You may think that because you are young and healthy, the symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for COVID-19) may not be serious enough to land you in the hospital. First of all…think again. There have been young adults and even children hospitalized who were otherwise healthy. Secondly, even if you were infected and recovered, you may develop long term symptoms that are chronic, lasting more than 3 months. These people are referred to as the “long-haulers”.

While COVID-19 is known for its effect on lung damage, long-haulers report other unusual symptoms that prevent patients from returning to work and their lives fully. To compare this coronavirus with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), exhaustion and crippling fatigue plagued 52% of COVID patients 2 months after leaving the hospital in a study from Rome compared to 40% with longterm fatigue lasting 13-36 months after infection from SARS.

Other studies point to similar concerns: A German study found 78% of COVID-19 patients had lingering heart symptoms 2-3 months post infection. The CDC published a report documenting 35% of COVID-19 patients still had symptoms 3 weeks after diagnosis. Compare this to 10% after influenza. A US study published in August found that 70% of patients had lingering symptoms of shortness of breath and 13.5% still needed oxygen 4 weeks after discharge. CT scans of COVID-19 patients show continued signs of lung damage 12 weeks after hospitalization.

The other reported symptoms are confusion, forgetfulness, memory loss, difficulty focusing, dizziness, and grasping for everyday words. It’s becoming known as “COVID brain fog” and survivors say it impairs their ability to work and function normally. Symptoms vary widely and scientists don’t know what causes it, especially since it also effects people who became only mildly ill and had no previous medical conditions. Some theories are that the bodies immune response to the virus never shuts down and it is persistently activated. Another possible cause could be inflammation in blood vessels that release inflammatory molecules that are toxic to the brain which causes delirium, confusion and other types of altered mental function known as encephalopathy. And then there is the theory that it is an autoimmune reaction, when our antibodies mistakenly attack nerve cells. Some patients with brain fog can also experience respiratory and heart issues which can exacerbate neurological symptoms. So far according to neurologists, MRI scans have not seen damaged brain areas.

The average age of long-haulers is 44 years old, with women disproportionally affected. Women have higher rates of autoimmune disease (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism) and have higher sensitivity to lower oxygen levels.

We have much to learn about COVID-19 post viral syndrome and long term studies are underway to learn more about the nature and potential treatment of long-haulers. We do understand that much of  the problem the virus creates stems from damage to the lungs, heart, blood vessels, brain, nervous system, eyes, skin and immune regulation. Underlying chronic diseases are also made worse and critical nutrient levels fall in the wake of the inflammation brought on by the virus.

Natalie Lambert, PhD associate research professor at Indiana University Medical School found nearly 100 different long-term problems of a soon-to-be published  survey of close to 4000 patients. Some of these symptoms go well beyond typical COVID symptoms. This global network of COVID survivors whom support, educate and connect to groups of people who are struggling with post COVID syndrome is called the Survivor Corps.

Long-Hauler Survey

The frustration for patients also is that when they reach out to their primary care physicians for help managing these much lesser-known symptoms, they find that some physicians are unable or unwilling to help patients manage these symptoms due to lack of research. People are seeing cardiologists, neurologists and  rheumatologists seeking answers with very little hope or treatment. It has and will continue to take a huge toll on our healthcare system (please vote!). The fact is that facebook has over 100,000 followers on their support group for long-haulers. These patients are suffering physically, mentally and emotionally.

Integrated medicine is uniquely positioned to help long-haulers address the complexity of their symptoms. They are equipped in treating post-viral syndromes for decades which includes re-activated Epstein Barr virus, mononucleosis, West Nile virus, post herpetic neuralgia, Bell’s Palsy, Guillain Barre and influenza. Functional medicine testing can be done to assess inflammation, hormones, GI function, cardiac inflammation, brain function and nutritional status. This way a patient can have personalized treatment through medicines, nutrients, herbs and intravenous nutrient therapy, as well as monitoring the status of how a patient is healing and recovering. Acupuncture and oriental medicine is also an ideal tool in evaluating and treating a patient where western medicine has its limitations.

Prevention from the COVID-19 virus is best by wearing a mask, social distancing and hand washing. But if you have been infected, it is best to seek out someone who will listen and manage your symptoms to help you get back to a fuller recovery.

Brain Fog Plaques COVID Survivors

Different Syndromes of Post COVID

An advisory committee has recommended that the next set of dietary guidelines have some changes. These include that Americans cut back on their alcohol consumption and sugar intake. What they are proposing is only 1 alcoholic beverage per day on the days that alcohol is consumed. In the past, the limit was two drinks for men and one for women.

As far as sugar intake…the committee suggests that less than 6% of energy come from added sugars. The previous guidelines suggested less than 10%. The average sugar consumption in the U.S. is around 13%.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has mandated a new food label, (first initiated in 2018) that must be in effect by January 1, 2021, this upcoming year. Many food companies have already embraced this new food labeling. One of the biggest changes has been the new “added sugar” section. This makes it much easier to differentiate “naturally occurring sugars” from “added sugars”. This new label separates the two and also includes the percent Daily Value (%DV) for added sugars, which previously was not required.

