Tag: Immunity

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What We Now Know about the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Delivery System that Should Concern Us

I have always been a proponent of medical freedom and believe that individuals should weigh the risk-to-benefit ratio when deciding anything when it comes to modern medicine. Unfortunately, so much of what we’re led to believe about the safety of the novel coronavirus vaccine is false and mis-leading. Although there many reputable doctors and scientists willing to voice concerns and openly debate the risks, their voices are not being heard by the majority of the public and their professional careers and reputations are being threatened and often smeared, distorted, and censored by the media. It is more important than ever to have truth and transparency when it comes to new technologies in medicine.

Traditional vaccines present the entire virus in a live-attenuated form (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, rotavirus, Sabin oral poliovirus, yellow fever, and some influenza vaccines) or an inactivated form (Salk poliovirus, hepatitis A, rabies, and some other influenza vaccines), leading to a polyclonal response to not just one, but a number of viral proteins. This multiplicity of humoral and T cell responses probably explains why no convincing vaccine escape strains have been documented for these viruses; with the exception to this being the influenza virus.[1] The mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 however, are engineered in an entirely different way, with a far more complex design and effect.

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COVID-19 Updates on Natural Immunity and Vitamin D, plus Facts and Reflections on Science, Truth, Knowledge and Wisdom

“When one tries to rise above nature, one is liable to fall below it.”​ –  Sherlock Holmes​

While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) maintains that vaccine immunity is superior to natural immunity, evidence continues to mount suggesting that natural immunity is superior and long-lasting.  In my coverage of Covid-19 over the past two years, I’ve documented several studies supporting the fact that natural immunity is superior to vaccination, including studies conducted while the Delta variant was dominant. One study, published January 20th, 2022, was backed by the CDC.[1]

According to a study published in JAMA in early February 2022,[2] antibody protection against COVID-19 among the recovered was detected by researchers at 20 months post-infection, adding to the body of evidence that such protection, known as natural immunity, is long-lasting.

Natural Immunity is Strong and Durable

Researchers found antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain in 99 percent of study participants who tested positive for COVID-19, with some having had the illness 20 months prior.

“The major takeaway is that natural immunity … is strong and durable,” says Dr. Dorry Segev, the Director of the Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation at Johns Hopkins University.[3]

Natural immunity occurs from an orchestrated immune response which includes not only T and B cells, but-interferons (a family of cytokins with anti-viral properties) and other first-line defenders, while vaccine induced immunity shares some of the same response, is less robust, and less orchestrated. A central point is the important distinction between the impact of vaccination versus natural infection on type I interferon (IFN). While vaccination actively suppresses its production, natural infection promotes type I IFN production very early in the disease cycle.[4],[5]

This is a very important distinction because the argument stating vaccine immunity is better is solely based on the fact that mRNA vaccinations produce more neutralizing receptor binding domain antibodies than natural immunity,[6] which involves many more immunologically active components.

The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines’ ability to produce adverse reactions in individuals suffering from immune-mediated diseases, with therefore an inherent pre-existing dysregulation of the immune response, has not been investigated. In such cases, mRNA may bind pattern recognition receptors in endosomes or cytosol and cause immune chaos, as if the orchestra lost the music score. This leads to the activation of several pro-inflammatory cascades, including the assembly of inflammasome platforms, the type I IFN response and the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-kB.[7]

Importantly, the up-regulation of these immunological pathways is widely considered to be at the basis of several immune-mediated diseases, especially in genetically predisposed subjects who have an impaired clearance of nucleic acids.[8]

A recent publication (January 21, 2022) in the Journal Authorea,[9] goes as far as to state the following concerns with regard to the mRNA vaccines: “the genetic modifications introduced by the vaccine are likely the source of these differential responses. In this paper, we present the evidence that vaccination, unlike natural infection, induces a profound impairment in type I interferon signaling, which has diverse adverse consequences to human health. We explain the mechanism by which immune cells release into the circulation, large quantities of exosomes containing spike protein along with critical microRNAs that induce a signaling response in recipient cells at distant sites. We also identify potential profound disturbances in regulatory control of protein synthesis and cancer surveillance. These disturbances are shown to have a potentially direct causal link to neurodegenerative disease, myocarditis, immune thrombocytopenia, Bell’s palsy, liver disease, impaired adaptive immunity increased tumorigenesis, and DNA damage.”

Long before COVID-19, it has been well known within the scientific community that a person develops natural immunity after recovering from an infection. The protection afforded by natural immunity is what all vaccines strive to achieve.  Some vaccines do this better than others, but vaccines rarely surpass natural immunity.

The Pursuit of Truth

On Nov. 28, 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the chief medical adviser to the President of the United States, said on CBS’s Face the Nation: “It’s easy to criticize [me], but they are really criticizing science, because I represent science.”

