Category: Breaking News

As the coronavirus continues to evolve and become more virulent, there are many unanswered questions as there have been no proper clinical or scientific studies that have been conducted on it yet with regards to its properties etc as the 2019-nCoV coronavirus only made its maiden debut in December 2019. There are questions about how long a virus such as the coronavirus, can survive outside a host ie on surfaces. The influenza virus can survive anything between 5 hours up to 7 days on an outside surface depending on the environment temperature and humidity whereas noroviruses that typically attack the gastrointestinal tract, can survive up to four weeks on surfaces even in hot and dry conditions and can withstand most disinfectants. Typically most respiratory viruses such as the coronavirus favour a cooler temperature. There have been no studies done so far on the new coronavirus or even on the SARS virus, its ‘close cousin’ with regards to how long it can survive outside on surfaces. It is wrong to assume that the coronavirus can only remain active for a few hours on the surface as suggested by one health organization via its online site, that is claiming it’s the leading source of information on the coronavirus when there is no scientific proof of that. In order to be safe, as we still do not really know how long these coronaviruses can survive on surfaces, its best to disinfect areas that have lots of contact with people whether or not they are showing signs of having been infected or not. One good way to do that is by deploying ozone gas.
Ozone gas has been proven to kill the SARS coronavirus and since the structure of the new 2019-nCoV coronavirus is almost identical to that of the SARS coronavirus, it is relatively safe to say that it will also work on the new coronavirus though it must be noted that there are no studies to date except one that is currently ongoing n China at the Institute of Virology In Hubei with regards to this. Progress of that study has shown that it works and the study should be concluded by the end of this week and officially published in the journal Virology. There are more than 17 scientific studies that show Ozone gas is able to destroy the SARS coronavirus.
Ozone is a naturally occurring gas created from oxygen atoms. The oxygen molecule is made up of 2 oxygen atoms. These oxygen molecules are broken into atoms by the corona discharge during lightning storms or by UV light from the Sun. Single oxygen atoms cannot exist alone without regrouping back into diatomic oxygen molecules. During this recombination stage, some atoms will regroup into loosely bonded tri-atomic oxygen. This new molecule is called Ozone or O3. Ozone generators are able to make ozone from normal air and are normally used as room disinfectants.
The antipathogenic effects of ozone have been substantiated for several decades. Its killing action upon bacteria, viruses, fungi, and in many species of protozoa, serve as the basis for its increasing use in disinfecting municipal water supplies in cities worldwide. Typically, viruses are small, independent particles, built of crystals and macromolecules. Unlike bacteria, they multiply only within the host cell. Ozone destroys viruses by diffusing through the protein coat into the nucleic acid core, resulting in damage of the viral RNA. At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the capsid or exterior protein shell by oxidation. Numerous families of viruses including poliovirus I and 2, human rotavirus, Norwalk virus, Parvoviruses, and Hepatitis A, B and non-A non-B are among many others that are susceptible to the virucidal actions of ozone. Most research efforts on ozone’s virucidal effects have centered upon ozone’s propensity to break apart lipid molecules at sites of multiple bond configuration. Indeed, once the lipid envelope of the virus is fragmented, its DNA or RNA core cannot survive. Non-enveloped viruses (Adenoviridae, Picornaviridae, namely poliovirus, Coxsachie, Echovirus, Rhinovirus, Hepatitis A and E, and Reoviridae (Rotavirus), have also begun to be studied. Viruses that do not have an envelope are called “naked viruses.” They are constituted of a nucleic acid core (made of DNA or RNA) and a nucleic acid coat, or capsid, made of protein. Ozone, however, aside from its well-recognized action upon unsaturated lipids, can also interact with certain proteins and their constituents, namely amino acids. Indeed, when ozone comes in contact with capsid proteins, protein hydroxides and protein hydroxides and protein hydroperoxides are formed. Viruses have no protections against oxidative stress. The enveloped viruses are usually more sensitive to physico-chemical challenges than are naked virions. Although ozone’s effects upon unsaturated lipids are one of its best-documented biochemical action, ozone is known to interact with proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. The new coronavirus is an enveloped virus. Typically ozone generators should only be used by trained personnel as ozone is dangerous to humans. It can destroy your cells lining your mouth, nasal pathways, and your lungs. It has the ability to cause cell mutations and cause cancer. And for those with the underlying disease, brief exposure to it can be dangerous. When using the small ozone generators for small room disinfection, make sure you have a timer and never be in the room when the machine is on. The machine should be operated with windows closed and no living thing in the room including pets for about 10 to 15 minutes. (these small machines have a lower ozone volume output, hence a longer time is preferred.) Do not go into the room for at last 3 hours and upon entering, wear a mask and open all windows and air the place for about 15 minutes first before stepping back in.

