June 1st, 2020
1) Blood groups matter for SARS2 infection risk. Ever since SARS1 occurred in 2008, researchers have been looking at human blood group antigens as a risk factor for coronaviral infections and morbidity. It appears from the literature that individuals with blood group A have the highest risk of contracting SARS while blood group O has the lowest risk. The antibody anti A which occurs with blood groups O and B is inhibitory to the coronaviral spike protein adhesion to the ACE2 receptor in humans. This effectively decreases viral cell penetration and replication making disease less likely.
Cooling Clinical Rev in Microbiology Article
Guillon Glycobiology Article
Abdollahi Iranian J of Pathology
Chinese Journal Studies 1 , 2
Dai European J of Preventative Cardiology
MMWR Report
2) "Among 1,482 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 74.5% were aged ≥50 years, and 54.4% were male. The hospitalization rate among patients identified through COVID-NET during this 4-week period was 4.6 per 100,000 population. Rates were highest (13.8) among adults aged ≥65 years. Among 178 (12%) adult patients with data on underlying conditions as of March 30, 2020, 89.3% had one or more underlying conditions; the most common were hypertension (49.7%), obesity (48.3%), chronic lung disease (34.6%), diabetes mellitus (28.3%), and cardiovascular disease (27.8%)."
"These findings suggest that older adults have elevated rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalization and the majority of persons hospitalized with COVID-19 have underlying medical conditions. These findings underscore the importance of preventive measures (e.g., social distancing, respiratory hygiene, and wearing face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain) to protect older adults and persons with underlying medical conditions." (MMWR report)
We have clear and defined risk factors as noted above as well as CDC derived physical prevention measures. The HUGE problem with the prevention measures is a picture of INSANITY to me. There is not a mention of the dietary, stress, physical activity and other lifestyle factors that play massive roles in risk of death. The CDC webpage for prevention mentions nothing about these risk mitigators. When you google: covid prevention strategies, the responses are all the same until the first true prevention comprehensive site by the IFM occurs. This is a really sad state of affairs for medicine. Everyone in medicine knows the antecedent triggers to paragraph one above is inflammation. The triggers of which have been dutifully covered in this newsletter but gets zero coverage by the popular press or government. How is it sexier to discuss social distancing and hand washing that over time is a net negative to human health physically and mentally while all of the recommended lifestyle changes for inflammation reduction are net positives for human longevity as well as mental and physical health.
Why are we not publishing articles on true inflammation reduction and death prevention for all disease and not just SARS2? All of the social distancing and physical measures have great merit for now, but forever? I think not. The lifestyle changes recommended are life sustaining into eternity until old age catches you!
MMWR Report
Salisbury Pediatrics Covid Recommendations
Salisbury Pediatrics Covid Immune Understanding
Salisbury Pediatrics Covid Supplement Recs