Once the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak had begun, virologists quickly reached the conclusion that the pandemic was almost certainly of natural origin.  Quickly the media called out such a notice has a radical conspiracy theory and the possibility of a lab leak was actively censored by Facebook and other social media platforms. Nonetheless, significant evidence has continued to build in support of the “lab leak hypothesis,”[10] so much so I invite you to read this paper entitled, “Thunder out of China” by Yuri Deigin, in Interference, Vol. 6, No. 4, February 2022. Be prepared to be enlightened.  There are 152 citations in the paper, and they all support what the author Yuri speaks to.

It seems as though our government and most of the media censors anything other than what is considered to be “science.” I believe in the value of science, but I also believe that we should have open debate instead of being told what is the “truth.”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines science as “knowledge about or study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation.” So, science is human knowledge of facts. It has nothing to do with human intention or politics. Consider the fact that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) represents science in China. The CCP’s science is not to be criticized or questioned, but to be followed. If you criticize the Party, you are criticizing the representative of science. Now suddenly, in the United States, it seems that anyone who challenges the validity of the mRNA vaccines is labeled “anti-science” which has given rise to those that are so extreme in the opposite direction that even among the medical community they are now referred to as “anti-anti-science”.

Science is simply about facts and truth. The interpretation of facts is often debated to reach well-thought-out conclusions. Research findings must go through a peer-review process before being recognized as scientific. According to Joe Wang, PhD: “It seemed that the SARS-CoV-2 origin narrative had been decided upon—even when the existing facts did not support the narrative. The scientists took the existing facts and forced them to fit the preferred narrative, and also forced the general public to accept it, while silencing all other opinions and essentially banning scientific debate on the issue.”[11]

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” ~Sherlock Holmes

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Severity, Deaths among COVID-19 Patients

If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that science is confirming over and over again that normalizing vitamin D levels consistently is associated with significantly better outcomes in COVID-19 patients. A new study has found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with severe cases of COVID-19 as well as mortality. The research has been published in the ‘PLOS ONE Journal’.

Existing literature suggests a potential protective effect of supplemental vitamin D in preventing and treating COVID-19 disease.[12] A published meta-analysis of 43 observational studies analyzing data obtained from 612,601 patients showed that vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25(OH)D of 30 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR], 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19 to 1.34; p < 0.01). One meta-analysis of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and two Quasi-experimental analyzing data obtained from 467 patients has raised doubt as to whether low vitamin D is associated with an increased risk of acquiring COVID-19.[13] A more recent placebo-controlled, double-blind RCT tested the effect of calcifediol 25 (OH)D3 treatment in 106 COVID-19 Iranian patients and found that an oral calcifediol treatment resulted in improved immune function with an increased blood lymphocyte percentage and reduced blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio compared to the placebo group.[14] An additional retrospective study found that prescription of calcifediol or vitamin D, 15–30 days before hospitalization with COVID-19 infections, was found to improved patient survival in a large retrospective, hospitalized, Andalusian cohort.[15]

In a study, researchers from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University in Safed, Israel and the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Israel showed a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 severity and mortality.

The study is among the first to analyze vitamin D levels prior to infection, which facilitates a more accurate assessment than during hospitalization, when levels may be lower secondary to the viral illness. The findings reported build upon results initially published on MedRxiv. The records of 1,176 patients admitted between April 2020 and February 2021 to the Galilee Medical Center with positive PCR tests were searched for vitamin D levels measured two weeks to two years prior to infection.[16]

So, why is there still no mention what-so-ever about the benefits of vitamin D, or any other natural compounds and therapies that might be helpful? For one, there is no money to be made. Over the course of the pandemic, legislators and other government officials have invested heavily in the stock of vaccine manufacturers, and reaped significant financial gains from these investments.[17]  Pharma companies have reciprocally poured millions into the campaign of sympathetic congress members.[18] Pharma companies also send large sums of money to the CDC as well.[19]  They send money for lobbying to influence the government purchases of their products and resist efforts to render their drugs more accessible or affordable. All said, lawmakers, government officials and agencies, and pharmaceutical companies have all made vast amounts of cash by working together with one another over the course of the pandemic.[20], Keep in mind that each additional round of shots generates billions for vaccine manufacturers. Pharmaceutical companies have a clear stake in multiple rounds being mandated or encouraged for as many people as possible, in as many places as possible (at as high a price as possible). Dr. Fauci is now proposing a 4th shot.[21] It is hard not to see bias in all of this.

“Faith is much better than belief. Belief is when someone else does the thinking.”
~ Buckminster Fuller

Wisdom and Knowledge

Wisdom and knowledge have quite a bit in common. Both words are primarily used as nouns that are related to learning. The word knowledge is defined first as the “acquaintance with facts, truths or principles, as from study or investigation.Wisdom is defined as “the state of being wise,” which means “having the power of discernment and judging properly as to what is true or right: possessing discernment, judgement, or discretion.” It is older (recorded before the 900s), and joins wise and -dom, a suffix that can convey “general condition,” as in freedom. Wisdom is typically gained from experiences and acquired over time.  It flows through the sub conscious and conscious mind.

