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Keith Roach, To Your Health Published 6:07 p.m. ET June 19, 2020

Dear Dr. Roach: My wife and I are 74 and in good health. Recently, I started reading about vitamin D and its effect on the immune system. We both had a vitamin D blood test for the first time ever, despite having almost yearly blood tests for the past 40 years. My level was 32 nanograms per milliliter, and hers was 22. She is now taking 50,000 IU of vitamin D weekly on doctors orders. Her blood level is considered insufficient, and mine is barely over the optimal level, although the optimal extends to 100 ng. We have both taken multivitamins for years. How did we get so low, and are our are immune systems compromised? What levels should we be trying to achieve?

E.

Dear E.: Vitamin D has many effects on different tissues of the body, but the data showing definitive benefit to treatment mostly comes from its effect on bone.

Most of the bodys immune cells have the receptor for vitamin D, but evidence that treatment of low vitamin D improves immune function is scant. Randomized trials have examined the effect of vitamin D on upper respiratory infections and tuberculosis, but the benefit was limited to people with VERY low vitamin D levels (less than 10 ng/mL). Studies are ongoing to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on infection in general, but since very low levels should be treated anyway from the standpoint of bones, there is currently no indication to treat low vitamin D solely in order to prevent or treat infection.

The target level of vitamin D remains controversial. Most experts recommend levels between 20 and 50, which is usually achievable with vitamin D3 doses of 800-2,000 IU daily (I prefer daily to weekly dosing).

Dear Dr. Roach: This 83-year-old male has lost three contemporaries recently to lung diseases: pneumonia, COPD and cancer. Now, the public has been thoroughly educated on the hazards to lung health, such as cigarette smoking, coal mining and asbestos handling. And diet and exercise are promoted for such things as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal health, but Ive never seen comparable advice for lung health. Are there any exercises to perform, substances to inhale or foods to eat that will promote my lungs longevity?

R.J.B.

Dear R.J.B.: Humans have enormous lungs if spread out, the surface area of a lung is roughly the size of a tennis court! In a healthy person, lung function rarely, if ever, limits performance. Over time, lung function slowly decreases, and a reasonable goal would be to slow that decrease. Mostly, that means avoiding factors that damage the lung: These are cigarette smoke; other lung irritants such as cooking smoke; indoor and outdoor air pollution; the occupational hazards you mention; and radon in the home. Get your house checked if you live in an area where this is likely; find out where at tinyurl.com/CDC-radon.

There are some proactive steps you can take. One is to reduce your likelihood of infection. Getting your flu shot yearly and your pneumonia vaccines when recommended will help. Serious infection can cause permanent loss of lung function. Diet, especially fruits, have been correlated to improved lung function. Regular, moderate exercise has likewise been shown to slow lung function loss and it certainly helps muscles including the muscles needed to breathe. It also allows cells to get better at extracting oxygen from the blood.

Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

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Dr. Roach: Does vitamin D have an effect on immunity? - The Detroit News

With coronavirus likely to be with us for the foreseeable future and flu season here already, theres a lot of talk around boosting our immune systems.

Protecting and optimising your immune system is a totally different thing from having immunity. Having immunity means a persons body contains certain antibodies to combat a specific virus as it tries to take hold. When people talk about boosting or bolstering immunity, meanwhile, they are referring to supporting your immune system the network of cells, tissues and organs that defend your body against infection to function as best it can.

In other words, an optimally-functioning immune system will not prevent you from contracting Covid-19 for which there is currently no vaccine or other viruses such as the flu. But making sure your immune response is functioning as well as it can is one way to help your body fight infection when it does happen.

Its important to be cautious about unfounded advice in this space, especially given the lack of regulation in the wellness industry and the misguided idea that, by eating right or taking vitamin supplements, one could build some sort of forcefield against infection you cant. (Many doctors bristle at use of the word "boost" to talk about immunity for just this reason.)

So, what can you do to make sure your immune response is as good as it can be? Does meditation help? Should you be taking certain vitamins? What about exercise? And what are the myths to be aware of?

We spoke with a doctor, a sleep expert and a nutritionist about the concrete, everyday things you can do to help many of which can be done without leaving your home or purchasing anything and things that wont really help at all.

Professor Danny Eckert: get outside, get moving and get enough sleep

Danny Eckert, a professor in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Adelaides Flinders University and the director of the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, says there are three vital pillars that strengthen the multiple components of the bodys immune response: exercise, diet and sleep.

Insufficient sleep that is, less than eight hours a night and excessive alcohol consumption can negatively impact your immune system, Eckert says. He cites a 2009 study in which people exposed to the virus that causes the common cold were five times more likely to contract it if theyd slept less than seven hours a night or had poor sleep.

Regular aerobic exercise outside, such as brisk walking, cycling, running, or swimming, also helps to strengthen the bodys immune response, he adds.

Getting the body moving isnt just important for your physical health its almost important for your mental wellbeing, and psychological factors have been shown to contribute to the overall wellbeing of the immune system.

Stress is the immune systems enemy, Eckert says, as its inflammatory and can increase the level of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is harmful, Eckert says [because the body] gets used to it and stops responding in the protective way that it should, [decreasing] the ability to lower inflammation and decreasing white blood cells (lymphocytes), which help fight infection. Over time, long-term stress can take energy away from the bodys normal processes, leaving it less able to defend itself.

While indoor exercise is beneficial, being outdoors means you also get a much-needed dose of Vitamin D, which has a positive effect on your immune system and response. Dont spend too much time soaking up rays though, Eckert says. He recommends just a few minutes outside on most days of the week.

Vitamin C can also be helpful in immune support, he says, but is best obtained from a well-balanced diet rather than loading up on supplements. And its important to note that the vitamins mythic status as a cold and illness preventative is overblown.

Doctor Femke Buisman-Pijlman: reduce stress, as psychological factors impact your immune system health

Like Eckert, Dr Femke Buisman-Pijlman says getting enough rest, eating well, exercising and reducing stress all play a part in keeping your immune system strong and healthy. The associate professor at the University of Melbourne and specialist in pharmacology also emphasises that psychological factors are proven to play a part in the overall wellbeing of the immune system.

The immune system is made up of a very extensive system of proteins and cells that circulate in the body and brain, she explains.

Our immune system doesnt function alone, rather, it works in concert with other systems such as the central nervous system and the stress system (known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, or HPA axis).

Research has shown that some mental health problems are associated with, or may even result, from an imbalance in specific factors in the immune system, says Buisman-Pijlman. So, your psychological state is clearly linked to how well your immune system can respond, and this also works in the other direction. Feeling down when you are sick is an example of this.

Even a temporary lull in stress triggers can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing, she says. The hormone oxytocin, for example, associated with feelings of wellbeing, love and bonding, can be produced through exercise and physical contact, and is one source of stress reduction.

Nutritionist and naturopath Katrina Schilling: eat a nutritious diet and avoid processed foods, alcohol and smoking and try meditation and mindfulness to alleviate stress

The immune system depends on a broad spectrum of things to thrive, including nutrients from food, homeostasis, which is the biochemical balance of hormones, and commensal microbiology, which is the healthy populations of microorganisms in and on the body, nutritionist Katrina Schilling says.

She highlights the importance of caring for your gut microbiome population in supporting healthy immune function. Meaning? Looking after the community of bugs living in the human gastrointestinal tract and their genes. (She cites two recent studies that demonstrate how intestinal microbes support and regulate the immune system and response.)

Minimise processed foods lacking micronutrients and fibre; avoid diets high in animal protein, fat and refined sugars; avoid excess alcohol, smoking, heavy environmental pollution and a sedentary lifestyle, Schilling recommends, as these things can negatively affect the development of vital gut microbes.

Eating nutrient-rich fresh vegetables and fruits as well as nuts, legumes and whole grains will support gut health, she says. Grapes, berries, cocoa and grains (which contain polyphenol micronutrients, which are full of antioxidants) are particularly good in this regard.

Schilling also recommends consuming moderate amounts of safely-produced fermented foods which are full of digestive-tract strengthening probiotics such as yoghurt, kimchi and sauerkraut.

With approval from your doctor or pharmacist, Schilling says you can also look into taking probiotic supplements that contain lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. Speaking of supplements, she warns against the common myth that more is better in terms of higher percentages in a vitamin.

This couldnt be further from the truth. Looking for the biggest number on the front bottle label may not be doing you any favours and may not even correlate to the actual active content. In fact, it can be harmful to supplement ones diet if the added level of mineral, vitamin or probiotic isnt needed.

Instead, Schilling says that supplement quality matters above all its important to make sure the product is of high quality and actually contains the ingredients on the label.

Vitamin D and zinc are two nutrients commonly linked to healthy immune function, increased anti-microbial peptides and defence against infection, she says. The former can be obtained from safe sunlight exposure, as well as oily fish, eggs, fortified milk and some mushrooms. The latter can be found in sunflower and pumpkin seeds, whole grains, egg yolks, oysters, beef and bilberries.

Schilling, like Eckert and Buisman-Pijlman, is also a big advocate for reducing stress to help strengthen the immune system. She recommends meditation and walks in nature to relieve anxiety and tension, and points to the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing which involves short, leisurely forest visits as a particularly enjoyable way to do this. Its been shown to reduce stress biomarkers and increase the population of cells that would combat a virus, she says.

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How to Optimise Your Immune System, According to a Doctor, a Nutritionist and a Sleep Expert - Broadsheet

The workings of the human immune system are fascinating and particularly vital through the coronavirus outbreak. Whereas the immune systems armamentarium of stem cells, helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells and different fighters is spectacular, so is the armamentarium {that a} virus makes use of to invade cells and make them factories to duplicate it.

A vivid and entertaining video, The Wonderful Immunology of our Viral Difficulty and Herd Immunity Revelations! describes the continued warfare between your immune system and an invading virus, reminiscent of COVID-19. It was not too long ago created by Ivor Cummins, a chemical engineer who runs the well being web site The Fats Emperor.1 Creon Levit, chief scientist of Planet Labs, was the visitor.

Levit, who has collaborated with prime immunologists, is an expert utilized physicist who beforehand served as an aerospace engineer at NASA for over 35 years.2 Planet Labs is a personal satellite tv for pc knowledge firm that operates over 300 imaging satellites within the Earths low orbit.3

In The Wonderful Immunology of our Viral Difficulty and Herd Immunity Revelations! Levit showcases in vivid charts and visuals the various intricacies and cell signalings that allow the immune system to battle viruses like COVID-19 in addition to how viruses like COVID-19 can battle again.

An particularly burning query that Levit and Cummins handle is that if and the way herd immunity will be achieved in opposition to COVID-19. They attain some shocking findings.

Its generally believed that the one individuals who could have grow to be resistant to COVID-19 are those that present antibodies when theyre examined, says Cummins, and a rustics herd immunity is commonly primarily based on the outcomes of such checks. For instance, if 7% or 8% of a inhabitants have antibodies, its assumed {that a} nation has solely that low p.c of herd immunity. This can be a false impression, say each males within the video.

The science suggests that folks could have a major quantity of de facto or efficient immunity with out exhibiting antibodies, they are saying. For instance, some individuals, known as denatured or barriered circumstances, could have been uncovered to the virus however, not like these round them, didnt grow to be in poor health. In keeping with Lev:4

due to these individualss both luck or their wholesome metabolisms, the virus will get blocked via mucous membranes and different types of issues and it by no means truly infects their cells due to this fact they dont seem to be even mounting an immune response and so they may get challenged once more and maybe contaminated.

