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There is a whole body of research around the ways that vitamin D modulates inflammation, helps regulate calcium homeostasis and strengthens circadian rhythm. Here is some relevant research:
- vitamin D is directly involved in regulating the renin-angiotensin system, including ACE2 expression. ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999581/ )
- vitamin D has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity with respect to cytokines specifically involved in advanced COVID-19 cases ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164284/ )
- vitamin D and magnesium insufficiency both cause hypocalcemia, which has been connected to COVID-19 severity: ( https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-17575/v1 )
- magnesium and vitamin K2 also modulate calcium homeostasis ( you can look this one up yourself I need to get off this phone )
^^^ this is a snippet from a letter I sent to the local health department. I sure hope someone read it!
Abstract
As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread, a detailed understanding on the transmission mechanisms is of paramount importance. The disease transmits mainly through respiratory droplets and aerosol. Although models for the evaporation and trajectory of respiratory droplets have been developed, how the environment impacts the transmission of COVID-19 is still unclear. In this study, we investigate the propagation of respiratory droplets and aerosol particles generated by speech under a wide range of temperatures (0–40 °C) and relative humidity (0–92%) conditions. We show that droplets can travel three times farther in low-temperature and high-humidity environment, whereas the number of aerosol particles increases in high-temperature and low-humidity environments. The results also underscore the importance of proper ventilation, as droplets and aerosol spread significantly farther in airstreams. This study contributes to the understanding of the environmental impact on COVID-19 transmission.
According to ongoing research, about 10-15% of people develop long COVID. This is very similar to other postviral syndromes (e.g., measles). The most common symptoms of long COVID are:
Fatigue
Headache
Dyspea (shortness of breath)
Anosmia (loss of smell)
Pain with deep breaths, chest pain
Cough
Joint pain
Other symptoms that are also somewhat common in long COVID include:
Palpitations
Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
Concentration and memory issues
Tinnitus, earache
Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy (pins and needles, numbness)
Muscle pain
Depression
Within long COVID, there are two main patterns or constellations of ongoing symptoms:
Fatigue, headache, and upper respiratory complaints (shortness of breath, sore throat, persistent cough, loss of smell)
Ongoing fever and gastrointestinal symptoms
People who experience the following are more likely to experience long COVID:
Severe illness
Increasing age
Higher body mass index (BMI)
Female sex
Pre-existing asthma
Initial symptoms of shortness of breath
5 or more symptoms in the first week of infection
In particular, five or more symptoms within the first week are an especially strong predictor of a person going on to develop long COVID.
Like other postviral syndromes, long COVID symptoms are generally episodic, meaning they come and go. For this reason, it is especially important to pace one’s recovery slowly and to be patient with the amount of time it may take to regain previous health. For some individuals, this may mean 6-12 months (or more!) of recovery– a daunting thought for anyone who has not experienced chronic illness before.
Current research suggests that the underlying cause of long COVID involves the innate immune system (especially mast cells) and “cytokine storms” of immune molecules that drive excessive inflammation. There may also be differences in activation of the adaptive immune system (T and B cells) with a shift away from protection against viruses and towards parasites and fungi, for reasons not well understood. This may make it more difficult for the body to clear the virus as efficiently, leading towards an overdependence (and excessive activation) of the innate immune system.
Whatever is ultimately the cause(s) of long COVID, one thing is for certain: It is shining an uncomfortable light on chronic conditions like ME/CFS, MCAS, and POTS, which have typically been ignored by mainstream medicine. Now that we are seeing such large numbers of postviral sufferers in relation to a virus that, at least in some cases, is clinically documented, it makes it extremely difficult for naysayers to continue to deny the links between certain viral infections and chronic illness. Although the numbers of deaths and the toll on overall health and quality of life have been heartbreaking, one silver lining to all of this is the medical community and science can no longer wash away patients’ complaints with a broad psychogenic brush and simply label them as “head cases.”
We must now recognize that these, fundamentally, are immune disorders and they can indeed be triggered by infection.
Some individuals– particularly those out in the community and not studied in a hospital setting– may experience what is known as a “postviral syndrome”– a range of symptoms, often including chronic fatigue, which are typically seen in other postviral syndromes (e.g., Epstein-Barr virus, herpes, Rubella, etc.). These symptoms are most reminiscent of conditions like myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and various dysautonomias like postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
Other people, particularly those who experience severe acute symptoms necessitating hospitalization, are more likely to have chronic illness as a result of organ damage, such as damage to the lungs, heart, or kidneys. This may be either the result of damage due to replication of the virus or because of injury related to treatment, such as ventilation.
Unfortunately, many articles use the term “long hauler” interchangeably for these two groups of people, who may have very different presentations, prognoses, and treatment requirements. So, be wary when reading long hauler articles as to whether they are focusing on patients coming from a hospital setting or out in the community as different subtypes may be overrepresented in these two groups.
§ê¢rꆧ » 01 Dec 2020 02:08 wrote:Yes, thanks, I didn't mean to excise that part, just poor copypasta on my part. That part is important because it clarifies that it's not *just* people with apparent organ damage, or just people who were hospitalized, who seem to be dealing with long-term Covid symptoms.
And, for how long? Well we don't know yet. It could turn out that people have to live with debilitating symptoms for the rest of their lives, like the other postviral conditions the author lists.
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