ETMS (Eclectic Triphasic Medical System) – The Mederi Care Medical Approach to health and healing. Synergistic • Unitive • Personalized • Adaptive

Below is a visual aid I created that highlights the importance of “purity of heart” that allows us to free ourselves from bias and seek Truth:

The great Eclectic School of Medicine had a motto: “To Love the Truth, To Prove the Truth, To Apply the Truth, and To Promote the Truth.”

Finding Truth involves wisdom. Wisdom involves an understanding of the nature, source, and limits of knowledge, together with the degree to which we are able to “teotl” (to understand with the Divine Spirit, taken from the Aztec religion).

“The greatest scientists are artists as well,” said Albert Einstein. For Einstein, insight did not come from logic or mathematics. It came, as it does for artists, from intuition and inspiration. Einstein also said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.“

The Approach of Logical Positivism

Conventional medicine encompasses an inherently restricted set of categories and paradigms for understanding patients and diseases. But given that no single method is suitable for all patients, problems, and situations, this approach is far from optimal.

I propose logical positivism as an alternative to the current dogmatic, narrow view of modern conventional medicine. Logical positivism is spiritual-rationality in the most pristine form. It is considered culturally universal in traditional healing systems, and incorporates traditional wisdom, scientific knowledge, logic, intuition, and prayer, making it applicable to all modalities and situations.

References

[1] Tomás M. León, PhD1; Vajeera Dorabawila, PhD2; Lauren Nelson, MPH1; Emily Lutterloh, MD2,3; Ursula E. Bauer, PhD2; Bryon Backenson, MPH2,3; Mary T. Bassett, MD2; Hannah Henry, MPH1; Brooke Bregman, MPH1; Claire M. Midgley, PhD4; Jennifer F. Myers, MPH1; Ian D. Plumb, MBBS4; Heather E. Reese, PhD4; Rui Zhao, MPH1; Melissa Briggs-Hagen, MD4; Dina Hoefer, PhD2; James P. Watt, MD1; Benjamin J. Silk, PhD4; Seema Jain, MD1; Eli S. Rosenberg, PhD, COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations by COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Previous COVID-19 Diagnosis — California and New York, May–November 2021, Weekly / January 28, 2022 / 71(4);125–131, On January 19, 2022, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release.

[2] Jennifer L. Alejo,MD, Jonathan Mitchell, MBBS, Amy Chang, MD, Teresa P. Y. Chiang, MD, MPH, Allan B. Massie, PhD, MHS, Dorry L. Segev, MD, PhD, Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH Prevalence and Durability of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Unvaccinated US Adults by History of COVID-19, Published Online: February 3, 2022. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.1393

[3] Stieber, Zachary, February 4, 2022 Updated: February 7, 2022, EPOCH TIMES, https://www.theepochtimes.com/natural-immunity-to-covid-19-detected-at-20-months-after-infection-study_4256564.html?utm_source=ishare1&utm_campaign=ishare-journey-1&utm_medium=email&instaaccount=donnie@mederifoundation.org&rs=SHRTKMNV&

[4] Talotta R. Do COVID-19 RNA-based vaccines put at risk of immune-mediated diseases? In reply to “potential antigenic cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and human tissue with a possible link to an increase in autoimmune diseases”. Clin Immunol. 2021;224:108665. doi:10.1016/j.clim.2021.108665

[5] Ye L, Ohnemus A, Ong LC, Gad HH, Hartmann R, Lycke N, Staeheli P. Type I and Type III Interferons Differ in Their Adjuvant Activities for Influenza Vaccines. J Virol. 2019 Nov 13;93(23):e01262-19. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01262-19. PMID: 31511392; PMCID: PMC6854507.

[6] Yu, Y., Esposito, D., Kang, Z. et al. mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies more effective than natural immunity in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and its high affinity variants. Sci Rep 12, 2628 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06629-2

[7]  Reikine S., Nguyen J.B., Modis Y. Pattern Recognition and Signaling Mechanisms of RIG-I and MDA5. Front. Immunol. 2014;5.

[8]  Reikine S., Nguyen J.B., Modis Y. Pattern Recognition and Signaling Mechanisms of RIG-I and MDA5. Front. Immunol. 2014;5.

[9] Stephanie Seneff, Greg Nigh, Anthony M. Kyriakopoulos, et al. Innate Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes and microRNAs. Authorea. January 21, 2022.