The report will be used by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services to formulate the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For the first time, the guidelines will cover a broad range of recommendations for all age groups including, infants, toddlers and pregnant women. The guidelines also include dietary patterns in relationship to several different types of cancer such as colorectal, breast and prostate cancers.

Reference: Young, K. Physician’s First Watch. 7/16/2020. http://www.jwatch.org/fw116842.                                                          Rittiman, L. Total Sugars vs. Added Sugar-What You Need To Know. 9healthfair.org. 1/30/2018.

There has been alot of debate on whether hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is effective in preventing or treating COVID-19. What got things started was a French study suggesting efficacy in lowering the viral load in patients with COVID-19 back in March 2020. We have learned alot since then and other studies have called into question both the efficacy and safety of HCQ in treating COVID-19.

The French study was a non-randomized study of 36 hospitalized people in which patients were recruited either into a treatment group or control (non-treatment) group. This was an observational study. Since then, there have been roughly 900 published studies in which the vast majority are observational studies. So whats the difference?

In an observational study, the effect of the drug being tested (in this case HCQ), is due to its true causal effect (lowering viral load or treating the infection) AND the characteristics of who was selected for treatment.

Whereas, in a randomized trial, because the selection is random, the effect is due solely to the true effect of the treatment. This is a much better type of study looking primarily at the effect of the drug treatment.

So if you are able to select the people in the treatment group, the researcher can tend to choose those that are younger, and who have fewer co-morbidities which is poised to do better than if the treatment was assigned randomly.

Observational studies are still good studies and should be used to design randomized studies. Randomized studies should then be used to guide therapy.

So the next time you are reading research about a new prevention or treatment for COVID-19, check to see if it is a randomized study. It will serve to be more reliable.

References:  Randomized clinical trials

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2019014

https://www.globalhealthnow.org/2020-06/more-clues-potential-treatments

I was hesitant in posting this article because I didn’t want to give the wrong impression in stating that good hand washing and cleaning surfaces is not important. It is. This article explains how some companies emphasizing how they are disinfecting their areas may give us a false sense of security. This obsession of risk reduction rituals that make us feel safer but don’t actually do much to reduce the risk if transmission is called hygiene theatre.

In May, the CDC updated its guidelines to clarify that COVID-19 is spread primarily through the air, not by touching surfaces. According to Emanual Goldman, a microbiology professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, “Surface transmission of COVID-19 is not justified at all by science”.

But wait…weren’t we told that the virus could remain on surfaces for hours and even days?!!! Yes! Backing up those many scary stories of how people were infected after touching their mail, packages and doorknobs were several Lancet studies in July that  were based on unrealistically strong concentrations of the virus. In other words, 100 people would have to sneeze on the same exact area of a table to mimic some of the experimental conditions. But now…we have more research.

The article below reviews other studies looking at how this coronavirus really spreads. There is new research and studies everyday. The one thing that has not changed is that this is an airborne virus, and that besides good hand washing, the importance of social distancing and wearing masks cannot be over-emphasized.

The problem with over cleaning and making us feel safe is that it justifies more social gathering places to open up, such as indoor seated restaurants, bars, gyms and now schools. I’m concerned people, especially students, will feel that as long as surfaces have been cleaned, wearing a mask is not as important.

A new study in South Korea, published Thursday in JAMA Internal Medicine, offers more definitive proof that people without symptoms carry just as much virus in their nose, throat and lungs as those with symptoms, and for almost as long. The South Korean team analyzed samples taken between March 6 and March 26 from 193 symptomatic and 110 asymptomatic people isolated at a community treatment center in Cheonan. Of the initially asymptomatic patients, 89 — roughly 30 percent of the total — appeared healthy throughout, while 21 developed symptoms. The participants were mostly young, with the average age of 25. A study last week found children, who were mildly infected also carried at least as much virus as adults. Yikes!

Asymptomatic People Carry coronavirus in High Amounts

Many  of us are either exercising too much or too little during this pandemic. Here is reason to get up out of your chair and get moving…

A molecule called Gpld1 (glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)–specific phospholipase D1), seems to improve neurogenesis and cognition in mice. In a series of experiments in older mice, regular exercise, compared with sedentary behavior, improved neurogenesis, learning ability, and memory.

Blood extracted from older mice, midlife, or younger exercising mice that was injected intravenously into older sedentary mice produced improved neurogenesis, learning ability, and memory. Blood infusions from sedentary mice did not have this effect.

Mass spectrometry (a sophisticated tool used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of 1 or more molecules) identified about 30 molecules that increased after exercise; one of the most prominent was Gpld1, a molecule produced by the liver. When scientists enhanced liver production of Gpld1, it led to improved neurogenesis and cognition.

Levels of Gpld1 are also higher in physically active humans than in sedentary humans. This is the equivalent to about 7100 steps per day. A molecule common to mice and humans has been linked to the benefits of exercise and the aging brain. Whether we see this being used in humans therapeutically is yet to be seen. But it suggest that specific molecules brought on by exercise can improve cognition.

Reference: Horowitz AM et al. Blood factors transfer beneficial effects of exercise on neurogenesis and cognition to the aged brain. Science 2020 Jul 10; 369:167.