References:

Gérard V. Sunnen, SARS and Ozone Therapy: Theoretical Considerations, http://www.triroc.com/sunnen/topics/sars.html (2003)

Ozone therapy: A clinical review
A. M. Elvis and J. S. Ekta
J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2011 Jan-Jun; 2(1): 66–70.
doi: 10.4103/0976-9668.82319

SARS: CLEARING THE AIR
Jerome J. Schentag, Pharm. D., Charles Akers, Ph.D., Pamela Campagna, and Paul Chirayath.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92445/

Development of a Practical Method for Using Ozone Gas as a Virus Decontaminating Agent
James B. Hudson ,Manju Sharma &Selvarani Vimalanathan
Pages 216-223 | Received 30 Jun 2008, Accepted 26 Nov 2008, Published online: 27 May 2009, https://doi.org/10.1080/01919510902747969

Smokers are less likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 compared to those who have never touched a cigarette, another study has claimed. An array of research carried out since the pandemic began has shown smokers are at lower risk of getting the coronavirus. Now researchers in Mexico have added more weight to the evidence, which experts have called bizarre and said warrants further investigation. Scientists analysed data from almost 90,000 patients and found smokers were 23 per cent less likely than non-smokers to get diagnosed with Covid-19. And the team also found smokers who did get infected were no more likely to need intensive care, be hooked up to a ventilator or die. The findings support the theory that smokers are somehow protected from Covid-19, with data from Britain, the US, China and Italy all suggesting the same.

Scientists are starting to believe nicotine may be able to block the coronavirus from entering cells, preventing the infection in the first place.

Others say nicotine may control the immune system, stopping it from dangerously over-reacting to infection – a phenomenon found to be killing many Covid-19 patients. Doctors are keen to trial nicotine patches in the fight against COVID-19 . But they have warned against encouraging smoking tobacco because of its known dangers. Smokers are 23 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19 compared to those who have never touched a cigarette, a study claims. They are six per cent less likely to be admitted to hospital and no more at risk of ICU or death than non-smokers The study was a joint investigation by scientists in Mexico, Greece and the US, led by Dr Theodoros Giannouchos of the University of Utah. The team said to the best of their knowledge, this is the largest study of patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. It included 236,439 people who had been to a medical centre with a suspected viral respiratory illness – 89,756 tested positive for Covid-19 and 146,683 tested negative. Any underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, were noted down. The team also identified whether or not the patient was a smoker. Some 8.3 per cent who were diagnosed were current smokers. In contrast, around 14 per cent of adults in Mexico are estimated to smoke. Smokers were 23 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19 compared to non-smokers, the findings claim. Of those who were diagnosed, smokers were six per cent less likely to be admitted for hospital care compared to non-smokers. No major differences were observed between the current smokers and non-smokers when looking at adverse outcomes, including ventilation and death. ‘Notably, smoking was not associated with a higher risk for adverse outcomes and hospitalization,’ the team wrote in their paper published on medRxiv. ‘Smokers were also less likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19.’ The experts added that the findings were ‘in agreement’ with a study from Israel. The Israeli study referenced, published last week, pooled data from more than three million people, including 115,000 swabbed for the virus. Dr Ariel Israel and his colleagues uncovered a ‘genuine’ protective effect of smoking. They also published their findings on MedRxiv.