[10] https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-coronavirus-lab-leak-virology-origins-pandemic-11633462827

[11] Wang, Joe EPOCH TIMES 02/05/2022, Dr. Fauci: ‘I Represent Science’, https://www.theepochtimes.com/pandemic-lessons-learned-scientific-debate-silenced-with-deadly-consequences_4256843.html?rs=SHRTKMNV&instaaccount=secb64ZG9ubmllJTQwbWVkZXJpZm91bmRhdGlvbi5vcmc=&utm_source=ishare&utm_medium=Medium&utm_campaign=Campaign&utm_term=Term&utm_content=DS1, Joe Wang, Ph.D., was a lead scientist for Sanofi Pasteur’s SARS vaccine project in 2003. He is now the president of New Tang Dynasty TV (Canada), a media partner of The Epoch Times.

[12] Rawat D, Roy A, Maitra S, Shankar V, Khanna P, Baidya DK. “Vitamin D supplementation and COVID19 treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews. 2021; 15: 102189. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.DSX.2021.102189 PMID: 34217144

[13] Maghbooli Z, Sahraian MA, Jamalimoghadamsiahkali S, Asadi A, Zarei A, Zendehdel A, et al. Treatment With 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (Calcifediol) Is Associated With a Reduction in the Blood Neutrophilto-Lymphocyte Ratio Marker of Disease Severity in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Pilot Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blinded Clinical Trial. Endocrine Practice. 2021; 27: 1242–1251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eprac.2021.09.016 PMID: 34653608

[14] Loucera C, Peña-Chilet M, Esteban-Medina M, Muñoyerro-Muñiz D, Villegas R, Lopez-Miranda J, et al. Real world evidence of calcifediol or vitamin D prescription and mortality rate of COVID-19 in a retrospective cohort of hospitalized Andalusian patients. Scientific Reports 2021 11:1. 2021; 11: 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-02701-5 PMID: 34862422

[15] Rubin R. Sorting Out Whether Vitamin D Deficiency Raises COVID-19 Risk. JAMA. 2021. https://doi. org/10.1001/jama.2020.24127 PMID: 33404587

[16] Patients with vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng/mL) were 14 times more likely to have the severe or critical case of COVID than those with more than 40 ng/mL.[16]

[17] https://www.businessinsider.com/lawmakers-bought-sold-covid-19-related-stocks-during-pandemic-2021-12

[18] https://www.statnews.com/feature/prescription-politics/prescription-politics/

[19] https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2019/11/05/cdc-foundation-disclaimers-corporate-funding/

[20] https://www.jacobinmag.com/2022/01/big-pharma-drug-pricing-build-back-better-media-campaign

[21] Musa al-Gharbi, Why don’t some people want to get the vaccine? Here’s why

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/15/this-is-why-some-people-dont-want-to-get-the-covid-vaccine

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Updates on Ivermectin, Transmission, Natural Immunity and Herbal Medicine

The Covid-19 pandemic has now been with us for close to two years and shows no signs of ever being completely extinguished. Many epidemiologists believe that the virus is here to stay, in the same way that the seasonal flu and common cold are also part of our lives. My belief is that continuing attempts to eradicate the virus through vaccination are not the best way to deal with an ever-changing target. Viruses continually mutate, and I believe our best approach to staying healthy is to bolster our innate immunity, and when necessary, to employ treatments with minimal side effects.

Recent Paper on Ivermectin Ignores Positive Studies

I believe that Ivermectin has been maligned and misunderstood as a prophylactic and treatment for Covid-19. On October 29th 2021, Medscape published a paper titled “Re-Analysis, Ivermectin Benefits Disappeared as Trial Quality Increased.”

This what the paper reports:

“For the re-analysis, Andrew Hill, PhD, of the University of Liverpool in England, and colleagues included 12 studies with 2,628 participants, and assessed them for bias. Overall, four studies had a low risk for bias, four studies had moderate risk, three studies were at high risk for bias, and one was potentially fraudulent.

Taken at face value, the overall meta-analysis found a 51% increase in survival with ivermectin (P=0.01), but excluding the potentially fraudulent trial, ivermectin’s benefit fell to 38% and was of borderline significance (P=0.05), they reported.

Taking out the studies with a high risk of bias led to a further drop — down to a nonsignificant 10% increase in survival (P=0.66), they noted. Further removing studies with a moderate risk of bias took the benefit down to 4% (P=0.9).”[1],[2]

The bottom line is that they took 4 studies out of a total of 12, where ivermectin had the least impact, and said they were the ones without bias. Yet they give no details as to how they came to this conclusion. They also added two studies on remdesivir, with a total of 6 studies that actually referred to ivermectin, and again ignored the now close to 100 studies on ivermectin and Covid. 

My two recent papers, “Ivermectin and COVID-19 – Revision”[3] and “Ivermectin as a Prophylactic and Treatment for COVID-19”[4] highlight almost 40 studies, all of which show benefit. Why were none of these studies included?

Vaccines Have Little Effect against Delta Variant Transmission

Based on six new studies, people that are vaccinated appear to shed and spread Covid-19 Delta as much, or possibly even more, than the unvaccinated. 