However, some quantity of people that get uncovered do not get the illness, not a lot due to a traditional immune response as a result of it is simply blocked via their physique membranes and kind of nonspecific processes.

In keeping with Cummins, if such individuals get previous the virus they dont seem to be going to be a spreader except they get an enormous viral load that is a lot larger ought to the virus come alongside once more. These individuals will not be contributors to herd immunity per se however theyre much less prone to getting the illness, clarifies Levit.5

Different individuals could contribute to a areas herd immunity too, but are sometimes not detected via present antibody checks which might be administered. Amongst these individuals are these thought-about to have an innate or cleared standing, which suggests, based on Levit:6

that sure facets of your immune system, sure antibodies and sure different signaling processes can stop or clear a viral an infection regardless that you have by no means been uncovered to that specific virus earlier than regardless that you havent any immunological reminiscence.

Such generalized immune responses that may acknowledge and battle viruses which have by no means been encountered earlier than are seen all through the animal world, particularly in primitive animals and even in microbial life, says Levit.7

The one immune system theyve is a generic system that targets usually all micro organism or usually all viruses and so this isnt a factor the place youd have particular antibodies to a selected virus, however you may have signaling the place virally contaminated cells do sure issues. After which the immune system begins setting close by cells into kind of antiviral modes

some individuals handle to battle off the infections presumably utilizing their innate immune system with out essentially getting sick, and producing adaptive or acquired immune response they actually did have an immune battle. They are going to go on to be de facto herd immunity contributors to society however they will not present antibodies.

In keeping with the video, mammalian immune programs have developed to focus on particular viruses or households of viruses and are all primarily based on T cells lymphocytes produced or processed by the thymus gland.

If somebody is contaminated with a virus, their physique can mount a T cell response focusing on that specific virus and the contaminated cells, particularly after they have immunological reminiscence. Immunological reminiscence is a well known idea, says Levit:

We have all heard about this, like when you get resistant to one thing you may keep immune for years or in your entire life. You may have immunological reminiscence that you just get from viruses that arent similar to the present virus however are comparable.

Prior an infection with SARS or different coronaviruses just like the widespread chilly could present such prior immunity and immunological reminiscence, says Levit.8 Your T cell system could act to clear your physique of the an infection attributable to comparable however not similar viruses. Notably, he says, this may occur with out producing a number of antibodies.

Furthermore, says Levit, COVID-19 antibody checks solely check for a small fraction of the potential antibodies in opposition to COVID.

One of the wonderful immune system elements depicted in The Wonderful Immunology of our Viral Difficulty are T cells. Their instinct and flexibility in combating invading viruses is simply wanting miraculous. In keeping with Levit there are:9

many a whole lot of hundreds or tens of millions of various kinds of T cells and the distinction between one T cell and one other is that every one is focused to acknowledge a selected peptide fragment held in an MHC [major histocompatibility complex] molecule.

The one ones which might be in your life while youre now not properly, the one ones which might be in your circulation throughout regular life are ones that concentrate on non-self proteins.

All of the T cells that concentrate on self proteins get eradicated in your thymus while youre very younger so that you solely have T cells circulating in your physique that concentrate on MHC that is holding non-self peptides.[This kind of T cell] is a selected variant of a T cell that solely acknowledges this one explicit non-self peptide it acknowledges stuff you have by no means seen earlier than like SARS-CoV-2.

B cells, lymphocytes not processed by the thymus gland, T cells and MHC (main histocompatibility advanced) genes that encode main antigens may mount immunological responses, says Levit.10

That is mainly that when you have by no means seen the virus earlier than and also you mount an immune response that begins with T cells and MHC you may clear the an infection out of your physique utilizing quite a lot of totally different mechanisms Its not essentially the case that it will activate a system that produces the antibodies that the antibody check checks for

Your an infection could get cleared in precept by one of many T cell mediated pathways like cytotoxic T cells that are not examined for by the antibody check.

Individuals who have efficiently fought COVID-19 this manner are contributing to herd immunity within the society however with out triggering the check, Cummins summarizes. Those that are examined for COVID-19 antibodies however obtain a false adverse outcome after they truly harbor the coronavirus antibodies additionally contribute to herd immunity. Its not clear how typically this occurs, the boys agree.

A virus agenda is to duplicate itself in a numbers cells. Not like micro organism, a virus cant reproduce by itself. However, says Levit, if a thousand viruses get into your physique from somebodys sneeze and they do not get into your cells to breed, they do no hurt. Theres only a thousand floating round and so they go nowhere.11

The various proteins that the virus wants to duplicate and infect different cells are buried contained in the virus the place antibodies wont ever see it, so they wont set off a response when the virus is freely floating round on this method, says Levit.

However, and its a massive however, viruses are cagey and use spike proteins to invade a numbers cells, factors out Levig.12

The virus subverts your cell after which ultimately the cell begins budding viruses out from its personal membranes after which ultimately the cell can grow to be virtually like a virus crystal. It may be so taken over with viruses that it simply stops functioning The viruses have even perhaps contaminated the nucleus [of the cell] so the cells a goner.

Ideally, the physiques immune system wont let the virus enter, says Levit.13

One factor your physique can do if it has the fitting antibodies to eliminate viruses is that it could possibly simply utterly encompass the virus. It may trigger it to cease working as a result of there is no extra uncovered spike protein to make use of to sneak right into a cell.

Additionally, as soon as the virus is surrounded by antibodies, different elements of the immune system know that in the event that they see one thing surrounded by antibodies, that factor needs to be digested and eliminated the virus itself as a ball or sphere has bought identifiable proteins. When youve got reminiscence and youve got constructed antibodies it may be attacked immediately as an entity as a virus.

On the conclusion of this glorious video, you mayt assist however be amazed on the intelligence of your immune system in mobilizing defenses in opposition to viruses like COVID-19 in addition to different pathogens.

The refined methods by which your immune system acknowledges invading viruses additionally counsel that herd immunity in opposition to COVID-19 could also be a lot larger than that estimated by public well being officers. As Levit summarizes on the finish of the video:14

it seems that there could very properly be a set of people that have been contaminated with COVID however who arent producing antibodies, maybe as a result of these different immunological mechanisms, T cells or [the] innate system or each cleared them successfully earlier than they began producing a variety of antibodies.

Additionally, conversely, weve got this different phenomenon {that a} bunch of people thatve by no means been contaminated with COVID already seem to have among the immunological equipment thats partially specialised to coping with COVID as a result of they have been contaminated with homologous viruses prior to now.

One conclusion that may be drawn from the video is that antibody checks as a foundation for projected herd immunity are clearly not efficient. Those that could have been contaminated dont essentially harbor antibodies, together with asymptomatic individuals whose sicknesses werent detectable.15

On the videos shut, Cummins expresses awe on the many-faceted human immune system designed to maintain you wholesome and promote herd immunity.

I might assume that [it is] essentially the most unique immunological equipment within the universe this entire system you described that is not the antibody system, however the entire T cell system [that] has been developed and I might guess it is fairly rattling efficient after one million years of evolution.

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The whole lot You Needed to Know About Your Immune System - Editorials 360

Some children have developed a severe inflammatory response due to COVID-19 infection that appears similar to Kawasaki disease. Doctors are referring to this response as paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Although severe COVID-19 illness is less frequent in children, it is still significant. Further research into MIS-C could provide insights on how COVID-19 affects the immune system and how it can be treated, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

Ana Fernandez Menjivar, MSc DLSHTM, Senior Epidemiologistat GlobalData, comments, As our understanding of COVID-19 grows, and as patients continue to recover, more additional long-term complications and rare effects on various demographics could emerge. As a result, it will be a while before we gain a full understanding of the medical impacts of this disease. This paediatric syndrome has been tied to the COVID-19 because most cases either tested positive at the time their symptoms developed or had a positive antibody test. While this new syndrome has similarities to Kawasaki disease, an observational study from Italy and a review of cases in New York City, US has highlighted differences between the two diseases.

Kawasaki disease can have long-term cardiovascular complications. Future longitudinal studies will have to be conducted to determine if MIS-C patients will have similar issues.

To date, there have been 157 suspected cases of paediatric MIS-C reported in New York State, and approximately 230 combined suspected cases in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, among others.

Menjivarconcludes, Even though a small proportion of confirmed cases of COVID-19 occur in the population under the age of 18 years and paediatric MIS-C appears to be a rare complication, studies such as the one carried out in Italy can provide valuable insight. Observational studies can shed light on the immune response that COVID-19 triggers in children and promote data collection efforts, which can lead to a better understanding of how the virus works and possible treatment options.

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MIS-C research can give insights on COVID-19 effect on immune system - Express Pharma

NBCs Today Show health expert Joy Bauer knows that a strong immune system is vital to help ward off disease.

Reducing stress, exercising, eating antioxidant-rich foods, and getting a good nights sleep can help individuals stay healthy, especially during a pandemic. Although eating a bowl of chips while binging on Netflix may have been the norm at the beginning of the crisis, Bauer says now is the time to get off the couch, nourish your body with healthy foods, and get a good night of sleep.

She told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that boosting your immune system doesnt have to be complicated, require an expensive gym membership, or involve a complex nutrition plan.

Its really a combination of looking and feeling our best, she says. But at the same time every single physician you talk to now, they make strengthening the immune system their top priority.

Bauer acknowledged that a number of Americans are re-emerging into society after being in a COVID-19 cocoon. Some people may have added a few pounds to their frame due to the stress of being locked down too.

But she views this as a unique opportunity for Americans to get serious about their health. Because its about survival, she remarks. One transformative aspect of the lockdown is that many people have become better home chefs. So rather than hitting the same pasta recipe, Bauer suggests weaving immune-boosting foods into meals.

RELATED: Today Shows Joy Bauer Says These 4 Foods Can Keep You Looking Young

Specifically [meals] loaded with produce and antioxidants, she suggests. Now is the time to find recipes that you can create around your repertoire and learn how to make things that are healthy and immune-boosting.

Plan out your week with at least three or four meals for each meal category, to keep the variety fresh. Thinking ahead means youll be better prepared at the grocery store and more likely to save money. Going back to the office? Double up on the recipes, portion out sizes, and store extras in the freezer. When its time to head to work, grab a packaged meal, and go. Dont forget to date your stored items.

Bauer recommends integrating Vitamin C immune-rich produce, such as citrus and mangos, into daily meals. Also, consider zinc to boost your immune system. Zinc-rich foods include cashews and pumpkin seeds.

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Vitamin D is also important. It plays a major role in the immune system, she says. Milk and milk alternatives are good sources. But the important resource is salmon. The omega-3 fats with salmon are so great for every part from head to toe of your body, she says. Bauer also shared three immune-boosting recipes. They include loaded bell pepper nachos, plus her longevity smoothie and mango-ginger cashew smoothie.

Not feeling comfortable going back to the gym just yet? Bauer says taking a walk every day will give you the immune-boosting exercise your body craves. The easiest thing anybody can do to boost their immune system, mood and regulate weight from the exercise standpoint is just put on your sneakers and walk for at least 30 minutes a day, she remarks.

RELATED: 5 Healthy Habits You Should Remember Every Day

Its so simple and the health payoff is tremendous, Bauer adds. I always tell people to do it first thing in the morning because I think it sets you up to have a productive day. We know from research it boosts your mood. Harvard Health cited additional benefits, which include a possible cancer risk reduction, reduced sugar cravings, and less joint pain.

