We suggested in March and June of 2020 that studies and surveys be done to determine why children seem to be less effected by covid19, and that existing vaccines and other recent viral infections may provide partial protection against covid19. The Mayo Clinic has now reported one or more non-COVID, FDA-approved, readily available vaccines, may have some protective effect in covid19. Vaccines reported to have some protective effect included the MMR, the polio vaccine, the influenza vaccine, and the pneumonia…..
Every patient is unique, made up of their own combination of genes, good bacteria, and pathogens that have been acquired from conception through life. Every patient has unique underlying conditions affecting the body as a whole or particular organ systems; and unique combinations of immortal pathogens and immune responses to those pathogens, over time. Medical training and standards of care can be very rigid, and very specialized, determined by specialty, body part, and disease. Rigid standards of care may…..
From 1346 to 1353 the world suffered and died from bubonic plague, a/k/a the Black Death, which was transmitted by fleas. Just this week, a man was diagnosed with bubonic plague in NM; however, today bubonic plague is treatable with antibiotics. In 1918 the world suffered from a pandemic of H1N1 influenza, and in 2009, another outbreak of H1N1 erupted, and was named an H1N1 variant. In 2019, H1N1 cases erupted in the ICE detention centers. Once a pathogen crosses…..
The rapid increase in covid-19 across Florida, Texas, Arizona and the rest of the south suggests more than person-to-person transmission may be behind the rapid increase in covid-19 cases. Legionnaire’s disease and chlamydia psittacosis are known to be capable of transmission through air conditioning systems. One study in China showed those seated at a restaurant and downwind of the air conditioning vent contracted the virus from a group of people at another table. Could the summer heat in the…..
Are some covid-19 positive patients truly asymptomatic? Were the asymptomatic patients tested by nose swab or PCR? PCR testing showing fragments of the virus does not necessarily indicate the patient is currently transmitting the virus, because transmission requires the virus be enclosed in a membrane. Fragments of the virus may indicate past infection, and can be a sign of immunity. It is unclear if a positive PCR test in an asymptomatic person proves the person can transmit covid-19 to others……
The study suggests the coronavirus mutated in Italy, which led to an increased viral load and increased transmissibility, but did not increase the virulence. Italy has a high number of elderly people, who are more like to have chronic underlying infections; and a high rate of rare diseases, which are likely caused by common intracellular pathogens, such as psittacosis, trachoma, or strep. Italians are at higher risk of chronic psittacosis from contact with infected birds; and are also impacted by…..
The covid-19 pandemic has proven to doctors, patients, and the world that one pathogen can cause one or more manifestations of disease, in the same person; and can cause different manifestations of disease in different patients. Sir William Osler described syphilis as “The Great Imitator”, because it mimics many diseases and syndromes, as it becomes chronic and causes different symptoms during different stages of the disease. Chlamydia species can also cause different manifestations of disease in the same patient and…..
We are under-utilizing our medical practitioners in the fight against covid-19. In order to understand what early treatments may benefit covid-19 patients, we suggest patients tested for covid-19 be asked if they are being tested because they are sick, are a contact, or are curious. Any patient with a positive test should be referred to a primary care doctor for potential treatments and offered enrollment in clinical trials that are attempting to determine the benefit of early treatment. Any sick…..
A viruses’ survival requires a balance between transmissibility and morbidity. SARS and MERS coronaviruses caused a rapid onset of severe symptoms and had a high fatality rate, which limited the spread of the virus. A surge of new covid-19 cases has been reported, and the news suggested the rate of Covid-19 patients may be 10x’s higher than reported. If the rate of covid-19 is 10x’s higher than reported, it suggests transmissibility may be higher and the fatality rate may…..
Research suggests childhood vaccines (MMR, BCG, and polio) may provide cross-reactivity and some protection against covid-19. Most people under 50 have received the MMR and polio vaccines. Starting in the 1990’s, children received two MMR vaccinations rather than one, when two was reported to give greater protection. Cross-reactivity with childhood vaccines could explain lesser symptoms or the absence of symptoms in children and younger adults; could provide an opportunity for stop-gap measures to control covid-19; and could provide new opportunities…..