Study 1: This study found comparable viral loads among vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs) infected by variant Delta B.1.1.7, suggesting suboptimal protection of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines against new variants as compared to wild-type SARS-CoV-2.

Among all 55 PCR-positive HCWs, 24 (44%) had received at least one dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine, and 21 were fully vaccinated (diagnosed with COVID- 19>2 weeks after the second dose). The three individuals that had one dose had received it 11, 20 and 22 days before the positive PCR result. In 23 of 24 positive HCW, PCR showed the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant, in one single subject the B.1.177 variant. Up till May 12, only 2 HCWs required hospitalization, both of which were not vaccinated. Vaccinated (with at least one dose) HCWs did not differ significantly compared to non-vaccinated HCWs in regard to age, gender and epidemiological exposures.[5]

Study 2: This recent study (D. W. Eyre et al. preprint at medRxiv; 2021)[6] looked directly at how well vaccines prevent the spread of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.  It showed that people infected with Delta are less likely to pass on the virus if they have already had a COVID-19 vaccine than if they haven’t.  However the protective effect of the vaccine is small, and dwindles alarmingly over time.

In this study, researchers analyzed testing data from 139,164 close contacts of 95,716 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 between January and August 2021 in the United Kingdom, when the Alpha and Delta variants were competing for dominance. Although vaccines did offer some protection against infection and transmission, Delta dampened that effect. A vaccinated person who had a ‘breakthrough’ Delta infection was almost twice as likely to pass on the virus as was someone who was infected with Alpha. And the vaccines effect on Delta transmission waned to almost negligible levels over time.

The results “possibly explain why we’ve seen so much onward transmission of Delta despite widespread vaccination,” says co-author David Eyre, an epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, UK.[7]

Study 3: Data released August 6th, 2021, by the CDC showed that vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant can carry detectable viral loads similar to those of people who are unvaccinated. The study stated, “Among five COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized, four were fully vaccinated; no deaths were reported. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) cycle threshold (Ct) values in specimens from 127 vaccinated persons with breakthrough cases were similar to those from 84 persons who were unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated, or whose vaccination status was unknown (median = 22.77 and 21.54, respectively).”[8]

Study 4: Ireland’s Waterford city district has emerged as the place with the highest rate of Covid-19 infection, despite the fact that it has the highest rate of vaccination in the Republic. The city’s south electoral area has a 14-day incidence rate of 1,486 cases per 100,000 of the population, three times the national average which stands at 493 infections per 100,000 people. Waterford has 99.7 per cent of its adult population fully vaccinated.[9]

Study 5: Singapore, with 82% of its population of 5.7 million fully vaccinated, was once believed to have passed the threshold for herd immunity. But it’s now seeing a surge in Covid-19 cases. In the month of October, Singapore reported record high cases since late September, with more than 2,900 new infections on Oct. 1.

Prior to this wave, the highest single-day total was 1,426 reported in April 2020.[10]

Study 6: A new study, which appears in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Trusted Source,[11] has found that vaccination alone is not enough to stop the household transmission of the Delta variant.

What we have learned so far is thatthe peak viral load of the Delta virus does not differ between fully vaccinated and nonvaccinated individuals. Also, the elimination of the Delta strain of the virus takes place more quickly in vaccinated individuals.

Natural Immunity and Covid-19 Update

While a much-publicized CDC report concluded that mRNA vaccination provides stronger protection against COVID-19 hospitalization than prior infection, there were several study limitations, including that it was not a randomized controlled trial and that the follow-up period was short. The findings also don’t negate the robust protection from prior infection which many studies have now confirmed. In fact, in a recent CDC science report[12] that reviews the totality of evidence, agency staff found that infection-induced immunity is durable for at least 6 months.

“Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Health System conducted a study of 52,238 employees with and without a history of COVID-19, with or without vaccination. They found that those who recovered from COVID-19 and were vaccinated had equally low rates of repeat infection when compared with those who recovered and were unvaccinated. The investigators concluded that those previously infected were unlikely to benefit from COVID-19 vaccination.[13] In another study looking at the duration of immunity among the COVID-19-recovered, researchers found that the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 was persistent and relatively stable for at least a year.”[14]

Multiple studies also show that people who have recovered from COVID-19 are at least equally protected compared to fully vaccinated COVID-naive people.[15] This recent meta-analysis included nine clinical studies, including three randomized controlled studies, four retrospective observational cohorts, one prospective observational cohort, and a case-control study.

A new study, published in the November 2021 issue of the prestigious Lancet Journal, highlights protective immunity after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. According to the review, an overwhelming amount of research confirms those who have natural immunity are well protected. Several studies have found that people who recovered from COVID-19 and tested seropositive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies have low rates of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. This study puts to rest the questions surrounding the strength and duration of such protection compared with that from vaccination.