Bauer suggests using the time to catch up with friends on the phone or to listen to a book on tape. Make a deal that you are only going to listen to the audio when you are exercising, she suggests. Also, find a podcast to dive into for fun.

Bauer says the third key to a strong immune system is getting a good night of sleep. Sleep has gotten so much attention within this last year, even prior to the COVID stuff, she says. Being sleep deprived is directly related to increased levels of stress, being overweight, and having Type 2 diabetes. Also having memory issues.

RELATED: Today Show: Former Co-Host Kathie Lee Gifford Said She Would Get Creamed For Talking About This On the Air

People should try to aim for seven to eight hours a night, she recommends. But with people experiencing anxiety and stress, how can you still grab those vital hours of shut-eye? One of the things people can do is drink a calming cup of chamomile tea, Bauer says. Avoid drinking alcohol and also keep technology, such as phones and tablets, out of the bedroom.

And melatonin for sure, she says. Melatonin is a hormone and it helps to regulate our sleep-wake cycle. Bauer recently partnered with Life Extensions Fast- Acting Melatonin. Its a citrus vanilla [flavor], she describes. And it helps you get a restful sleep pattern.

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Joy Bauer of the 'Today Show' Shares 3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Immune System - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

By: PTI | Beijing | Published: June 18, 2020 6:26:57 pm In the study, the researchers studied 37 asymptomatic people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection from the Wanzhou district in China, before 10 April 2020.

COVID-19 patients who do not show any symptoms of the disease may have a weaker immune response to the virus, according to a new study which highlights the risks of using immunity passports to certify that a person has recovered from COVID-19, and is fit for travel and work.

The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, presents an analysis of the clinical and immunological manifestations of 37 asymptomatic patients infected with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

It found that these patients had an average duration of viral shedding of 19 days, compared with 14 days in another group of 37 patients who showed symptoms of the disease.

According to the scientists from the Chongqing Medical University in China, most people infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience a mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms that include fever, cough, and shortness of breath that may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

In the study, the researchers studied 37 asymptomatic people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection from the Wanzhou district in China, before 10 April 2020.

Of these asymptomatic patients from a group of 178 people with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 22 were female and 15 male, with ages ranging from 8 to 75 years, the scientists said.

In comparison to symptomatic patients, the asymptomatic group had a significantly longer duration of viral shedding, with a viral shedding time of 19 days, they wrote in the study.

According to the study, the levels of virus-specific immune system molecules called IgG antibodies were significantly lower in the asymptomatic group than in the symptomatic group during the acute phase of infection when the virus could be detected in the respiratory tract.

Eight weeks after the patients were discharged from the hospital, the researchers said the levels of neutralising antibodies decreased in more than 8o per cent of asymptomatic patients, compared with about 62 per cent of symptomatic patients.

They added that the asymptomatic patients also had lower levels of 18 pro- and anti-inflammatory cell-cell signalling proteins called cytokines.

Based on these observations, the scientists believe that the asymptomatic patients may have had a weaker immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The IgG antibody levels in the patients also began to diminish within three months of infection in a large proportion of the asymptomatic patients, the study noted.

This finding, along with previous analyses of neutralising antibodies in patients recovering from COVID-19, highlights the potential risks of using immunity passports, and supports the continuation of public-health interventions and widespread testing, the researchers said.

They believe that further research in larger groups of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients is urgently needed to determine the duration of antibody-based immunity.

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COVID-19 patients without disease symptoms may have weaker immune response: Study - The Indian Express

Boost your immunity to sail through the Monsoon

New Delhi, June 22 (IANSlife) This year has been nothing short of eventful so far, and with monsoon knocking at our doors, little modifications in our diet can save us from more unwanted trouble on the health front.

It is a cue for everyone to adopt a diet that suits the changing weather, which brings with it seasonal maladies such as the flu, allergies, and infections.

With the worldwide threat of the coronavirus pandemic looming at large, now is not the time to get sick and be privy to a whole lot of infections. The period calls for building a strong and robust immunity that will help you steer clear of the season''s diseases.

The best way to go about it is practicing a balanced lifestyle which involves nutritious eating habits, plenty of exercise, yoga and meditation, deep sleep and a positive outlook towards life. Eating right is perhaps the most crucial aspect towards a healthy and disease free body, Gaia founder and director Dolly Kumar told IANSlife.

Here is her list of five super-healthy foods that will not only boost your immunity and health but also ensure that you remain active and focused during the day.

Green tea

Every Indian loves a nice cup of steaming hot tea especially during the monsoon hours. Sipping tea in the comfort of your homes while listening to the music of the monsoon shower is one of the simpler pleasures of life. Instead of having the regular milk and sugar concoction, switch to a nice and aromatic cup of green tea. A warm healthy dose of green tea helps you stay invigorated throughout the day. Green tea is fortified with natural antioxidants. It is also a great source for bolstering the immune system and enhancing one''s memory. The minerals and nutrients in green tea help the body to detoxify its impurities accumulated over time. They also improve the body''s digestive system and also help in cleansing the skin.

Honey

It is nature''s answer to most health ailments. Honey is the ideal remedy for sore throats, coughs and cold due to its soothing effect on the throat. Multifloral honey when consumed with some ginger is the perfect cure for ailing throats. A natural substitute for sugar, multifloral honey is also a great immunity booster as it is free from fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Neem

Neem is the king of all medicinal plants and has been used since the ancient times to cure all kinds of diseases and disorders. It is the perfect remedy for stomach bugs, which are so prevalent in this season. The cooling properties of neem are next to none and can be consumed in the form of readymade capsules. Its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and blood-cleansing properties aid in building up the body''s resistance against external infections and malicious agents. Neem also helps in strengthening the body''s immunity and digestion.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is great for maintaining the overall health. It is a powerhouse of nutrients as it contains more than twenty amino acids and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium along with enzymes, vitamins, polysaccharides, nitrogen and other vital nutrients. It also improves hair and skin texture and keeps them healthy and lustrous. A natural cure for constipation and acidity, Aloe vera can also improve the body''s digestive system.

Olive oil

The rainy season is a catalyst for heightening one''s cravings for fried snacks like pakoras. It is alright to indulge your taste buds every once in a while. Just make sure that you replace the ordinary cooking oil with the healthy and extra flavorful light olive oil. Olive oil being rich in mono-saturated fatty acids, has a light texture that complements a dish perfectly, making it a great alternative to regular cooking oil and ideal for almost all cuisines. It also reduces the risk of cancer, Type-2 Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer as it is packed with numerous anti-oxidants. Now who said fried pakoras cannot be healthy!

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS

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Boost your immunity to sail through the Monsoon - Outlook India

The risk of severe COVID-19 infection is more common in those with high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, conditions that are all associated with changes to the composition of the gut microbiome the community of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in the intestines. This raises the question of whether the gut microbiome has a role in dictating COVID-19 severity.

Lets recap what we know about COVID-19. COVID-19 is a new disease caused by a very contagious virus called SARS-CoV-2.

In most infected individuals, the virus does not cause serious illness. However, it causes a very serious respiratory disease and even death in a minority of patients. Through many studies of people with COVID-19 over the past few months, we have learned what characteristics are more likely to be linked to mild versus severe forms of the disease.

Children and young adults are less likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19, although infection readily occurs in young people with equally high viral loads in the airway, suggesting that they can certainly infect others. In contrast, people of older age and those with pre-existing chronic conditions are highly at risk and very likely develop symptomatic, severe disease.

If we consider the gradient of severity of the disease, children are at one end, and the elderly and patients with chronic conditions are at the other end.

The information collected by researchers from many countries all points to similar characteristics and health conditions that are more commonly seen in patients with severe disease. These include older age, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

The strength of these associations is even more prominent among younger individuals, as younger patients with obesity and diabetes are more likely to have serious disease.

In New York City, 5,279 patients tested positive for COVID-19 between March 1 and April 8, 2020. Of these, 22.6 per cent had diabetes and 35.3 per cent were obese.

Obesity was associated with an increased rate of hospital admission and critical illness. Similar findings were provided by investigators in the United Kingdom about the outbreak in Britain, where obese patients were twice as likely to develop severe disease.

Do these findings raise the possibility that the mechanisms underlying high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity may help explain why these conditions lead to severe COVID-19 disease? Before exploring this question, lets zoom in on cellular and molecular mechanisms known to be involved in COVID-19 disease.

When the virus enters the body, it mostly goes to the airways and the gastrointestinal tract. The virus then binds to specific receptors present on the surface of epithelial cells to enter these cells. Viral replication within the cells leads to cell damage and cell death. This results in the release of specific signalling molecules that alert the local immune system.

Armies of immune cells are then dispatched to initiate an antiviral response. Some of these cells are specialized to locate and identify the virus, while others mount a specific immune attack. The immune response results in the release of cytokines, chemokines and antibodies, which in many cases can defeat the virus, and the patient recovers.

Sometimes the immune system is dangerously at high alert and overreacts. In this case, the immune cells mount an especially strong inflammatory response one that goes beyond what is required to kill the virus. This extra-strong attack releases cytokines and chemokines on a massive scale throughout the body, resulting in a cytokine storm, which causes widespread inflammation and tissue damage in patients with severe COVID-19.

One of the reasons for an abnormal, overreactive immune response lies in the gastrointestinal tract. Millions of interactions are constantly occurring between the immune system and trillions of non-dangerous microbes that live within the body. These interactions educate the immune system in how to function and, importantly, in how not to overreact to infectious microbes. Could this help explain why some people are more likely to develop uncontrolled inflammation upon COVID-19 infection?

The gut microbiome is the community of micro-organisms living inside the gastrointestinal tract, mostly in the large bowel. The microbiome contains bacteria, fungi (yeast), viruses and protozoa, all of which contribute to maintaining a balanced ecosystem and human health. These microbes collectively perform many beneficial functions, including educating the immune system.

When studying the microbiome, scientists examine the composition (what is there) and function (what are they doing) of this ecosystem. We have learned that both composition and function of the gut microbiome are important features linked to human health. In certain conditions, the balance of the gut microbiome composition and function is disrupted in a way that leads to disease, a phenomenon called microbiome dysbiosis.

There is accumulating evidence from animal and human studies that gut microbiome dysbiosis has a causal role in metabolism dysregulation manifested as diabetes and obesity the risk factors of severe COVID-19 disease.

The gut microbiome regulates host defences against viral infections including respiratory viruses, such as influenza virus. This occurs through the activation of immune antiviral mechanisms and the prevention of excessive inflammation.

Different species of the gut microbiome have pro- or anti-inflammatory properties and play different roles in regulating the immune system. In the context of COVID-19, a recent preprint study (not yet peer reviewed) showed that specific members of the gut microbiome were associated with severe disease and with immune markers known to be elevated in severe disease. The association of these gut bacteria with the immune markers was even higher than that of the known risk factors of COVID-19 severity: age and obesity.

Further work is needed to confirm that pro-inflammatory microbial species can contribute to the immune responses that make severe COVID-19 more likely, but based on what we know about the microbiome, this is certainly a possibility. This also could mean that beneficial gut microbiome species, the type that promote low inflammation, have the potential to prevent or remediate the immune alterations that lead to severe COVID-19.

The research community is working very hard to develop and test safe and effective vaccines and treatments against COVID-19. Tapping into the potential of the gut microbiome is another avenue that we can pursue to identify potential safe and affordable probiotics for prevention and treatment. This is not unprecedented in the context of viral respiratory diseases: probiotics and prebiotics can affect the immune response to the flu vaccine, and may improve outcomes in flu-like illnesses.

