IL-6 has been found to be a significant marker for severe disease and death from covid19. Chlamydia organisms have been shown to induce production of IL-6, and high IL-6 has been found in cardiovascular disease and many other chronic diseases. We discussed IL-6 as a marker for several chronic diseases in “The Origin of Disease: The War Within” (including heart disease, depression, aging, “inflammatory diseases”, mortality, etc.). We also discussed how co-infections with chronic chlamydia and viruses can cause more severe disease.
Macrolides can reduce inflammation and have been shown to reduce future cardiac events in patients with heart disease. Macrolides can also reduce inflammation and death in patients with influenza. Thus, macrolides have more benefits than are apparent, in chronic disease and in viral infections.
The fact high IL-6 is a significant marker for severe covid19 and IL-6 is also high in cardiovascular disease supports and explains why severe covid19 occurs in patients with cardiac disease–co-infections can increase inflammation and worsen the severity in covid19. Testing covid19 patients, including “long-haulers”, for chronic intracellular infections, could provide new avenues for treatment, and prevention of severe and long-standing disease.
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