why 'Grey's Anatomy' Creator Shonda Rhimes Says There's 'No Such Thing as Balance' When It Comes To Being a Working Mom - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Genetics

Genetics Prof: Greece to Play Key Role in COVID-19 Research and Diagnosis – The National Herald

By ANA April 17, 2020

FILE - In this April 2, 2020, file photo a nurse holds a vial and a swab at a drive-up coronavirus testing station at a hospital in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

ATHENS Greek pioneering study that turns the country into a key player on the international scientific stage will be shortly applied to 3,500 patients and in ten laboratories aiming at the better genetic understanding as well as in the battle against SARS-CoV-2, stated to Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the president of the National Council for Research, Technology and Innovation, professor of Genetics at the school of Medicine of the University of Geneva and director of the Genomics Centre Health 2030 Emmanouil Dermitzakis.

Professor Dermitzakis is one of the two persons that chose Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to head a very important Greek research effort that was announced on Tuesday. The genetics profile of 3,500 persons will be examined as well as the variations of the virus that have infected them along with their immune profile in order to better understand the characteristics of the virus and the biological procedures that constitute the main reason for the differences in the diseases progress among patients, said the professor.

The knowhow acquired from this programme will allow Greece to proceed to similar actions on other infectious diseases as the seasonal influenza and will allow the improvement of the management of pandemics or localised epidemics.

The professor also said that the possibility of a new medicine may increase 4 to 10 times when its development procedure is supported by genetic data.

Asked on the next day and on the possibility of the long-term active presence of the virus Dermitzakis said if we do not have a vaccine or a medicine for the virus, we must address it with measures and attitudes. Any measures will be complex and based on contamination calculations (R0) as well as on the effect of sub-measures and on this basis the citizens should, blindly trust the scientists.

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Genetics Prof: Greece to Play Key Role in COVID-19 Research and Diagnosis - The National Herald

Genetics

Genetics and Family – The Good Men Project

We were all born with things. Our DNA greatly shapes some things we are (and arent) and what we can and cannot easily do.

Our upbringing shapes this further.

Nature and nurture shape who we are and what we can most easily become. Yes, we can do amazing things in spite of our circumstances.

At the same time, we have to be fair to ourselves. It may be that our genetics and upbringing created trauma, or a lagging skill that we have very little control over.

Just like we would not expect someone in a wheelchair to immediately run a marathon, we should not expect ourselves (or others) to magically overcome something we were born with.

Sorry to talk about limitations, and this is about being kind to yourself (and others) and realizing that you might need more support than you think.

When something that makes you mad or frustrated happens, can you really think straight? Be honest. Chemically, this is next to impossible.

For those with ADHD, depression, anxiety, PTSD and the like, its very difficult to not find yourself in a state of complete clarity and resources. To some extent, you do not have full brain function of a calm, creative, resourceful state without lots of work.

Part of that is a regulation of the ECD system. There are many therapies, supplements and suggestions on how to boost that. This, along with appropriate mental health and exercise can greatly elevate your mood and life.

You dont have to be stuck, sad, or frustrated. You deserve a full and happy life.

Previously published on medium

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Genetics and Family - The Good Men Project

Genetics

Genetics Institute of America is Selected by Designer Genomics International as IRB Approved Laboratory for Inflammasome Study – Yahoo Finance

Study to Look at DNA, mRNA and miRNA

IRB Approved Clinical Study

Seeks to identify Inflammation Indicators

Designer Genomics International, a Contract Research Organization (CRO) announced today that it has selected Genetics Institute of America as the Institutional Review Board approved testing laboratory for a new clinical study into inflammasome activation.

"My long experience with the management team of the laboratory made them the logical choice as genomics laboratory," said Marvin Hausman, MD, the study principal investigator at Designer Genomics International.

"Our experience in working with DNA and RNA, as well as our collaborative relationship with ThermoFischer Scientific, make for a great combination for this study," said Holly Magliochetti, CEO of Genetics Institute of America.

Genetics Institute of America will be running DNA, RNA, mRNA and miRNA studies on buccal swab specimens. The study of currently available cancer genomic and pharmacogenomic DNA profiles combined with newly designed proprietary mRNA and miRNA panels will allow leveraging newly developed machine learning and deep learning methods for genetic analysis. The study (GH-101 Genetic Susceptibility to Chronic Disease) is designed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with development of chronic diseases such as Cardiovascular Disease, End Stage Renal Disease, PTSD, as well as Cancer.

For more information about this study, please contact Designer Genomics International or Genetics Institute of America.

