We have been concerned about the impact of covid19 in patients with underlying chronic infections, particularly chlamydia psittacosis (also other forms of chlamydia, chronic streptococcus, and toxoplasmosis). Common sense suggests the rate of psittacosis in the population is much higher than reported, considering the prevalence of psittacosis in birds worldwide; the correlation between bird populations, bird migratory routes, and chronic diseases; the number and rate of chronic diseases known to be caused by psittacosis; and the lack of awareness.
Psittacosis pneumonia causes a high mortality in young and middle aged adults. In 1890, a pandemic of the Russian Flu caused high mortality among young and middle aged adults—simultaneously with a psittacosis outbreak in Europe. In the second wave of the 1918 pandemic, mortality was higher in young and middle aged adults—simultaneously with “small” outbreaks of psittacosis, one which was concurrent with the devastating influenza outbreak in Philadelphia. Now, covid19 variants have emerged, which also have a higher mortality in young and middle aged adults.
Birds worldwide are infected with C psittaci, which infects animals and humans, and causes many severe chronic diseases (which may be referred to as diseases of “unknown origin”). Psittacosis can harbor viruses as bacteriophages; and facilitate the spread of a virus, damage the immune system, and generate viral variants.
The attached July 2021 article gives an overview of psittacosis—the description and symptoms (and radiographic findings) are strikingly similar to those in new covid19 variants. Could underlying chronic psittacosis have combined with covid19 to induce severe disease and generate new viral variants?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538305/
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