Until effective treatments are available, mind your microbes and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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Gut reaction: How the gut microbiome may influence the severity of COVID-19 - The Conversation CA

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It is better to be a coronavirus patient in June than it was in March.

Back then, there was just so little we knew about the virus: after all, it was a brand new thing. But as scientists and doctors battle this disease that has infected millions and killed more than 460,000 people around the globe, they have learned a good deal about how it attacks the body, and a little more about how to treat it. That means a better chance of survival for those who have the disease.

Unfortunately, this is relevant for an ever-increasing number of Utahns, with more people getting the virus and more people hospitalized than ever before. With that in mind, I thought Id walk you through what we know about the coronavirus right now, as jargon free as possible.

What happens when you inhale the coronavirus, anyway?

Naturally, the virus finds itself in your lungs. Once there, the virus bumps around the inner walls until it finds a cell it can connect to it turns out the spiky exterior on coronaviruses is really well suited to connecting to lung cells called alveolar cells, which are the ones that bring oxygen to your blood. The average person has about 480 million alveoli per lung, so theres plenty of opportunity for infection.

The virus injects its genetic code into the cell, hijacking it and turning it into a copy machine. That produces more of the virus, which can infect your own cells and be exhaled to infect others. As more and more cells become infected, they dont work at their original jobs.

Your immune system, understandably, is not thrilled about this. While it takes a little while for it to notice youve been infected and do something about it anywhere from 2-14 days, with an average of 4-5 days it does eventually mount a response that causes many of the coronavirus symptoms, such as fever or cough. That immune response also typically works to cure people: it kills the infected copy machine cells, your body naturally creates new working ones in their place, and you recover.

Normally, the immune system is pretty good about starting up and shutting down at the right times using an in-body signaling system made up of cytokines. Cytokines promote all sorts of useful immune system functions, but one is that they send more repairing blood to infected sites. They even make blood vessels more permeable than usual so immune system cells can more efficiently get from the blood to attack the infected cells.

However, sometimes the immune system gets overexuberant, as one medical education site put it. Its not always clear why, but in certain cases very bad infections, burns, or other trauma the immune system ends up producing and sending way too many cytokines. This is called a cytokine storm.

The cytokine storm in COVID-19 cases cause big problems. For one, theres now way too much blood going to these infected sites, and they get super inflamed. All of the fluid and blood everywhere means that even the uninfected alveolar cells in your lungs are drowned, and cant work to bring oxygen in your body anymore. That causes Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

And those previously-helpful permeable blood vessels now become too permeable: they spring leaks. That means the blood clot system has to start working to fix those leaks, but that creates little blood clots all around your body.

At least the majority of people who die or experience severe symptoms due to COVID-19 end up facing ARDS, either due to the initial viral cell killing or the cytokine storm. But others die from or also experience the results of those blood clots, with problems like heart or kidney failure, even strokes. Thats one reason we kept seeing all of these COVID-19 patients with unexpected symptoms: once your circulatory system stops working well, all sorts of weird stuff can happen.

A team of Harvard researchers proposed a three stage categorization system for coronavirus patients. Stage 1 is mild coronavirus, caused mostly by the negative effects of the virus itself. But the biggest problems come in Stage 3, when the immune system is essentially attacking the body.

What does this mean for treating the virus?

It means that we have to use different treatments at different stages.

Essentially, at the beginning, we want to help the immune system as much as possible. When its working normally, its terrific; so terrific that the majority of people face only mild symptoms. We also want to prevent the virus from making copy machines of itself using antiviral drugs.

However, once were in the moderate or severe stages, we want to suppress the immune system to stop the cytokine storm. We dont want to completely kill the immune system, but reducing its response significantly would lessen many of the most dangerous symptoms. In conjunction, wed also like to prevent or mitigate the effects of those micro blood clots.

It is a tricky balance. In one stage, we want to help the immune system, and in later stages, we want to suppress it. And diagnosing whether a cytokine storm is about to occur or is currently underway isnt necessarily an immediate process: there are lab tests to perform.

Still, this split approach looks like our best chance of treating COVID-19 patients.

What treatments are there for the early stages of the disease?

Remdesivir is the most well-tested antiviral product we have to use against COVID-19. It works by inhibiting virus production in those infected, copy machine cells, and in a randomized, controlled trial, it made a statistically significant but relatively small impact on the amount of time people spent in the hospital with the virus: 11 days on average instead of 14.

It just doesnt make sense to give to everyone with mild symptoms: remdesivir has to be delivered intravenously, which means it probably has to be done in a hospital. Theres also not that much of it to go around.

Ideally, wed find a more easily delivered and effective antiviral product. Were still looking.

Hydroxychloroquine is the option thats gotten the most attention, in part for political reasons. The thinking here is that it works to help prevent malaria infections, so it might work with the coronavirus. By one count, 158 studies that tried to find out whether hydroxychloroquine works or not, in all sorts of combinations. Most of them have been poorly designed, or too small to be elucidating, or based on data so flawed they had to be retracted.

Based on a majority of the studies, the most likely scenario is that it doesnt work against this virus. There are those who will say that it needs to be tested with azithromycin and/or zinc, or only in pre-symptomatic patients, or only on Thursdays. But the scientific community is moving away from this one. The FDA recently pulled its emergency approval to use the drug to treat COVID-19 and the World Health Organization dropped the drug from its huge study into coronavirus treatments.

Another promising path is the use of antibodies. This study from the University of Washington looked at how injecting someone with blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients which contains antibodies specific to the coronavirus actually prevented the virus from infecting cells in the first place. We also know that injecting plasma into hospitalized people seems to make a big difference, unless we inject it too late, in which case it probably doesnt work. In short, the antibodies help with the virus but not with the cytokine storm.

The traditional problem with the plasma antibody strategy is that you need the blood of someone who already had the disease but recently recovered, and there arent that many doses of it to go around. Furthermore, those doses tend to vary wildly in terms of effectiveness, because different people produce different numbers and types of antibodies. Finally, the antibodies dont last forever, probably only a month or two.

But if we create those antibodies in a lab, we should be able to make enough doses to give to people who need protection. You can imagine those antibody injections being the bridge to a vaccine, administered to healthcare workers, those in long-term care facilities, or anyone else exposed to an outbreak, with or without symptoms. Science Magazines Derek Lowe had a good roundup of the companies working to create and test these antibodies; some think those treatments will be available by the fall.

What treatments are there for the late stages of the disease?

Theres still a lot we dont know about the cytokine storm, but we do have some pretty good ways of slowing down the immune system. Obviously, we want to test these in the context of COVID-19.

The first one that showed significant results in a big study was tocilizumab. When given to patients in Stage 2, it reduced intensive care unit admission by more than half and significantly cut mortality as well.

It has problems though. Its incredibly expensive, in the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars to administer. It does really wreck a persons immune system for a while, putting them at risk of other infection. Its something that wed want to give to save lives, but probably not in large numbers.

Luckily, we found a much better solution. Dexamethasone is a cheap and widely available steroid that cut deaths by one-third in a study released this week of 2,100 participants in the UK with severe COVID-19. Its a pill. It costs about $6 per day.

You can see why the head scientist in the study called it a major breakthrough.

Now remember: this is an immune system suppressant. People with Stage 1 coronavirus definitely shouldnt take it, because itd be handicapping the very thing they need most. But those in later stages might find it effective in weathering the cytokine storm.

Just like with remdesivir, its also a proof of concept. Yes, we can save a third of deaths among severe cases, but now well try other immune-suppressing drugs with different doses to try to treat the cytokine storm most effectively. Well get better at it over time.

That will be the continuation of a positive coronavirus trend: a lowering in the fatality rate. One study looked at the rate of deaths of people in Italy and found a reduction in fatality rate from 10.8% to 6% from March to April. Testing differences make this issue difficult to study, but it really does appear that doctors have gotten better at treating the disease.

That was another reason all of us have taken so many coronavirus precautions: to buy doctors time. While theyve done well with it reducing mortality by a third is no small feat its easy to see that more improvements are just around the corner.

One common refrain Ive heard from people who have shown a lack of care about the virus was Well, Im going to get it at some point, it might as well be now. But the truth is simple: its much better to be a coronavirus patient in June than March. Thats a trend I expect to continue moving forward.

Andy Larsen is a Tribune sports reporter who covers the Utah Jazz. During this crisis, he has been assigned to dig into the numbers surrounding the coronavirus. You can reach Andy at alarsen@sltrib.com or on Twitter at @andyblarsen.

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Coronavirus treatments are improving. Here's a guide to what works and why. - Salt Lake Tribune

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Chocolates with ashwagandha, ginger or cumin; potato wedges with moringa leaves; a white rum pina colada with turmeric... Restaurants and cafes in Bengaluru are coming up with innovations to show that diners can actually get a host of health benefits in these pandemic-ridden times.

Many are now turning towards local ingredients for their immunity-boosting properties, with pepper, amla and chia seeds joining the list of condiments as the new stars of their dishes. According to food writer and consultant Monika Manchanda, in the last 15-20 days alone, a couple of clients have reached out to her for help with new recipes to include on their menu.

"And those who arent coming up with new dishes, are highlighting the immunity-boosting ingredients in their existing ones," she says, adding that she has recently helped a Bengaluru eatery with a Golden Glow smoothie that contains carrot, turmeric and ginger.

Antioxidants in dark chocolates are, of coursem said to be good for the immune system. But in light of the coronavirus spread, Smoor Chocolates has decided to further infuse their chocolates with ashwagandha, and come July, will offer customers variants with pecan nuts, goji berries, turmeric, ginger, amla and cumin.

Agreeing that these are not ideas one might stomach easily, chief marketing officer Kanchan Achpal hopes that people will develop a taste for it anyway since boosting ones immunity is the need of the hour. "People tend to be hesitant about such combinations but come to eventually enjoy it," she says. Case in point: The turmeric latte they introduced earlier this month.

Currently, the Indiranagar outlet receives 10-12 orders for this, as opposed to 30-35 orders for their regular latte.Agrees Nidhi Nahata, founder of JustBe Resto Caf, who is hoping to reopen her eatery for dine-in in July.

New offerings include a salad bar (with 50 varieties), potato wedges with moringa leaves, hemp hearts in milkshakes, hemp powder in chapati and pizza dough, and avocado chocolate mousse. "Right now, people have been cooking more and becoming more aware of what to eat. So such dishes will only be in demand," says Nahata, who is also a health coach and food therapist.

While the ingredients to experiment with are plenty, nothing beats the crowning glory of the golden spice. Having always been famous in its haldi doodh form (Chaayos has also introduced a haldi chai on its menu), turmeric has even managed to find its way into alcoholic drinks at The Leela Palace, Bengaluru.

The star hotel will offer diners a turmeric pina colada once restaurants get a go-ahead to serve liquor, with its team having spent the last few weeks coming up with a menu of 12 new drinks (eight cocktails and three welcome drinks) with amla, hibiscus, tulsi, etc.

"Turmeric powder tended to overpower the drink, so we settled for a crushed decoction of it that blends well with the drink. The taste of pineapple, coconut and white rum remains the same, with just enough spice to get its health benefits as well," says F&B manager Mark Manuel.

On the menu

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Taste of times: Bengaluru eateries launch dishes with immunity boosting ingredients - The New Indian Express

Chronic stress can lead to inflammation, which can result in physical symptoms as well as mental health symptoms

During the current COVID-19 pandemic have you been wondering why youre getting headaches more often? Or stomach aches? Or feeling itchy or getting pimples? Or why your periods are irregular or more painful than usual? Exciting recent science suggests that the answers may lie in our bodys biological reactions to stress.