About Genetics Institute of AmericaGenetics Institute of America is a national laboratory dedicated to heightening the awareness of early intervention and genetic screening to promote longevity and quality of life outcomes by focusing on DNA, RNA and Proteins. Our modern CLIA laboratory facility in Delray Beach, FL contains the most current technology, allowing us to provide leadership in both research and clinical laboratory testing. For more information, please visit http://www.GenLabUS.com/.

Story continues

About Designer Genomics InternationalDesigner Genomics International is a Contract Research Organization that focuses on conducting clinical trials for Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, and Companion Diagnostics companies. Designer Genomics International is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005768/en/

Contacts

Holly Magliochettimedia@GenLabUS.com

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Genetics Institute of America is Selected by Designer Genomics International as IRB Approved Laboratory for Inflammasome Study - Yahoo Finance

Physiology

The Right Chemistry: Hand sanitizers, homeopathy and humidifiers – London Free Press (Blogs)

The coronavirus questions just keep coming.

Are hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants labelled alcohol-free effective?

These products mostly use benzalkonium chloride, also known as alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides, introduced in 1935 by the German bacteriologist Gerhard Domagk who received the 1939 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in recognition of his discovery of sulfonamides, the first truly effective antibiotic drugs. One of these, under the trade name Prontosil, was widely used until it was displaced in the 1940s by penicillin.

The alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides are actually a mixture of compounds that are collectively known as quaternary ammonium salts. The term alkyl refers to a chain of carbon atoms that vary in length from eight to 18, with the 12 and 14 derivatives having the highest activity against bacteria, viruses and fungi. Aside from being disinfectants, these compounds have properties that allow for use as fabric softeners, hair conditioners and preservatives for pharmaceutical products. As far as hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants go, benzalkonium chloride is used at low concentrations in the range of 0.03 to 0.1 per cent. They are approved by Health Canada for inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus based on what is known about similar viruses, but how they fare when compared with alcohol-based disinfectants is not clear.

Can the homeopathic remedy Bryonia prevent infection by the coronavirus?

Bryonia is a plant, an extremely diluted extract of which is added to a sugar pellet to produce a homeopathic remedy. That dilution is so extreme that the sugar pill doesnt contain a single molecule from the original plant. Since nonexistent molecules cannot prevent disease, homeopaths propose that the dilution and ritual shaking between dilutions leaves some sort of imprint on the solution that has a physiological effect. Based on what we know about chemistry and the workings of the body, this makes no sense.

Homeopathic products can, however, serve as useful placebos for certain conditions, but viral infections do not respond to placebo treatment. This is even recognized by Boiron, the largest manufacturer of homeopathic products in the world. To its credit, the company has released a statement that It is certain that no Boiron homeopathic medicine is specific for the prevention or symptomatic treatment of the Coronavirus 2019-nCoV.

Yet, there are individual homeopaths who claim that they have successfully treated coronavirus infections. One Montreal homeopath reported the following in a newsletter: A most remarkable case among my patients is a 71-year-old man who contracted the virus with a cough, fever and extreme weakness. He called me the following day and began taking the homeopathic remedy I prescribed for him immediately. Within four days he was symptom-free. Almost more impressive is that his wife, in her late 60s, took remedies preventatively against COVID during the whole time he was sick and has not gotten sick herself, despite being her husbands primary caregiver. This is what is known as anecdotal evidence. We dont know if the man had actually contracted the virus, or that the homeopathic remedy was responsible for his improvement. His wife not contracting the disease is meaningless because we dont know if there was any disease to be contracted.

The homeopath goes on to suggest that Bryonia should be taken once a week, but if you know you have been exposed, or are likely to be exposed based on your profession, take it once every three to five days. Needless to say, there is zero evidence for this recommendation, but is it possibly harmful? Not physiologically, since nonexistent molecules do not produce side effects. But believing that one is being protected by taking Bryonia may result in people being more cavalier about physical distancing. Homeopathic rhetoric about preventing or treating COVID-19 has about as much substance as is contained in a Bryonia pellet. None.

Can a humidifier reduce the chance of coronavirus transmission?

Maybe. The most significant mode of transmission for viruses is through droplets emitted by coughs or sneezes. When the weather is humid, these droplets absorb moisture, become heavier, and fall to the ground. In dry weather, as in winter, the droplets are smaller and stay airborne longer. It is therefore possible that increasing indoor humidity can reduce the transmission of the virus from an infected person. There is another reason to increase humidity. Dryness causes the mucous membranes in the nasal passages that act as a barrier against microbes to dry out. Without sufficient moisture they become less effective at keeping invaders at bay. Making sure one is hydrated by drinking enough fluids helps to keep the mucous membranes from drying out, but drinking every 20 minutes as some circulating instructions suggest is not necessary.

