This systematic review and network meta-analysis investigated whether different vitamins, nutrients and dietary supplements can affect recovery and inflammation in adults with COVID-19. The researchers compiled 45 randomized controlled trials from 18 countries with a total of 3,793 patients.
The results show that some supplements can affect individual markers of inflammation. Vitamin C together with standard treatment reduced the inflammatory marker IL-6, while nanocurcumin increased the number of lymphocytes. Pomegranate juice also affected the ratio between neutrophils and lymphocytes, but the results were more uncertain and partly contradictory.
Most importantly, however, the researchers did not see any definite improvement in several clinically important outcomes. The dietary supplements did not reduce mortality and had no clear effect on, among other things, CRP, white blood cell count, neutrophils, fever, headache, cough or shortness of breath compared with standard treatment.
The researchers also emphasize that the results must be interpreted with caution. For several comparisons, the number of patients was small, a large part of the results were based on indirect comparisons and the evidence was often assessed as low or very low. Of the 45 included studies, 13 had a high risk of bias and a further eight had some methodological issues. The researchers themselves point out that the very large estimated reduction in IL-6 with vitamin C is likely unstable and should not be considered a reliable measure of treatment effect. The conclusion is therefore not that vitamins or dietary supplements can replace standard Covid treatment. Rather, the study shows that certain supplements can possibly affect specific laboratory values and therefore may be interesting as complementary treatment in certain situations. However, there is not yet strong enough evidence to say that they improve the most important clinical outcomes, and larger and better randomized studies are needed.
Text translated from Swedish, originally written by Patrik Andersson and published in Facebook group SARS-CoV-2 Omvärldsbevakning
Category: Immune system
A new large study of over 1,150 people hospitalized for COVID-19 shows that an infection with SARS-CoV-2 can activate viruses that had previously been dormant in the body. Almost half of the patients experienced such a virus reactivation, even though they had no known compromised immune system.
The researchers found that Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and so-called anelloviruses, among others, became active during different stages of the disease. People in whom these viruses were reactivated more often had a more severe COVID-19 in the first few weeks.
The study also investigated whether virus reactivation could be linked to long-term COVID. Unlike some previous studies, no clear connection was found between Epstein–Barr virus and long-term symptoms. However, a connection was seen between activation of anelloviruses and persistent symptoms such as fatigue and reduced physical strength. However, the researchers emphasize that the study cannot prove that the viruses cause the symptoms – only that they occur together.
The results also suggest that activated anelloviruses can affect the immune system and contribute to impaired immune regulation, but this needs to be confirmed in more studies.
The researchers point out that the participants in the study were unvaccinated and were infected with the early variants of the coronavirus before mid-2021. Therefore, it cannot be said that the results apply in the same way to people who have been vaccinated or infected with later virus variants.
The next step will be to investigate whether drugs that can prevent dormant viruses from activating can also reduce the risk of or alleviate long-term symptoms after covid-19. This could provide a better understanding of why some people develop long-term covid while others recover completely. (Translated from Swedish text written by Patrik Andersson in FB group SARS-CoV-2 Omvärldsbevakning )
The article describes an unusual but serious case in which a person with a pre-existing inflammatory disease (psoriasis) became severely impaired after a covid-19 infection.
After the person had covid, a high fever, severe skin rashes and a general deterioration in condition quickly developed. It turned out to be a severe form of psoriasis that can affect the entire body and in some cases become life-threatening. This type of deterioration is unusual but known in medicine.
The researchers explain this by how the immune system reacts. Covid-19 can affect the immune system for a long time, even after the infection itself has passed. In some people, this can lead to the immune system becoming overactive and starting to drive inflammation in the body. If you already have an inflammatory disease, it can then flare up severely.
They point out in particular that certain immune cells and signaling substances in the body can increase after the infection, which can create an imbalance that triggers the disease. So it is no longer about the virus itself, but about how the body reacts afterwards.
The conclusion is that in some cases, COVID-19 can act as a trigger for serious inflammatory conditions, especially in people who already have a vulnerability. This does not mean that this is common, but it shows that the infection can have more long-term and complex effects than just an acute respiratory illness.
Credit: Patrik Andersson, Sweden
Nope. Been debunked for both infections and allergens.
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/is-the-hygiene-hypothesis-true
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What SARS-CoV-2 Does to the Body (2nd Edition, July 2023)
An extensive compilation of links to studies and statistics on what SARS-Cov-2 does to your body, brain etc. And it is way worse than most people know.
https://www.panaccindex.info/p/what-sars-cov-2-does-to-the-body
Early on in the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic findings indicated that the virus penetrated the blood-brain barrier and entered the brain. Since then more and more have been found that points to SARS-Cov-2 sticking around for long after seemingly recovering from Covid.
When a cell gets infected by SARS-Cov-2 it causes chaos in the cells RNA functions in many different ways and ultimately creates havoc in how the cell functions.
https://www.gu.se/en/news/coronavirus-causes-chaos-in-infected-cells-rna
The Hygiene Hypothesis has been under debate for quite a few years, or rather decades, and it is time to scrap it; the immune system doesn’t work like that. We don’t need repeated infections to stay health and have a functioning immune defense.
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Adults Air cleaners Antibodies BA.4/BA.5 bivalent mRNA vaccines Break through infection Breathing protection CD14+ monocytes - White blood cells Children Exhausted T-cells Immune system Long Covid mRNA Vaccines Other respiratory viruses Other viruses Protection T-cells The Virus Traditional vaccines Transmission Transmission and mitigation Vaccines
COVID-19’s impact on the immune system, and how this may affect subsequent infections
Covid-19 opens up your immune defense for further infections.
It is clear people with Long Covid have arrays of health problems. Usually n ot only one symptom, but a whole bunch of them. The risk of dying is also more than twice as high
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2802095