Our biological stress response system the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis evolved hundreds of millions of years ago to help our vertebrate ancestors quickly mobilize energy to confront imminent, life-or-death threats, such as predator attacks. In the short term, this system is exquisite in its efficiency and crucial to survival.

The problem with our current situation is that it has been going on for months, and the end is not clearly in sight. Chronic stress sends the HPA axis into overdrive, with effects felt throughout the body. These symptoms can even serve as further sources of stress. Understanding why our bodies are reacting in these ways can help us develop strategies to prevent stress from getting under our skin.

The biological stress response

When animals perceive a threat in their environment, the HPA axis stimulates the adrenal glands to release the hormone cortisol. Cortisol, along with adrenaline, work to pump oxygen to the major muscles to enable the animal to fight or escape.

This fight/flight response produces physical symptoms such as heart palpitations and chest tightness (the heart pumping oxygen to the major muscles), and stomach butterflies, nausea and tingling (blood leaving the stomach and extremities to get to the major muscles).

The HPA axis also interacts with the immune system to help with the aftermath. Cortisol is a potent anti-inflammatory and binds to large numbers of receptors in the skin to help repair wounds and fight infection.

The HPA axis doesnt know the difference between the life-or-death threat of a predator attack and modern stressors. So, in the early stages of this crisis, if your stomach did flip-flops, or you felt your heart racing, when reading about surges in COVID-19 cases, your body was doing what it was designed to do even though at that moment you were not in any imminent physical danger.

The problem of chronic stress

A predator attack is time-limited. In contrast, the COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for weeks, and may be compounded by social isolation, job or financial insecurity and care-taking responsibilities. Unfortunately, all the HPA axis knows is that it needs to release stress hormones when we perceive a threat in our environment. So, if we perceive our environment as threatening all the time, then the HPA axis will release these chemicals all the time.

One of the most pronounced effects of long-term cortisol release is glucocorticoid resistance. This is when cells in the immune system become less sensitive to the anti-inflammatory effects of cortisol. As a result, cortisol starts to increase inflammation throughout the body and brain.

So, your itchiness and rashes? All of the cortisol receptors in your skin may no longer be receptive to cortisols anti-inflammatory effects and instead, chemicals are released that inflame the skin.

Your headaches or stomach aches? Painful periods? All of these symptoms can also be the result of inflammation in these organ systems caused by chronic HPA axis activation.

Even psychological symptoms, such as feelings of depression or loneliness, have been linked to the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals caused by chronic stress.

Taking control of your stress response

Much of what is perceived as stressful on a day-to-day level is not specific to contracting the COVID-19 virus, but instead is the result of changes that we have had to make in our lives. A switch to working from home, or not working, has disrupted our sleeping, eating and activity schedules that regulate our internal circadian clock. Staying indoors means lower exercise and activity levels. Many people, especially those living alone, are socially isolated from friends and loved ones.

Disrupted circadian routines, lack of exercise and social isolation have all been strongly linked to dysregulation of the bodys stress and immune systems, and release of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body and brain.

Fortunately, even small positive changes in these areas can have strong stress-reducing effects. Keeping a regular routine by going to bed, getting up and eating at consistent times each day has been linked to greater overall health by promoting healthy function of the HPA axis and immune system. Even 20 minutes of moderate exercise, which inside could include exercise videos or jogging around at home, regulates the HPA axis, reduces inflammation and has strong mood-lifting effects.

Finally, talking regularly with friends and loved ones, even remotely or at a distance, is one of the best things you can do to protect against the biological and psychological effects of stress. Remember, were all in this together!

Kate Harkness, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Director of the Mood Research Laboratory, Queen's University, Ontario

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Strange physical symptoms? Blame the chronic stress of isolation - KitchenerToday.com

Immunity Booster Drink: Kadha is basically a mix of various traditional herbs and spices

Highlights

Immunity Booster Drink: As the world is under a constant threat of Covid-19 pandemic, health experts are time and again insisting on boosting our immunity. Although it has not been proved whether strong immunity helps in treating the novel Coronavirus or not, it may help you have an overall better health. While some people are blessed with good immunity, others are resorting to various natural ways to strengthen their stamina, immune system and overall health. Many of us are practicing regular yoga, breathing exercises and more and even trying natural concoctions like herbal teas, drinks and kadhas.

Speaking about kadha, it will not be an exaggeration if we term it to be one of the oldest and treasured medicinal secrets of India. It is basically a mix of various traditional herbs and spices that help us to keep strong from within.

Here we bring you an easy immunity-boosting kadha recipe that can be prepared with some common herbs and spices like tulsi, ginger, turmeric, mulethi, cinnamon, black pepper and cloves. The best part is you can prepare and store it for future use. All these herbs and spices are power packed with various health benefiting nutrients and can be found easily in any Indian kitchen.

Also Read:This Moon Milk At Night May Help Induce Good Sleep

Ginger- 1 inch

Raw turmeric- 1 inch

Tulsi- 8-10

Mulethi- 4-5 sticks

Cinnamon- 4-5 sticks

Black pepper- 10-12

Cloves- 10-12

Water- 8-10 cups

Step 1. Pour the water in a saucepan and put all the ingredients in it.

Step 2. Boil it for at least 1 hour in a low/medium flame.

Step 3. Switch off the flame and cool it down.

You can store this kadha for 2 days in refrigerator. All you need to do is, strain the drink in a sterilised airtight glass bottle and close the lid well. Warm it well before drinking. Do not warm the whole thing; just take as much you need.

Pro-tip: You may also add some green tea, lemon and honey while warming this kadha for consumption.

Stay healthy, stay safe!

About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.

Originally posted here:
Kadha For Immunity: Prepare This Herbal Potion With Basic Indian Herbs And Spices - NDTV Food

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Updated: June 21, 2020 1:35:28 pm Are you including these important vitamins and minerals in your diet? (Photo: Getty)

While vitamins and minerals wont immediately turn you into a virus-fighting superhero but consuming them is extremely beneficial for your body and overall health. The current time has surely made us concerned about what we eat and how we can improve our diet. Ahead, take a look at these five important vitamins and minerals that make a world of difference when you consume them over time. They are known to increase immunity and fight infections.

READ| These 2-morning drinks will help you boost your immunity

1. Vitamin D: Vitamin D, which is found in eggs, fish, chicken and cod liver oil, is one of the most important vitamins and plays a crucial role in the activation of your immunity system whenever theres an exposure to pathogen-like viruses or bacteria. So its important to check your vitamin D levels and take the right supplements accordingly, says Dr Rohini Somnath Patil, MBBS, nutritionist.

However, the best source of this vitamin is when you are exposed to sunlight. The UV rays induce the body to manufacture Vitamin D from cholesterol present in your body. She mentions, The amount of sunlight needed ranges from about five to 20 minutes twice a week.

2. Vitamin C: Vitamin C is what makes your immune system strong. Make sure you consume Vitamin C rich foods like amla, lemon, kiwi, mangoes, oranges, etc. Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a potent anti-oxidant and co-factors many enzymes in our body. It holds a reputation as an immune system booster, says Dr Somnath.

READ| 5 superfoods to boost your immunity

3. Vitamin E: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps your body fight off infections too. Almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds are rich sources of Vitamin E.

4. Magnesium and zinc: Along with vitamin D and C, magnesium and zinc are minerals which play a crucial role in carrying out the enzymatic processes in our body, mentions Dr Somnath. Magnesium helps in converting vitamin D into its active usable form and zinc has an anti-inflammatory action in our body. This protects our body and responds to immune damage. In fact, even chocolates contain a good dose of magnesium and release feel-good hormones.

5. Selenium: Selenium seems to have a powerful effect on the immune system, including the potential to slow the bodys over-active responses to certain aggressive forms of cancer, says the doctor. Make sure you get your dosage by consuming garlic, broccoli, sardines, tuna and barley.

READ| Turn to these traditional immunity boosters for better health

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Are you including these 5 vitamins and minerals in your diet to boost immunity? - The Indian Express

The Covid-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down, bringing about an unprecedented new world order. We are all plagued by uncertainty, knowing that things will never be the same as they were before. However, there are things we can do to stay in control.

The World Digestive Health Day 2020 is a reminder for us to take care of our gut. We have all heard of the saying health is wealth. If the body is a temple, then the gut is the foundation of that temple.

Hippocrates once said that all disease begins in the gut. Housing trillions of both good and bad bacteria, the composition of bacteria in the gut environment, known as the microbiome, greatly affects both physical and mental well-being.

Understanding Gut Bacteria

The good bacteria known as probiotics, work with our cells to keep us healthy. Apart from discouraging and fighting off harmful, invading organisms, the good bacteria also work to support our digestion, nutrient absorption and immune system.

Studies have also indicated that mental health and emotions are closely linked to gut health. We have already established that good gut health is the cornerstone of good health, but what is the key to good gut health?

Just as how Malaysians have adapted to the new normal of social distancing and the wearing of face masks, we need to take the necessary steps to maintain good gut health. Photo: Cotra Enterprise Sdn Bhd

The term probiotics is nothing new today. Thanks to its function of restoring gut bacteria to healthy levels, probiotics have increased in popularity in recent years.

In 2017, a local landmark clinical research conducted by Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia titled Modulation Of Intestinal Dysbiosis In Patients With Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using Lactobacillus-Containing Cultured Milk Drink and published in Clinical Gastroenterology in 2018, demonstrated the efficacy of two probiotic strains Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus paracasei which are found in Vitagen, to have a positive impact on gut health and the immune system.

Statistically speaking, 96% of respondents showed significant improvement in relieving constipation while 45% of respondents required a shorter time to defecate. The study also showed that by consuming the probiotics contained in Vitagen, the body produces less pro-inflammatory chemicals, which reduces inflammation and enhances the immune system.

Reality Check To Managing Our Lifestyles

It goes without saying that living a healthy lifestyle is our single best defence against harmful bacteria and viruses. Every part of the body can benefit from a healthy diet, sufficient sleep and a positive, stress-free environment all of which help promote a stronger immune system that stems from the gut.

Malaysians are constantly surrounded by unhealthy food options, so it is crucial to boost gut health with probiotics and foods that will naturally help build up our immune systems. Photo: Cotra Enterprise Sdn Bhd

However, it is not always easy to stay healthy. We are all guilty of excessively eating unhealthy foods, sometimes on a regular basis. Add a sedentary lifestyle to the mix and it is likely that you are increasing your risk of developing various digestive disorders or diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and many non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and heart disease.

For many, the pandemic is a wake-up call to start taking health seriously. We need to stop abusing our bodies and start boosting our gut health with probiotics and foods that will naturally help build up our immune systems.

Daily consumption of probiotics is easy with Vitagen. It is delicious to drink and contains billions of live probiotic cultures that are clinically proven to be beneficial to gut health. It is recommended that you take at least two bottles of Vitagen daily for best results.

Vitagen contains two beneficial probiotic strains to boost gut health and help prevent disease. Photo: Cotra Enterprise Sdn Bhd

This new normal that we are facing may last for quite some time. We have all been inundated with enough information on the seriousness of this pandemic, but how many of us are actually doing something about it from a health standpoint? We need to ponder this question.