Within this review paper, studies published in PubMed to September 28, 2021 were analyzed, including well-conducted biological studies showing protective immunity after infection. Furthermore, multiple epidemiological and clinical studies, including studies during the recent period of predominantly delta (B.1.617.2) variant transmission, found that the risk of repeat SARS-CoV-2 infection decreased by 80.5–100% among those who previously had COVID-19.

The reported studies were large and conducted throughout the world. Another laboratory-based study that analyzed the test results of 9,119 people with previous COVID-19 from December 1, 2019 to November 13, 2020 found that only 0.7% became reinfected.[16]

Here is a breakdown of the research studies they reviewed:

Biological studies

  • Dan et al (2021): About 95% of participants tested retained immune memory at about 6 months after having COVID-19; more than 90% of participants had CD4+ T-cell memory at 1 month and 6–8 months after having COVID-19.[17]
  • Wang et al (2021): Participants with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection with an ancestral variant produce antibodies that cross-neutralize emerging variants of concern with high potency.[18]

Epidemiological studies

  • Hansen et al (2021): In a population-level observational study, people who previously had COVID-19 were around 80·5% protected against reinfection.[19]
  • Pilz et al (2021): In a retrospective observational study using national Austrian SARS-CoV-2 infection data, people who previously had COVID-19 were around 91% protected against reinfection.[20]
  • Sheehan et al (2021): In a retrospective cohort study in the USA, people who previously had COVID-19 were 81·8% protected against reinfection.[21]
  • Shrestha et al (2021): in a retrospective cohort study in the USA, people who previously had COVID-19 were 100% protected against reinfection.[22]
  • Gazit et al (2021): In a retrospective observational study in Israel, SARS-CoV-2-naive vaccinees had a 13.06-times increased risk for breakthrough infection with the delta (B.1.617.2) variant compared with those who previously had COVID-19; evidence of waning natural immunity was also shown.[23]
  • Kojima et al (2021): in a retrospective observational cohort of laboratory staff routinely screened for SARS-CoV-2, people who previously had COVID-19 were 100% protected against reinfection.[24]

Clinical studies:

  • Hall et al (2021): in a large, multicenter, prospective cohort study, having had COVID-19 previously was associated with an 84% decreased risk of infection.[25]
  • Letizia et al (2021): in a prospective cohort of US Marines, seropositive young adults were 82% protected against reinfection.[26]

Potential Treatment of COVID-19 with Traditional Chinese (Herbal) Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown success in treating viral infectious pneumonia. It has also exhibited therapeutic effects against infectious diseases, such as SARS and COVID-19. On February 7, 2020, the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine recommended the Qingfei Paidu decoction, the Huashi Baidu formula, the Xuanfei Baidu decoction, the Jinhua Qinggan granule, the Lianhua Qingwen capsule/granule, and Xuebijing.

The experimental antivirus effects are mainly characterized by the direct inhibition of virus replication. Regarding the immune system destruction, inflammatory cytokine storm, and lung damage caused by COVID-19, some classic TCM formulas and proprietary Chinese medicines may regulate the immune system, reduce inflammatory responses, and suppress lung fibrosis and injury. Xuebijing, for example, has been found to have clinical efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 for the treatment of flu-like symptoms, asthma, inflammation, tonsillitis, and sore throat.

Based on clinical results, TCM formulas have been applied to treat COVID-19, and their effects have been remarkable. Experimental studies have focused on the potential antiviral effects of classical formulas. For example, the Huashi Baidu formula has been recommended by the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild and severe symptoms. Cai et al. identified 223 active ingredients in Huashi Baidu formula that potentially interact with 84 COVID-19-related target genes, such as ACE2, estrogen receptor 1, adrenergic receptor α1, and histone deacetylase 1.[27]

One of the many advantages of TCM and herbal medicine lies not only in its regulation of immunity, but also in its holistic regulation of metabolism and the intestinal environment and broad protective effects as well on organ systems.[28]

Indonesia First to Greenlight Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Biotechnology company Novavax said Monday that Indonesia has given the world’s first emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine, which uses a different technology than current shots. The vaccine is easier to store and transport than some other shots, which could allow it to play an important role in boosting supplies in poorer countries around the world.

Novavax said it has already filed for authorization of the vaccine in the United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia, India, and the Philippines.[29]

Also keep in mind, some people are allergic to polyethylene glycol (PEG), an ingredient in the mRNA (Pfizer and Moderna) vaccines. There’s no polyethylene glycol (PEG) in Novavax. 

How the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Works

Unlike the mRNA and vector vaccines, this is a protein adjuvant (an adjuvant is an ingredient used to strengthen the immune response and in this case it a plant saponin extract, called Matrix M, from the Soapbark tree).

While other vaccines trick the body’s cells into creating parts of the virus that can trigger the immune system, the Novavax vaccine takes a different approach. It contains the spike protein, made from a moth and not the RNA messenger. 