This study indicates NONsmokers may be more susceptible to 2019-nCov l

Effect of Nicotine On Innate Antiviral Pathways and HCV Replication

pone.0086166

Washington won’t be there to support the economy this time, as infections inevitably rise as people head back indoors

BERKELEY, Calif. (Project Syndicate)—April marked the most dramatic and, some would say, dangerous phase of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States. Deaths were spiking, bodies were piling up in refrigerated trucks outside hospitals in New York City, and ventilators and personal protective equipment were in desperately short supply. The economy was falling off the proverbial cliff, with unemployment soaring to 14.7%. Since then, supplies of medical and protective equipment have improved. Doctors are figuring out when to put patients on ventilators and when to take them off. We have recognized the importance of protecting vulnerable populations, including the elderly. The infected are now younger on average, further reducing fatalities. With help from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, economic activity has stabilized, albeit at lower levels. In fact, the more dangerous phase of the crisis in the U.S. may actually be now, not last spring. While death rates among the infected are declining with improved treatment and a more favorable age profile, fatalities are still running at nearly a thousand per day. This matches levels at the beginning of April, reflecting the fact that the number of new infections is half again as high. Mortality, in any case, is only one aspect of the virus’s toll. Many surviving COVID-19 patients continue to suffer chronic cardiovascular problems and impaired mental function. If almost 40,000 cases a day is the new normal, then the implications for morbidity—and for human health and economic welfare—are truly dire. The silver bullet on which everyone is counting, of course, is a vaccine. This, in fact, is the gravest danger of all. And, like it or not, there is every indication that many Americans, or at least their current leaders, are willing to accept 40,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths a day. They have grown inured to the numbers. They are impatient with lockdowns. They have politicized masks. In March and April, policy makers pulled out all the stops to staunch the economic bleeding. But there will be less policy support now if the economy again goes south. Although the Federal Reserve can always devise another asset-purchase program, it has already lowered interest rates to zero and hoovered up many of the relevant assets. This is why Fed officials have been pressing the Congress and the White House to act. Unfortunately, Congress seems incapable of replicating the bipartisanship that enabled passage of the CARES Act at the end of March. The $600 weekly supplement to unemployment benefits has been allowed to expire. Divisive rhetoric from President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders about “Democrat-led” cities implies that help for state and local governments is not in the cards. Consequently, if the economy falters a second time, whether because of inadequate fiscal stimulus or flu season and a second COVID-19 wave, it will not receive the additional monetary and fiscal support that protected it in the spring. The silver bullet on which everyone is counting, of course, is a vaccine. This, in fact, is the gravest danger of all. There is a high likelihood that a vaccine will be rolled out in late October, at Trump’s behest, whether or not Phase 3 clinical trials confirm its safety and effectiveness. This specter conjures memories of President Gerald Ford’s rushed swine flu vaccine, also prompted by a looming presidential election, which resulted in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome and multiple deaths. This episode, together with a fraudulent scientific paper linking vaccination to autism, did much to help foster the modern antivax movement. If the economy falters a second time, whether because of inadequate fiscal stimulus or flu season and a second COVID-19 wave, it will not receive the additional monetary and fiscal support that protected it in the spring. The danger, then, is not merely side effects from a flawed vaccine, but also widespread public resistance even to a vaccine that passes its Phase 3 clinical trial and has the support of the scientific community. This is especially worrisome insofar as skepticism about the merits of vaccination tends to rise anyway in the aftermath of a pandemic that the public-health authorities, supposedly competent in such matters, failed to avert. Studies have shown that living through a pandemic negatively affects confidence that vaccines are safe and disinclines the affected to vaccinate their children. This is specifically the case for individuals who are in their “impressionable years” (ages 18-25) at the time of exposure, because it is at this age that attitudes about public policy, including health policy, are durably formed. This heightened skepticism about vaccination, observed in a variety of times and places, persists for the balance of the individual’s lifetime.

