Dr Mark's coronavirus update 25 May 2020 - a podcast by Dr Mark Donohoe

COVID-19 Blog ## Update Monday, May 25, 2020

* aerosols as well as droplets, so maybe distancing of less value in closed rooms and in the line of air flow from infected to uninfected

* Aerosols with long persistence in the air and carriage on air currents

* Droplets in sputum or talking that drop away pretty quickly

* Fomites and surface transmission probably not so high * Up to 3 days asymptomatic but contagious

* Face masks useful only when case numbers are high,

* Testing is problematic as still there is no “gold standard”, the PCR testing and antibody testing measure different things and should NOT be conflated

* PCR measures viral RNA that belongs to SARS-CoV-2 but which may not be infectious virus. Sometimes it settles after 14 days and sometimes it appears that infected individuals can carry actual viral particles for over 40 days

* Antibody testing is measurement of the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 developed during a COVID-19 infection. We do not know if it is protective, nor for how long it is protective. It’s the part of the immune response that any vaccine is likely to target.

* Persistent fatigue after COVID-19 - ?awakening of old EBV, coinfection

* I think the issue of coinfection and the consequences of reactivated old battles of our immune systems against herpesviruses and maybe mycoplasma, chlamydia and the like may be an issue

* Predispositions to persistent viral symptoms may depend on innate immune redispositions such as mannose-binding lectin deficiency or being a Lewis non-secretor. These allow for pathogen persistence or adhesion that may end up being important inherited risks for complications

* Natural therapies with evidence = Vit D and Vit A, probably zinc and ascorbate at mod doses * Olfactory loss - treatment with omega-3 fish oils and vit A nasal spray

* Clotting issues apparent now, maintaining omega-3, salicylates in diet and maybe even low dose asirin

* Up immunity to prevent and in early stages of the illness, then dampen down and settle so that 2nd phase does not get out of hand

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