In every crisis, there is opportunity. We have two options: one is to go back to our old, unhealthy ways and take life for granted. The second is to re-evaluate our habits and cultivate new, healthy ones that will stay with us for life. Without our health, we are nothing, and that is something that should never be taken for granted.

For more information, visit vitagen.com.my.

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Taking Care Of Your Gut Is Key To Stronger Immunity - The Star Online

From the first reports coming out of Wuhan, Iran and later Italy, we knew that losing your sense of smell (anosmia) was a significant symptom of the disease. Now, after months of reports, both anecdotal and more rigorous clinical findings, we think we have a model for how this virus may cause smell loss.

One of the most common causes of smell loss is a viral infection, such as the common cold, sinus or other upper respiratory tract infections. Those coronaviruses that don't cause deadly diseases, such as COVID-19, SARS and MERS, are one of the causes of the common cold and have been known to cause smell loss.

In most of these cases, sense of smell returns when symptoms clear, as smell loss is simply the result of a blocked nose, which prevents aroma molecules reaching olfactory receptors in the nose. In some cases, smell loss can persist for months and years.

For the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), however, the pattern of smell loss is different. Many people with COVID-19 reported a sudden loss of sense of smell and then a sudden and full return to a normal sense of smell in a week or two.

Interestingly, many of these people said their nose was clear, so smell loss cannot be attributed to a blocked nose. For others, smell loss was prolonged and several weeks later they still had no sense of smell. Any theory of anosmia in COVID-19 has to account for both of these patterns.

This sudden return of a normal sense of smell suggests an obstructive smell loss in which the aroma molecules cannot reach the receptors in the nose (the same type of loss one gets with a clothes peg on the nose).

Now that we have CT scans of the noses and sinuses of people with COVID-19 smell loss, we can see that the part of the nose that does the smelling, the olfactory cleft, is blocked with swollen soft tissue and mucus known as a cleft syndrome. The rest of the nose and sinuses look normal and patients have no problem breathing through their nose.

Location of the olfactory bulb. (medicalstocks/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

We know that the way SARS-CoV-2 infects the body is by attaching to ACE2 receptors on the surface of cells that line the upper respiratory tract. A protein called TMPRSS2 then helps the virus invade the cell.

Once inside the cell, the virus can replicate, triggering the immune system's inflammatory response. This is the starting point for the havoc and destruction that this virus causes once in the body.

Initially, we thought that the virus might be infecting and destroying the olfactory neurons. These are the cells that transmit the signal from the aroma molecule in your nose to the area in the brain where these signals get interpreted as "smell".

Olfactory neuron [pink] with protruding smell receptors. (Steve Gschmeissner/Getty Images)

However, an international collaboration showed recently that the ACE2 proteins the virus needs to invade the cells were not found on the olfactory neurons. But they were found on cells called "sustentacular cells", which support the olfactory neurons.

We expect that these support cells are likely to be the ones that are damaged by the virus, and the immune response would cause swelling of the area but leave the olfactory neurons intact. When the immune system has dealt with the virus, the swelling subsides and the aroma molecules have a clear route to their undamaged receptors and the sense of smell returns to normal.

So why does smell not return in some cases? This is more theoretical but follows from what we know about inflammation in other systems. Inflammation is the body's response to damage and results in the release of chemicals that destroy the tissues involved.

When this inflammation is severe, other nearby cells start to be damaged or destroyed by this "splash damage". We believe that accounts for the second stage, where the olfactory neurons are damaged.

Recovery of smell is much slower because the olfactory neurons need time to regenerate from the supply of stem cells within the lining of the nose.

Initial recovery is often associated with distortion of the sense of smell known as parosmia, where things don't smell like they used to. For many parosmics, for instance, the smell of coffee is often described as burnt, chemical, dirty and reminiscent of sewage.

Olfaction has been called the Cinderella of the senses because of its neglect by scientific research. But it has come to the forefront in this pandemic. The silver lining is that we will learn a lot about how viruses are involved in smell loss from this. But what hope is there for people with a loss of smell now?

The good news is that the olfactory neurons can regenerate. They're regrowing in almost all of us, all of the time. We can harness that regeneration and guide it with "physiotherapy for the nose": smell training.

There is solid evidence that many forms of smell loss are helped by this repeated, mindful exposure to a fixed set of odorants every day and no reason to think it won't work in COVID-19 smell loss.

Simon Gane, Consultant Rhinologist and ENT surgeon, City, University of London and Jane Parker, Associate Professor, Flavour Chemistry, University of Reading.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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COVID-19 Can Cause Loss of Smell, And Scientists Finally Discovered Why - ScienceAlert

To develop and more importantly to improve current technologies, the market needs a pipeline of talent: well-educated and skilled scientists. Today, a new graduate or scientist with an immunology background will have a strong advantage in the market.

Request For Report [emailprotected]https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/11616

The market for NGS applications reached $2.7 billion in 2016 and is expected to expand to $10.5 billion by 2022.

The expanding biotech market offers a variety of careers. In some cases, we need to be creative and see behind the obvious scientific path.

Report Scope:

Finding the right career path is one of the biggest challenges in every persons life. We want to make sure we make the right choices and decisions concerning our future employment opportunities. And its no longer a one-time decision. Employment conditions and opportunities are not constantly evolving and this requires us to update our skill set and knowledge base on a continual basis.

This analysis of current and emerging trends in the market can be helpful in making the right decision based on your personality, education and other skills. In our dynamic and constantly evolving world, in order to succeed, a person needs to understand what potential future directions the job market might take and how novel technologies will affect the need to change ones career track or train for a new career path.

Trends described below will help readers navigate the evolving biotech market to choose the right direction.

Immuno-oncology, a Future in Cancer Treatment

It is obvious that the immune approach to treat cancer or so-called cancer immunotherapy has become the next big thing. Recent drug development trends show that immunotherapy can be more effective and efficient than traditional chemotherapies.

Cancer immunotherapy/immuno-oncology is defined as artificial stimulation of the immune system to treat cancer, thus improving ones natural ability to fight this disease. This approach exploits the fact that cancer cells have specific tumor antigens that can be detected by the antibody proteins of the immune system. Normal antibodies bind to external pathogens; however, modified immunotherapy antibodies bind to the tumor antigens. This helps the immune system to inhibit or kill cancer cells.

Repot Includes:

An overview of the emerging and growing trends in life science/biotech industry as potential career track Why understanding CRISPR technology can be an important skill in career development Information on genomics data management and its role in creating jobs for genomics and genetics specialized students Coverage of artificial intelligence and drug discovery job market Insights of nanotechnology applications and evaluation of their role in biomedical engineering jobs List of potential career pathways for biotech/pharma professionals

Get Complete TOC with Tables and [emailprotected]https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/11616

Summary

Finding the right career path is one of the biggest challenges in every persons life. We want to make sure we make the right choices and decisions concerning our future employment opportunities. And its no longer a one-time decision. Employment conditions and opportunities are not constantly evolving and this requires us to update our skill set and knowledge base on a continual basis.

This analysis of current and emerging trends in the market can be helpful in making the right decision based on your personality, education and other skills. In our dynamic and constantly evolving world, in order to succeed, a person needs to understand what potential future directions the job market might take and how novel technologies will affect the need to change ones career track or train for a new career path.

Trends described below will help readers navigate the evolving biotech market to choose the right direction.

Immuno-oncology, a Future in Cancer Treatment

It is obvious that the immune approach to treat cancer or so-called cancer immunotherapy has become the next big thing. Recent drug development trends show that immunotherapy can be more effective and efficient than traditional chemotherapies.

<<< Get COVID-19 Report Analysis >>>https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/covid-19-analysis/11616

Cancer immunotherapy/immuno-oncology is defined as artificial stimulation of the immune system to treat cancer, thus improving ones natural ability to fight this disease. This approach exploits the fact that cancer cells have specific tumor antigens that can be detected by the antibody proteins of the immune system. Normal antibodies bind to external pathogens; however, modified immunotherapy antibodies bind to the tumor antigens. This helps the immune system to inhibit or kill cancer cells.

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Emerging Jobs In Life Sciences And What You Should Be Training For Now Market Growth Opportunities Created by Covid19 Outbreak - Cole of Duty

New York The way the COVID-19 crisis ends is with vaccines not a vaccine. More than one horse can win this race. Some of us might end up getting a shot of a more traditional vaccine, which uses parts of an inactivated virus to stimulate immunity. Others might get vaccines based on emerging technologies that use synthetic versions of the viruss genetic code.

One such novel candidate, based on RNA the single-stranded cousin of DNA and made by Moderna, showed promising results in early human trials, though critics warned the evidence is preliminary. Meanwhile, a different prototype based on DNA made headlines for an experiment that showed it worked in monkeys.

In the end, some vaccines might be extremely effective but harder to scale; others the opposite. Even a less-effective vaccine might work well enough to provide herd immunity in a wider population. Other vaccines might be more appropriate for health care workers, who have to risk exposure on the job, and need protection as soon as possible.

Scientists have created more than 70 vaccine candidates so far. If we end up with two, three, or four vaccines, thats good, since we have seven billion people, says Harvard vaccine researcher Dan Barouch, who led the development of one of the vaccines featured in recent news. His group began working on a vaccine in January, after the virus started spreading in China.

There are good reasons for him and other scientists to be optimistic.

For COVID-19, its clear most humans who get infected recover that alone shows the human immune system can eliminate the virus, he says. That makes it a much easier target than HIV, which he calls unprecedented in the history of vaccinology for its ability to evade the immune system. And the SARS-Cov2 virus doesnt have the fast mutation rate that makes flu viruses a moving target.

Art Krieg, a physician and founder of Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, says hes very optimistic that because the human immune system can successfully battle the virus, so will one or more of the many experimental vaccines.

All vaccines have to provide a danger signal to prime the immune system into acting against an invader. In 1995, Krieg reported the discovery one of these danger signals called CpG DNA which has been used in several vaccines, including one for hepatitis B, and is in some of the experimental candidates fighting against the virus that causes COVID-19.

Next, the vaccine has to mimic the invader in order to get the immune system to create specific antibodies that target the intended enemy. Vaccine designers using genetic material (DNA or RNA) have to stimulate the immune system enough to generate those antibodies, but not so much that the immune system destroys the vaccine before it can complete its mission.

The biggest driver of recent headlines (and stock market drama) was a vaccine produced by the Massachusetts-based company Moderna, which is based on synthetic genetic material identical to parts of the code carried by the coronavirus. The genetic material is RNA. (Other RNA vaccines are being studied by BionTech, Translate Bio, and Curevac.) The RNA tricks human cells into making proteins identical to the spike proteins the virus uses to penetrate human cells. And that, in turn, stimulates the immune system to make antibodies that will be ready to block that protein if the real coronavirus invades.

The excitement about Modernas vaccine followed the release of data from a trial that involved 45 volunteers, though the company only described results for eight of them. Of the eight, all produced antibodies with the desired neutralizing property needed to attack the virus in the future. What happened to the other 37 people? Since this vaccine requires two doses, they probably just didnt have that data yet, says Krieg.

A similar concept is behind DNA vaccines. The one developed by Harvards Barouch made the news for a successful experiment in monkeys. Other DNA vaccines are already in early human trials, including candidates developed by Oxford University, Johnson & Johnson and the Chinese company CanSino Biologics.

These DNA vaccines use synthetic strings of code for making the spike protein carried by the virus. In some of these, the synthetic DNA is injected alone, while in others, it rides into human cells inside a deactivated cold virus (called an adenovirus). The human cells transcribe the DNA to RNA, and then into the decoy spike protein used to create immunity to the real thing. While the prototype developed by Barouchs group at Harvard can be given in two shots, the Oxford DNA vaccine and several others that use cold viruses confer immunity with just one shot, says Krieg.