In Memoriam

Sad day. This is the 19th anniversary of my old office crashing down. I wasn’t going to do this but too many people have called and asked me about it so I decided to tell you about it again. I wanted to have a quiet pity party but I guess I’ll burden you all with the story. And yes, I did see it coming ahead of time and wrote about it, for all the good it did not do.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says he isn’t eating at indoor or outdoor restaurants.

As summer winds down in New York City, restaurant diners who’ve been eating on tables set up in the street will finally be allowed back inside, but health experts say it’s best to proceed with caution. After a six-month ban, restaurants in the city will be allowed to serve guests indoors at 25% of their usual capacity starting Sept. 30, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. Unlike restaurants in other regions of the state, New York City restaurants had only been allowed to serve patrons outside.

Health experts say indoor dining still poses major risks even though restaurants will be required to follow health guidelines including temperature checks, spacing tables at least six feet apart, and closing at midnight.

 

Boris Johnson vowed to roll out new tests which can deliver results in just 15 minutes. He said a negative result would give Brits a “freedom pass” — allowing people to mingle like they did before Covid. But this morning Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted that the new tech wasn’t ready yet. He told Sky News this morning: “This is technology that, to be perfectly blunt, requires further development – there isn’t a certified test in the world that does this but there are people that are working on prototypes.” He added: “We know this isn’t simple to achieve, but we hope it will be possible through technology and new tests to have a test which works by not having to return the sample to a lab.” Britain will bring its testing capacity up from 300,000 a day to 500,000 by the end of October. And after that ministers want to roll out mass testing to everyone as soon as it’s possible.

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It was also revealed yesterday:

• Groups of more than six will be banned from Monday – and anyone who disobeys faced a £100 minimum fine
• Pub-goers and diners will be FORCED to hand over their details when they go out as part of a ramping up of track and trace
• A new army of health and safety inspectors will be rolled out by local authorities to crack down on places not enforcing safety rules
• Britain’s borders will be beefed up with fresh plans to force airlines into making sure everyone fills out new passenger forms – leaving officials more time to check people are in quarantine
• Stadium pilots will be reviewed and any that go ahead will be limited to 1000 only – putting the return of live sport in doubt
• Night-time curfews for businesses could be slapped on other areas of the country in future

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The PM said last night: “Through that Moonshot of daily testing – everybody gets a rapid turn-around test in the morning, 15 minutes later you know whether you are infectious or not.”He added: “Our plan will require a giant, collaborative effort from government, business, public health professionals, scientists, logistics experts and many, many more. “Work is underway — and we will get on at pace until we get there, round the clock. We are hopeful this approach will be widespread by the spring.” Ministers have drawn up plans to pump £100billion into the programme, according to a document leaked to the British Medical Journal, but this was played down by Government sources.

Under the plan, Brits would swab themselves in the morning and be given a 24-hour pass to mingle without having to stick to social distancing rules. A person could prove they had tested negative by either electronically presenting their result, or showing a printed card. The tests will be trialled in the Covid hotspot of Salford from next month. However, critics have pointed out that the hugely expensive plan costs almost as much as the NHS’s yearly budget for England – £130bn. The health service represents some 20 per cent of all public spending. The ‘moonshot’ spending also equates to the cost of the nation’s education budget and represents a near-30-fold increase in the UK’s testing capacity. In a memo sent to the first minister and cabinet secretaries in Scotland revealed by the BMJ, it was warned: “This is described by the prime minister as our only hope for avoiding a second national lockdown before a vaccine, something the country cannot afford.” Currently, around 350,000 daily tests being carried out at the moment. However, many have recently reported problems getting a test as labs reach a “critical pinch-point”.

When These Big Guys Screw Up They Really Screw Up Big Time

Oxford in conjunction with AstraZeneca admits that test subjects have gotten seriously ill. Not one, not two but four people. Some of the tricks they’ve pulled was not reporting those who fell ill, categorizing the illness as something other than what it was, naming the illness differently and the usual big pharma tricks. So let me tell you all about it.

