Category Archives: Covid19

Where have you been?

I’m sorry at I’ve not been more diligent and consistent in my Covid-19 reporting. The situation since my last post has been ever-evolving and fluid, and quite frankly I haven’t felt that I had the necessary expertise to comment in anywhere near an authoritative manner. I’ve opted instead to moderate a science-based Facebook Group, ‘Journal

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Covid-19: Chloroquine, Zinc and Quercetin

Chloroquine is a malarial drug first discovered in 1934. It’s still in use for malaria management, although the most common species of malaria-causing organisms are long resistant to it. Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) also has anti-malarial activity, but is much more commonly used to treat certain auto-immune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Both of

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Covid-19: The ACE2 of Spades

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a protein on the surface of the cell membrane, is now at center-stage in this outbreak as the key receptor for the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. ACE2 is part of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) is an elegant cascade of protein linkages that orchestrate key processes in human physiology by affecting the diameter

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Covid-19: On Fear

A close friend, who was also a patient, once told me (after he was diagnosed with melanoma) that, when a child, his father, a physician, was also diagnosed with a terminal illness, but was strangely calm and collected about it. When my friend asked him about it, he replied that ‘a frightened person dies a

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Covid-19: ABO Blood Type

  The media was awash with reports of a preprint (not-peer reviewed) report that individuals who are blood type A might be at more risk of Covid19 infection than those who are type O. The study was conducted by scientists and doctors from cities across China including Beijing, Wuhan, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Medical researchers in

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Covid-19: Pioneering

On a recent thread a practitioner on my Facebook Group wrote about their anxiety and frustration in attempting to help an elderly friend from a distance. They wrote of their own fear and uncertainty and the overall lack of any guidance whatsoever with regard to just how to take care of this person should they

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Covid-19: Numbers.

Covid-19: 03/08/2020 Italy announces quarantine that will involve 16 million people, as health care system in Lombardy nears collapse; 10-16% of infected need ICU care. Wuhan began large scale quarantine when number of infected hit 571. US now at 479 and administration still claiming that air travel safe for over 60+ age fliers. Masks. Ignore

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Covid-19 : Pool Shock

03/04/2020: Pool Shock If you’ve been reading my posts over the last few weeks, you’ll have noticed I recommend ‘pool shock’ granules over liquid bleach as a surface disinfectant. Many online vendors sell , as do pool and hot tub supply stores. Pool shock is comparable to bleach when following the same principles for proper

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Covid-19: Fourth World Ventilators

If nCorV2019 hits pandemic levels the main issue will be availability of life support, since if even as little as 2-3% go onto severe respiratory issues, this would easily overwhelm the current inventory of hospital ventilators. The trick is provide positive airway pressure to keep the alveoli of the lungs open and allow the inflammation

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Covid-19: ‘Nothing to worry about here. Just wash your hands.’

Covid-2019: 02/19/20 We’ve got this thing under control. That’s why we’re building 19 more hospitals. China announced it will build 19 more field hospitals in Wuhan. That doesn’t make any sense when they keep saying this is slowing down. Mama Mia! Italy orders mass closures after coronavirus cases quadruple. Officials ordered schools, public buildings, restaurants

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