DNA and RNA arent our only options. Yet another vaccine concept, made by Dynavax, uses the spike protein itself and stimulates the immune system using a synthetic DNA danger signal the CpG DNA. These protein-based vaccines would have to be produced in bulk in fermentation vats, which Krieg says is something the biotech industry is equipped to do.

Krieg says all the novel vaccines work through the same well-established scientific principles, and are very likely to be safe. Still, he says, its well known that vaccines dont work as well in the elderly and immunocompromised. Imperfect vaccines could still eradicate the virus through herd immunity but only if the bulk of the population gets vaccinated. Once the technical hurdles are overcome, there will be social hurdles already, there are movements among anti-vaxxers to resist but its not too soon to plan to surmount them.

Barouch says the ordinarily competitive nature of science has changed, as everyone understands how much is at stake in terms of lives and economic damage. In retrospect, critics might be able to criticize approaches that didnt work, but right now, we need all the ideas we can get.

Science writer Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist.

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The more COVID-19 vaccines, the merrier - The Japan Times

Last year, University neuroscientists Alban Gaultier and Dorian Rosen found that antidepressant drug Fluvoxamine may help control inflammation in the immune response system. In May, that discovery sparked a clinical trial at Washington University in St. Louis to determine if the drug could help treat COVID-19 patients, as reducing inflammation in the body has become a key way to fight the virus.

Fluvoxamine, also known as Luvox, is most commonly used to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The drug functions as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor by increasing levels of serotonin a chemical in the brain associated with feelings of well-being and happiness in the body. Since 1983, Fluvoxamine has been used by more than ten million patients around the world.

SSRIs are commonly prescribed because of their safety and tolerability, and many SSRIs, including Fluvoxamine, have been used to treat a variety of other conditions such as migraine headaches, fibromyalgia and anxiety.

In their initial experiment, Gaultier and Rosen determined that the drug reduced the production of cytokines small proteins secreted by the immune system that regulate immunity and inflammation. The drug also proved effective in reducing damage in the inflammatory response during sepsis a life threatening complication of infection in which the immune system spirals out of control and protected mice from lethal shock.

New research has found that many seriously ill coronavirus patients have a large number of cytokines in their blood. These high levels of cytokines likely result from cytokine storms, a severe immune response that releases a large number of cytokines in reaction to a disease or infection. During a cytokine storm, the body begins to attack its own cells rather than use all its resources to fight off the virus.

The information we have so far suggests that the second phase of the illness can involve a life-threatening inflammatory reaction what we call a cytokine storm, said Caline Mattar, assistant professor of medicine in the Washington University infectious diseases division, in a press release from Washington University. We want to learn whether fluvoxamine might help prevent that second phase of the illness.

The trial is being led by Mattar and Washington University psychology professor Eric J. Lenze. It is expected to test whether or not fluvoxamine can prevent cytokine storms in patients with COVID-19, which could help keep the immune system in check and help fight the virus without destroying organs, according to Gaultier.

For some patients, blocking the production of cytokine may be life saving, as the cytokine storms accelerate the breakdown of the immune system, which often results in hospitalization. High fevers, lung damage and respiratory distress symptoms currently experienced by thousands of COVID-19 patients are signs of overworked immune systems.

The trial will test Fluvoxamine in 152 patients with COVID-19 in Illinois and Missouri, as the team's physicians are only licensed to treat people in those states. The patients will either receive the drug or a placebo while quarantined at home. The hope is to target patients who are not sick enough to go to the hospital and hopefully prevent them from getting sicker and being hospitalized. The patients will administer the medication themselves, as the study has been designed to be contactless, and then will use thermometers, fingertip oxygen sensors and automatic blood pressure monitors to monitor their own condition.

Washington Universitys website offers information about who is eligible and how the trial will specifically interact with its patients virtually.

While it may sound unusual to administer a drug typically used to treat OCD as a COVID-19 treatment, Lenze believes it is in line with other alternative treatments being tested at the moment.

Using a psychiatric drug to treat COVID-19 may sound counterintuitive, but its no more counterintuitive than using a malaria drug, Lenze said in the press release.

Similar to Fluvoxamine, the malaria drugsremdesivir and hydroxychloroquine are being tested in off-label ways as COVID-19 treatments. Off-label testing of drugs by health care officials is not uncommon once a drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Fluvoxamine received approval in 1994 when the FDA agreed that the benefits of the drug would outweigh its possible side effects like headache and nausea.

Gauliter notes the benefits that come from fluvoxamine already being FDA-approved.

The clinical trial is a smart move to push forward, and since the drug is already approved, it will be easier for people to access it, Gaultier said to The Cavalier Daily.

Even if the drug proves ineffective in fighting COVID-19, patients in the trial will still benefit from the supervision of the doctors and professional recommendations for further treatment.

Gaultier who works closely with the Washington University team believes the clinical trial is set to have its results by the end of June and hopes that fluvoxamine will improve COVID-19 outcomes.

Hopefully the clinical trial will have a positive outcome, which everybody needs, Gaultier said.

Read the original here:
University research sparks clinical trial to test antidepressant that could treat COVID-19 - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily

You're 65 and older, considered "at-risk" for getting COVID-19, and you want to go back to work. But your employer is asking you to stay home. What do you do?

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. As the world takes steps to re-open, those who fall under the most "at-risk" category of contracting the coronavirus may be facing a dilemma.

Multiple ABC10 viewers have reached out, saying they're aged 65+ and that while they're healthy and willing to return to work in person, their employers are telling them to stay at home.

But not allowing employees who are 65 and older, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deem more at risk of COVID-19, could actually be considered age discrimination.

"[Governor Gavin Newsom] came out and said, 'Listen, if you're 65-plus you should really stay at home.' I get that. It makes perfect sense and it's something that we're trying to protect the most vulnerable," said Employment Lawyer Jennifer Shaw. "The problem is from an employment law perspective, if you tell a 65-plus employee that says, 'I'm ready to work. I'm healthy. I'm fine.' That they cannot come to work because they're too old... that's called age discrimination."

As businesses and workplaces begin to reopen, Shaw said employers are facing a "catch-22" by trying to avoid liability and ensure safety by standing by federal and state enforcement like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and their regulations ensuring employers are providing the safest possible work environment.

Yet, these employers are also trying to avoid liability from age discrimination and not allowing employees of certain ages to return to the workplace.

That's why she's encouraging employees who are experiencing age discrimination to push back by having open conversations with their employers as returning to work should be considered on a case by case basis, rather than just "check the box, you're 65+, you're not coming back."

"Sometimes the employer doesn't have the information they need so I think employees should push back," Shaw said. "If somebody is 65-plus and they want to go back to work, they should tell their employer, 'I'm fine. I'm healthy. I appreciate you looking out for me but I really want to go back to work.' Most employers hopefully are going to get that message."

But on the flip side, some employees who have compromised immune systems and also fall under the most "at-risk" category of coronavirus do not want to go back to work.

"You've got to listen to that as well as an employer," Shaw said.

That's the reality for Kyla Aquino Irving. She has had two kidney transplants, one from her mother and father, and has to take immunosuppressive medication.

This medicine protects her body from attacking her kidney as a "foreign object" but in order to do that dramatically decreases her immune system making her more susceptible to getting sick.

Contracting COVID-19 could keep her in the hospital for an incredibly long time, or could even be potentially deadly. That's why she has to take extra precautions in staying healthy and isn't comfortable returning to her workplace at United Way quite yet.

"In regards to returning to work, I dont really feel comfortable without making sure theres parameters in place, like policies in our office to wash your hands, keep social distance, wear a mask," said Irving.

Luckily, Irving said United Way is extremely understanding and gracious in keeping her safe. While she will continue to work from home, she knows others with compromised immune systems may not be able to do so.

That's why she urges them to visit the Job Accommodation Network.

"It has a great website that allows you to look up any condition, you can even put in compromised immune system and it'll show what the legal limits are for federal law and give you some guidance points for how you can tell your employer what different accommodations you could use or need to make work for you," said Irving.

While others also share the fear of returning to work, Shaw reiterates that you do need the approval of a physician to truly deem you unsafe from working in an office our work space outside the home.

Just saying Im afraid to go back to work is not enough," said Shaw. "But the employer cant make the person come back to work.

Shaw said options for employees not comfortable returning to a workplace are to file for unemployment. However, employees do not have a legal entitlement to remain off of work unless they are caring for someone who is ill related to COVID-19. This falls under new leave laws created by California during the pandemic, but leave laws aren't anything new.

"There are people who are pregnant who have a right to stay home. There are people who are taking care of a child who is ill that have a right to stay home," Shaw said. "So these new leave laws that we have had to sort of get used to because of COVID19, those layer on the other leave that other people already had and are entitled to. So the employer really has to have a brush when theyre looking at the right does this person have an entitlement to not come back to work?"

As for if you're taking care of someone with a compromised immune system, but are healthy yourself, Shaw said if a physician or healthcare provider to the individual with the compromised immune system would like the caregiver to self-isolate in order to not expose the individual with the compromised immune system, they may be entitled to time off related to COVID-19.

As for Shaw's overall message, it's one of ensuring health and safety during this time to both employees and employers.

"I really want people to think about what is best for their health. I also want employers to think about whats best for their employees," said Shaw. "Everyone is struggling, supporting the community and we do have to have a little grace we maybe have to go a little farther than we have in the past in order to try and help and accommodate and make it work."

Follow the conversation onFacebook with Andie Judson.

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Do you fall into the 'at-risk' category of COVID-19? Here are your rights before returning to work - ABC10.com KXTV

Could weed boost your immunity? Its possible. Some science suggests THC and CBD positively impact immunity.

Some claim that cannabis calms a cytokine storm, for example, preventing your immune system from overreacting against itself. Some even believe that cannabis is more effective than traditional drugs, or that its an effective medication for various illnesses.

Theres a lot of information (and misinformation) about cannabinoids and immunity. Today, were exploring what science says about cannabis and your immune system. Extensive research has already been put into cannabis and nutritional supplements, but given the gravity of the COVID-19 coronavirus health threat there is a necessary need to cover marijuana's THC and hemp's CBD and the whole cannabis plant's medicinal and therapeutic effects towards the body immune system's immunity.

While this cannabis use-related immune system guide is organized differently than the best CBD oils, drinks, gummies, and skincare rankings, there is much to be said, sorted and shown as marijuana and hemp make their way back into consumers medicine cabinets as a natural remedy and reemerging alternative. It's time to review what science says about cannabinoids and our immune system's function and whether or not cannabis can be a real immunity booster that individuals turn to based on medical research and scientific literature.

You could write a textbook on how the immune system works. Well provide a short version.

First, your immune system recognizes a foreign invader in your body. Your immune system detects a flu virus in your bloodstream, for example, and realizes it needs to take action.

In response to the foreign invader, your immune system sends white blood cells to the area to engulf the target. These white blood cells (also known as leukocytes) are the key to your immune system. Good white blood cells help your body fight foreign invaders.

There are other factors for immune response, including proteins called cytokines and lymphocytes. These compounds target specific types of invaders. White blood cells called phagocytes, for example, target invading organisms, while neutrophils help fight bacteria. These and other compounds work together to help your body fight off foreign invaders.