The participant who triggered a global shutdown of AstraZeneca’s Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trials was a woman in the United Kingdom who experienced neurological symptoms consistent with a rare but serious spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis, the drug maker’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, said during a private conference call with investors on Wednesday morning. The woman’s diagnosis has not been confirmed yet, but she is improving and will likely be discharged from the hospital as early as Wednesday, Soriot said. The board tasked with overseeing the data and safety components of the AstraZeneca clinical trials confirmed that the participant was injected with the company’s Covid-19 vaccine and not a placebo, Soriot said on the conference call, which was set up by the investment bank J.P. Morgan. Soriot also confirmed that the clinical trial was halted once previously in July after a participant experienced neurological symptoms. Upon further examination, that participant was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, deemed to be unrelated to the Covid-19 vaccine treatment, he said. The new disclosures made by Soriot were heard by three investors participating on the call and were shared with STAT.

To date, AstraZeneca’s public statements on the pause have been sparse with few details. For instance, the company has not publicly confirmed that this is the second time its trials have been stopped to investigate health events among participants.

AstraZeneca’s is the first Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial known to have been put on hold. AstraZeneca only began its Phase 3 trial in the U.S. in late August. The vaccine — known as AZD1222 — uses an adenovirus that carries a gene for one of the proteins in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The adenovirus is designed to induce the immune system to generate a protective response against SARS-2. The platform has not been used in an approved vaccine, but has been tested in experimental vaccines against other viruses, including the Ebola virus. Transverse myelitis is a serious condition involving inflammation of the spinal cord that can cause muscle weakness, paralysis, pain and bladder problems. In some instances, vaccines have triggered cases of transverse myelitis

The problem is this is a never been a proven RNA vaccine. The reason they went this rout is it is easy and cheap to manufacture. As with all vaccines, the idea is to trick our body into thinking it’s been infected. Those self-made spike proteins would train our bodies to detect and terminate any real SARS-CoV-2 infections before the virus wreaks havoc. The technique that has NEVER been successful and has been in development for more than 3 decades. This is known as an adenoviral vector vaccine using several unporven and untested technologies like messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. The first problem is as human bodies develop immune responses to most real viral infections, our bodies also develop immunity to adenoviral vectors. That makes booster shots of adenoviral vector vaccines problematic. Upon a second injection, our bodies will unleash an antibody attack on the vaccine itself. And since adenoviral vectors are based on natural viruses that some of us might already have been exposed to, the vaccines might not work for everyone. So far, no adenoviral vector vaccines have demonstrated they can prevent disease in humans. The way it works is that researchers take the genome of the adenovirus and cut out the section that allows it to reproduce. Then they splice in a section of (monkey) DNA that codes for the spike protein, turning the adenovirus into a recombinant vector. Because the adenovirus is a DNA virus, it has to get its genetic material not just into a cell but into the cell’s nucleus. Once in the nucleus, the DNA coding for the spike protein is transcribed into mRNA and then transported out of the nucleus into the cell’s cytoplasm, where it’s translated into protein. But it gets uglier. Because there are some drawbacks. Versions of the adenovirus spread in humans, there are many people who have immunity. To get around this, groups like the team at Oxford are using a chimpanzee adenovirus as a vector, which is different enough from human adenoviruses that most people’s immune systems won’t react to it right away. But once a vaccine is delivered using a chimpanzee adenovirus, it’s likely that many people would develop immunity to the new vector. That would make it difficult to use the same platform again for another dose of the vaccine. And here is the next problem they forget to tell you about. Since coronaviruses mutate so quickly immunity wears off… So the solution is a 2 shot regiment within thirty days and a booster show a month or two later. By that time the body is now building immunities to the coronal virus and the chimpanzee adenovirus. And an event sets up that could be deadly known as super sensitivity. And one of the diseases that is associated with super sensitivity to the monkey DNA is Transverse myelitis a deadly crippling neurological disease.