Is it true that we should avoid eating eggs because viruses love eggs?

That bit of absurdity comes from Anthony William, the Medical Medium who dispenses advice he gets from a spirit. It seems the spirit has come to this conclusion based on viruses being cultured in eggs for the production of some vaccines. This of course has nothing to do with eating eggs. In the spirit of science, it is best to ignore any offerings from the Medical Medium and his spirit guide.

joe.schwarcz@mcgill.ca

Joe Schwarcz is director of McGill Universitys Office for Science & Society (mcgill.ca/oss). He hosts The Dr. Joe Show on CJAD Radio 800 AM every Sunday from 3 to 4 p.m.

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The Right Chemistry: Hand sanitizers, homeopathy and humidifiers - London Free Press (Blogs)

Physiology

Here And Elsewhere, Obesity A Major Factor In Severe COVID-19 Illness | 90.1 FM WABE – WABE 90.1 FM

Obesity has emerged as a major predictor of severe COVID-19 illness, according to new research.

That linkage is demonstrated in Albany, where dozens of patients have died of COVID-19 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.

Phoebes chief medical officer, Dr. Steven Kitchen, said the hospital has not yet gathered precise data on obesity rates of coronavirus patients. But he told GHN on Thursday that a disproportionate percentage of our critically ill patients in our ICUs are morbidly obese.

Other medical conditions are frequently associated with obesity, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney disease, Kitchen noted. Morbid obesity is probably an independent risk factor for poor health outcomes, he added.

Obesity is a rising problem in Georgia and the U.S. as a whole. Roughly one in three adults in the state is obese, according to County Health Rankings. That percentage is higher for African-Americans than other racial or ethnic groups.

And Dougherty County has a higher obesity rate than the Georgia average, Kitchen said.

The hospital is doing epidemiological studies on its COVID-19 patients with state public health officials and the CDC, as well as with the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Phoebe Putney reported nine more COVID-19 patient deaths Thursday, bringing the hospitals total to 64.

The CDC recently reported that among hospitalized COVID-19 patients studied, almost half were obese.

At Ochsner Health, a system with 41 hospitals in Louisiana and southern Mississippi, Dr. Leo Seoane, the companys senior vice president, said that 60 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had obesity, and that obesity appeared to nearly double their risk of requiring a ventilator, the New York Times reported.

Louisiana and Mississippi have a high number of deceased COVID-19 patients who were obese, USA Today reported.

The Georgia Department of Public Health said it hasnt tracked the rate of obesity among COVID-19 cases or among those who have died from the disease.

The new research points to obesity as the most significant risk factor, after only older age, for being hospitalized with COVID-19. Young adults with obesity appear to be at particular risk, studies show.

The age-adjusted prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults was 42 percent in 20172018.

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.

In one of two new studies released this week, COVID-19 patients who were younger than 60 and had a body mass index BMI between 30 and 34 were twice as likely as their non-obese peers to be admitted to the hospital for acute care instead of being sent home from the ER, the Los Angeles Times reported. They were also 1.8 times more likely to require critical care in a hospitals intensive care unit.

In a second report, a team of NYU doctors and researchers examined the factors that appeared to predispose 4,103 COVID-19 patients of all ages to hospitalization. The research is preliminary, and not peer reviewed. The study found that being older than 75 was the most potent predictor of hospitalization for COVID-19, followed by being between the ages of 65 and 75. The third-best predictor was having a BMI over 40, a condition doctors call severe obesity.

When all other factors were held equal, COVID-19 patients with severe obesity were more than six times more likely to be hospitalized than were patients who were not obese.

Dr. Phillip Coule, chief medical officer for Augusta University Health, said Thursday that there is certainly evidence to support a high body mass index as a major contributing factor to severe complications for COVID-19.

Obesity alters respiratory physiology, interfering with adequate function of the lungs, he said. And an obese patient is harder to prone positioning the individual on the stomach a technique that is used to improve respiratory mechanics, Coule said.

Obesity appears to disproportionately worsen COVID-19 outcomes, Coule told GHN.

The new findings about obesity risks are bad news for all Americans, but particularly for African-Americans and other people of color, who have higher rates of obesity and are already bearing a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 deaths, the New York Times reported. High rates of obesity are also prevalent among low-income white Americans, who may also be adversely affected, the newspaper reported.

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Here And Elsewhere, Obesity A Major Factor In Severe COVID-19 Illness | 90.1 FM WABE - WABE 90.1 FM