Unlike mRNA vaccines that command your own cells to manufacture the antigens that trigger an immune response, the Novavax vaccine contains the antigens themselves.  The lab-grown nanoparticle spike protein mimics the natural spike protein on the surface of the coronavirus cannot cause disease.

How did they get the spike protein?

The Novavax method uses moth cells to make spike proteins: 

  1. Researchers select the desired genes that create certain SARS-CoV-2 antigens (spike protein). 
  2. Researchers put the genes into a baculovirus, an insect virus.
  3. The baculovirus infects moth cells and replicates inside them.
  4. These moth cells create lots of spike proteins.
  5. Researchers extract and purify the spike proteins.

The Novavax vaccine has no genetic material, only proteins.

When the vaccine is injected, the Matrix-M Soapbark extract stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies and T-cell immune responses.

This tried-and-true method of making a custom copy of a virus spike protein has been used to develop vaccines against HPV, hepatitis B and influenza.[30]

So, there you have it.

References

[1] https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/95333?xid=nl_medpageexclusive_2021-11-01&eun=g1065123d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MPTExclusives_110121&utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_Medpage_Exclusives_Active

[2] Hill A, et al “Ivermectin for COVID-19: addressing potential bias and medical fraud” Research Square 2021; DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1003006/v1.

[3] https://www.donnieyance.com/ivermectin-and-covid-19-revision/

[4] https://www.donnieyance.com/ivermectin-as-a-prophylactic-and-treatment-for-covid-19/

[5] Petros Ioannoua , Stamatis Karakonstantisa , Eirini Astrinakib, Stamatina Saplamidoub, Efsevia Vitsaxakib, Georgios Hamilosc, George Sourvinosd and Diamantis P. Kofteridisa, Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 among vaccinated health care workers, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 2021; VOL. 0, NO. 0, 1–4, https://doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2021.1945139

[6] David W Eyre, Donald Taylor, Mark Purver, David Chapman, Tom Fowler, Koen B Pouwels, A Sarah Walker, Tim EA Peto. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on Alpha & Delta variant transmission, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.28.21264260

[7] Nature, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02759-1?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20211014&utm_source=nature_etoc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20211014&sap-outbound-id=C45F96E14F855E90076BC7A0A2589E9DC8299B74, 10/13/2021

[8] Brown CM, Vostok J, Johnson H, Burns M, Gharpure R, Sami S, Sabo RT, Hall N, Foreman A, Schubert PL, Gallagher GR, Fink T, Madoff LC, Gabriel SB, MacInnis B, Park DJ, Siddle KJ, Harik V, Arvidson D, Brock-Fisher T, Dunn M, Kearns A, Laney AS. Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Infections, Including COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, Associated with Large Public Gatherings – Barnstable County, Massachusetts, July 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 Aug 6;70(31):1059-1062. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7031e2.

[9] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/waterford-city-district-has-state-s-highest-rate-of-covid-19-infections-1.4707344, The Irish Times, October 21, 2021

[10] https://qz.com/india/2068834/highly-vaccinated-singapore-sees-rising-covid-cases/, Kapur, Manavi, Oct. 5th, 2021

[11] Anika Singanayagam, Seran Hakki, Jake Dunning, Kieran J Madon, Michael A Crone, Aleksandra Koycheva, Nieves Derqui-Fernandez, Jack L Barnett, Michael G Whitfield, Robert Varro, Andre Charlett,Rhia Kundu, Joe Fenn, Jessica Cutajar,Valerie Quinn, Emily Conibear, Wendy Barclay, Paul S Freemont, Graham P Taylor, Shazaad Ahmad, Maria Zambon, Neil M Ferguson, Ajit Lalvani, on behalf of the ATACCC Study Investigators, Community transmission and viral load kinetics of the SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.617.2) variant in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in the UK: a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study; The Lancet Infectious Diseases Trusted Source, Published on line: October 29, 2021 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00648-4

[12] Bozio CH, et al “Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among adults hospitalized with COVID-19–like illness with infection-induced or mRNA vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 immunity — nine States, January–September 2021” MMWR 2021; DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7044e1.