During this immune response, your body creates antibodies. Lymphocytes respond to the foreign invader by creating antibodies.

Antibodies can recognize foreign invaders and target them, but they cant fully destroy them without help. Thats why they join with T cells also known as killer cells to remove invaders from the body.

Some believe that cannabis boosts immunity by supporting different aspects of your immune system. Cannabis may actually help your immune system by suppressing it, preventing your immune system from overreacting against your body.

Cannabis contains natural chemicals called cannabinoids. Two of the best known cannabinoids include THC and CBD. These and other chemicals could help your body fight invaders, supporting your immune system in different ways.

The chemicals in cannabis target your endocannabinoid system, which includes CB1 receptors (mostly found in the brain) and CB2 receptors (mostly found in your peripheral nervous system or immune cells).

Science suggests theres a relationship between the endocannabinoid system and the immune system. But does that mean cannabis supports immunity? The answer is complicated.

The endocannabinoid system consists of two types of receptors, including:

CB1 Receptors: Mostly located in the brain.

CB2 Receptors: Mostly located in the peripheral nervous system or immune cells.

Immune cells have approximately 10 to 100 times more gene expression of CB2 compared to CB1. When endocannabinoids activate these receptors, they may control various immune system functions including cell signaling cascades and homeostasis of your immune system.

Science shows that endocannabinoids have a particularly noticeable effect on the lymph nodes and the gut, which have strong concentrations of immune cells.

Immune cells can even create their own cannabinoids. Yes, your body produces its own endogenous cannabinoids.

Immune cells create endogenous cannabinoids like 2-AG, which regulates your immune system.

These cannabinoids work differently from exogenous cannabinoids like THC and CBD, which come from outside the body.

Science suggests THC and CBD have immunosuppressive effects. That means they inhibit cell signaling that normally leads to pro-inflammatory immune system responses, also known as active immune responses.

Suppressing the immune system may seem like a bad thing but not necessarily. In many cases, its in your bodys best interest to suppress its immune system.

Weve established that exogenous cannabinoids (like THC and CBD) seem to suppress the immune system, changing your bodys immune response. Thats not necessarily a bad thing.

Chronic diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and psoriasis occur when the immune system is overactive. Your immune system is dysregulated, and your immune responses are heightened. This creates inflammation and pain.

If you have chronic inflammation, then it could be linked to an overactive or ineffective immune system. Your body recognizes the foreign invader, and your body knows it needs to kill that foreign invader, but the compounds your body is sending to that foreign invader are not working to remove it from your body.

Over time, this ineffective immune response leads to inflammation and pain. For many, this inflammation and pain doesnt go away. Its chronic.

Thats why some suggest that THC and CBD can help. They reduce your bodys immune response, preventing it from overreacting against invaders. THC and CBD could relieve pain and discomfort caused by immune dysfunction.

CBD is prized for its ability to reduce inflammation. Science agrees, and CBD has shown some evidence of reducing inflammation when applied topically.

Inflammation sounds like a bad word, but its simply your bodys immune response. Your body sends white blood cells and other compounds to a location on your body, and this produces inflammation.

Toxins can also increase body inflammation, and inflammation seems to be a biomarker of disease. Inflammation may increase your risk of disease or illness, and many common diseases seem linked to inflammation.

This 2016 study showed that CBD applied transdermally (through your skin) significantly reduced arthritis by reducing certain cells related to the inflammatory immune response.

Researchers concluded that topical CBD application has therapeutic potential for relief of arthritis pain-related behaviors and inflammation without evidence side-effects, praising CBD gel for reducing joint swelling, improving limb posture scores, and boosting other metrics of arthritis.

CBD is prized for its ability to reduce arthritis pain, but increasing research shows other compounds in cannabis may have similar effects. Some cannabinoids suppress cytokines, for example, which appear to play a crucial role in inflammation.

Cytokines are a class of small proteins that play a crucial role in your immune system. Your body secretes cytokines, then sends cytokines to the source of infection.

That all sounds good but cytokine activity isnt always good in a problematic immune system. If your immune system is dysfunctional, then cytokines can do more harm than good.

The Spanish Flu of 1919 was unique because it killed young, healthy people with strong immune systems. Researchers found that the influenza virus triggered a cytokine storm: it forces the immune system to overreact, sending too many cytokines to the source of the infection. These cells got confused and attacked everything including crucial body functions. People with the strongest immune systems died in hours because of this cytokine storm.

Theres some evidence that COVID-19 reacts in a similar way. Some COVID-19 fatalities are linked to an overreacting immune system.

Tumor-necrosis-factor alpha (TNF-) is one type of cytokine. Overexpression of TNF- is linked with diseases like IBD and Crohns Disease. Theres also some evidence that TNF- is linked with cancers, anxiety, and depression.

We already know CBD can help with pain and inflammation related to IBD. However, certain studies have also found that CBD can lower TNF- levels in mice. This suggests that CBD could manage your bodys cytokine response, although more research is necessary.

Interleukins are another common type of cytokine. Interleukins affect your bodys immune response. Research shows interleukins are impacted by endogenous cannabinoids (produced by your body) and exogenous cannabinoids (like CBD and THC taken orally).

Some research suggests that cannabis affects interleukins, changing the way these cytokines respond. Other research, however, shows mixed results.

This 2019 study found that CBD alone did not inhibit a specific type of interleukin (IL-8), although a full spectrum version of cannabis sativa did inhibit IL-8.

Based on these results, its possible theres an entourage effect, with other cannabinoids also impacting your bodys immune response. CBD may not work on its own, but CBD combined with the other hundreds of chemicals in the cannabis plant could play a role in immune response.

As reported by Hanna Webster at Ganjapreneur, cannabis seems to target other immune system proteins, including one called NF-B. This protein is involved in immune regulation. It lays dormant in unstimulated cells, then is activated by signals coming from outside the cell.

NF-B is in charge of cell proliferation, cell survival responses, and other immune system responses. When NF-B is activated, it causes an immune response. Inhibiting this pathway can decrease chronic inflammation from excessive cell signaling.

Studies have found that cannabis sativa extract and CBD alone could impact the immune system. This 2019 study, for example, found that both cannabis sativa extract and CBD alone inhibited the NF-B pathway, mostly through TNF-, which can activate the NF-B pathway. These compounds also affected genes associated with skin inflammation, which could make the compounds valuable for conditions like psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis.

That study also revealed another complication of the immune system: all elements of your immune system seem interconnected. When cannabis impacts one aspect of your immune system like one type of cytokine it can also indirectly impact many other parts of your immune response.

When cells die, its called apoptosis. THC has been linked to apoptosis in multiple cell types.

Cell death may sound bad but it can actually be a good thing. Apoptosis is a natural body function. It clears away damaged cells, forcing your body to make new ones. New, healthy cells may be more effective. Older, damaged cells may be more prone to disease.

Studies have shown that CBD causes apoptosis in a variety of cell types. Scientists believe this effect is linked with the activation of CB2 receptors. When CB2 receptors are blocked, it prevents natural apoptosis. By activating CB2 receptors, cannabis may facilitate your bodys natural cell death process.

THC has been used to treat tumor suppression in cancer patients, and some researchers believe this is linked to cell death. By facilitating your bodys natural cell death processes, THC could help your body fight cancer and other invaders.

Dont get too excited about these anti-cancer benefits: researchers have found that certain cells, including breast cancer cells, are not impacted by cannabinoid-induced apoptosis. More research needs to be done to understand this connection.

Could cannabis treat or prevent the COVID-19 coronavirus? Theres no evidence supporting that claim.

In fact, evidence suggests that cannabis has immuno-suppressive effects, which means it weakens the immune system. This can be helpful for certain conditions say, if you have an overactive immune system. For conditions like the cold or flu virus, however, a weakened immune system is not a good thing.

Cannabis may suppress your immune system, inhibiting certain cytokines. Cytokines are the proteins that help your immune system do its job. By inhibiting these cytokines, cannabis could make your body more susceptible to cold or flu symptoms.

Despite the lack of evidence, you can find plenty of anecdotal evidence online proclaiming that CBD has antiviral applications and that it can reduce the risk of coronavirus, among other benefits.

Some argue that suppressing the immune system prevents the infamous cytokine storm, for example, where your immune system overreacts to the virus. Theres some evidence that COVID-19 fatalities are linked to an overreacting immune system, although this effect was more prominent in the 1919 Spanish Flu than in the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Overall, theres no scientific evidence analyzing how cannabis reacts to COVID-19 or the coronavirus. However, theres some evidence showing that CBD could treat viral infections.

Theres some small evidence that CBD has antiviral benefits. Because of these small studies, some suggest using CBD to treat the COVID-19 coronavirus. Lets take a closer look at this connection.

Researchers recently published an in vitro study showing that CBD had a direct antiviral effect against the Hepatitis C virus. Researchers inserted CBD into a test tube with the Hep C virus, then found it killed the virus.

In another study, researchers found that CBD reduced neuro-inflammation (inflammation in the brain) in a virus-induced animal model of multiple sclerosis. However, researchers believed these effects werent technically antiviral: instead, they were linked to the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD.

You can also find anecdotal evidence online of people using CBD to treat viral infections, including herpes and shingles.

A group of British and Italian researchers acknowledged these anecdotal reports in this study, where they concluded that evidence was plausible on the basis of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of CBD. However, researchers did not suggest CBD had an intrinsic antiviral effect.

Researchers in Israel are studying whether CBD could treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a potentially fatal condition with a mortality rate over 80%.

GVHD occurs when your immune system rejects an organ or bone marrow transplant. Your immune system recognizes the transplant as a foreign invader, then attacks the transplant, triggering a deadly chain reaction in the body.

Results are encouraging so far: researchers have found that CBD could suppress the bodys immune response to GVHD, which could increase the chances of a successful organ or bone marrow transplant.

Both COVID-19 fatalities and GVHD are triggered by extreme immune overresponses. However, GVHD is not triggered by a virus. Its possible CBD could suppress the immune system to prevent GVHD but have no impact on COVID-19.

What does all of this research mean about your cannabis usage and immunity?

First, it appears cannabinoids are immuno-suppressive. They suppress the immune system. Natural cannabis chemicals like THC and CBD significantly reduced cytokine expression.

Because cannabis suppresses the immune system, it could support some conditions but not others.

Weakening the immune system could help control your bodys response to inflammation and pain, for example, which could be caused by an overactive immune system. In some conditions, your immune system does more harm than good. Its overreacting, and that mean its less effective.

Suppressing the immune system isnt always a good thing, however.

Cannabis could have negative effects on conditions like HIV, for example, or any other condition where the patient has a weakened immune system. Cannabis may also be problematic for conditions where cells are not affected by cannabinoid-induced apoptosis (like the breast cancer cells mentioned above).

Theres some evidence that cannabinoids reduce inflammation. We know that CBD seems to reduce inflammation when applied trans-dermally, for example.

Theres also evidence that cannabinoids have a transient effect on the immune system, which means they help treat acute or chronic inflammation without affecting the immune systems long-term ability to defend itself. In other words, it could give your immune system a boost when needed without impairing its ability to do its job.

Overall, ordinary cannabis usage should not weaken your immune system on its own. However, if you are already sick, its possible that excessive cannabis usage could make the condition worse. Suppressing your immune system can reduce your bodys ability to fight the flu or cold virus, for example.

As more research gets released, were learning more about how cannabis affects the immune system in both positive and negative ways.

Read more:
Cannabis and Immunity: What Science Says About Cannabinoids and Immune Systems - HealthMJ