[13] Nabin K. Shrestha, Patrick C. Burke, Amy S. Nowacki, Paul Terpeluk, Steven M. Gordon Necessity of COVID-19 vaccination in previously infected individuals, https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.01.21258176

[14] https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/95399, Medscape, Jeffrey D. Klausner, MD, MPH, and Noah Kojima, MD November 2, 2021, COVID Vaccine Mandates and the Question of Medical Necessity,

[15] Mahesh B. Shenai, Ralph Rahme, Hooman Noorchashm Equivalency of Protection from Natural Immunity in COVID-19 Recovered Versus Fully Vaccinated Persons: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.12.21263461

[16] Noah Kojima, Jeffrey D Klausner, Protective immunity after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2021, ISSN 1473-3099, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00676-9. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921006769)

[17] M Dan, J Mateus, Y Kato, et al. Immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2 assessed for up to 8 months after infection Science, 371 (2021), Article eabf4063

[18] L Wang, T Zhou, Y Zhang, et al. Ultrapotent antibodies against diverse and highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants, Science, 373 (2021), Article eabh1766

[19] CH Hansen, D Michlmayr, SM Gubbels, K Mølbak, S Ethelberg, Assessment of protection against reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 among 4 million PCR-tested individuals in Denmark in 2020: a population-level observational study, Lancet, 397 (2021), pp. 1204-1212

[20] S Pilz, A Chakeri, JP Ioannidis, et al. SARS-CoV-2 re-infection risk in Austria. Eur J Clin Invest, 51 (2021), Article e13520

[21] MM Sheehan, AJ Reddy, MB Rothberg, Reinfection rates among patients who previously tested positive for COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study, Clin Infect Dis (2021), published online March 15. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab234

[22] N Kojima, A Roshani, M Brobeck, A Baca, JD Klausner, Incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection among previously infected or vaccinated employees medRxiv (2021), published online July 8. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.03.2125997

[23] S Gazit, R Shlezinger, G Perez, et al. Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections, medRxiv (2021) published online Aug 25. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.24.21262415

[24] N Kojima, A Roshani, M Brobeck, A Baca, JD Klausner, Incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection among previously infected or vaccinated employees medRxiv (2021), published online July 8. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.03.21259976

[25] VJ Hall, S Foulkes, A Charlett, et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection rates of antibody-positive compared with antibody-negative health-care workers in England: a large, multicentre, prospective cohort study (SIREN) Lancet, 397 (2021), pp. 1459-1469

[26] AG Letizia, Y Ge, S Vangeti, et al. SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity and subsequent infection risk in healthy young adults: a prospective cohort study, Lancet Respir Med, 9 (2021), pp. 712-720

[27] Cai Y, Zeng M, Chen YZ. The pharmacological mechanism of Huashi Baidu formula for the treatment of COVID-19 by combined network pharmacology and molecular docking. Ann Palliat Med 2021;10(4):3864–95.

[28] L. Li, Y. Wu, J. Wang, H. Yan, J. Lu, Y. Wan, B. Zhang, J. Zhang, J. Yang, X. Wang, M. Zhang, Y. Li, L. Miao, H. Zhang, Potential treatment of COVID-19 with traditional chinese medicine: What herbs can help win the battle with SARS-CoV-2?, Engineering (2021), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng. 2021.08.020

[29] https://omaha.com/news/world/indonesia-first-to-green-light-novavax-covid-19-vaccine/article_14481bb0-0cb1-545b-b394-9db4dcda861c.html, retrieved 11/13/2021

[30] https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/moths-and-tree-bark-how-the-novavax-vaccine-works retrieved 11/13/2021

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Wellness, Immunity & Resiliency: A FREE Virtual Event with Donnie Yance

Join Mederi Center Founder and renowned holistic health expert Donnie Yance to learn:

  • How to boost your immune system with the most researched and effective natural approaches
  • How to build resilience to protect yourself against the threat of viruses, including Covid-19 variants
  • The most powerful herbs, nutrients, diet, and lifestyle practices proven to increase resistance to stress & disease
  • The most essential functional lab tests that measure key biomarkers related to a reduced risk of getting sick from Covid-19

We hope you’ll join us for this inspiring and informative talk with one of the world’s leading experts in integrative and unitive medicine!

Date: Tuesday, October 26

Time: 3:30 – 4:30 pm Pacific Time / 6:30 – 7:30 pm Eastern Time

View event details and RSVP here >>

Thank you and we hope to see you on the Zoom!

Can’t make it? This talk will be recorded and a link to view the replay will be sent within one week following the event to the email you provide when you RSVP.

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New information on Coronavirus Transmission and Susceptibility

In the attempt to tame the COVID-19 virus, scientists around the world are working to understand how the disease is spread and how best to approach prevention and treatment. But with the avalanche of information we’re presented with every day, it’s easy to come away with more questions than answers. 

There are a couple of recent findings that stand out as particularly important. One relates to the method of transmission, and the other to individual susceptibility to the disease.

Continue reading “New information on Coronavirus Transmission and Susceptibility”
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Zinc: The Most Important Nutrient for Immunity

How Zinc Supports Immune Function

Zinc is well known for the significant role it plays in immune response and immune health. It enhances both innate and adaptive immunity, is vital for immune cell function, and is crucial for the formation and modulation of inflammatory processes. In persons with zinc deficiency, zinc supplementation improves not only type I and II interferon production/response, but also immune cell survival, maturation and function.1-4

Continue reading “Zinc: The Most Important Nutrient for Immunity”