The Wuhan coronavirus, named COVID-19, continues to spread. Worldwide, the casualties keep growing and, according to WHO data, over 106,000 cases of the new infection have been registered so far; it has claimed around 37,000 lives, while over 60,000 people have recovered. In the raging battle against the virus, humanity is seeking an answer to the question of what the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are and how they can be used to create medicines and vaccines. So far we know that this microscopic aggressor penetrates deep into the pulmonary alveoli. It leads to a stepwise increase in coughing and fever and to growing respiratory failure. It attacks the lungs, the myocardial cells and the spleen. We can block it with symptomatic treatments, some of which are highly toxic to humans.
In Sofia it is already hard to find medical face masks and hand sanitisers. Unfortunately, even if a medical mask is put on correctly, the risk of infection remains high. The virus can enter the body through the air, passing even through the mask or around it. The pores of a medical mask are, at best, 100 times larger than the virus and, at worst, more than 3,000 times larger. A mask removes part of the risk, but more importantly, a mask worn by an infected person who does not yet know they are infected reduces the risk of infecting other people, which helps slow the spread of the epidemic.
Besides infection through coughing, the coronavirus can also spread and be carried by touching contaminated surfaces. This virus can remain active and infectious for up to 9 days after landing on an external surface. The good news is that washing surfaces with a strong disinfectant can destroy the virus fairly successfully. Unfortunately, however, in most cases people become infected directly by inhaling the virus from the cough of an infected person nearby.
The study published on 25 January by 14 Chinese scientists from various academic and medical institutes describes very well the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of pneumonia that developed as a result of the coronavirus in 2019 in Wuhan, China. The study reveals several very interesting statistics:
- 51% of those infected also have other chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, endocrine system disease and digestive system disease.
- The average age of the patients is 55, with more men (67) than women (32) infected.
- 82% of patients had a high fever, 82% a severe cough and 32% difficulty breathing.
- 11% of patients died as a result of multiple organ failure.
- Seriously ill patients have co-infections with bacteria and fungi; frequent pathogenic cultures in patients with secondary infections are: aureus, A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, A. avavus, C. glabrata and C. albicans.
- 71% of patients were treated with antibiotics because of secondary infections.
This study shows that if you meet the epidemic in good health, with a well-functioning immune system, good cardiovascular health and a healthy endocrine and digestive system, the risk of severe illness with complications is significantly reduced.
What should we do?
Many food supplements promise to boost the immune system, but their effects are not backed by sufficient scientific evidence. One exception is a unique combination with an antiviral effect. It is extremely effective at the first symptoms of a cold or flu, and specialists recognise it as a leader based on data from scientific studies: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study by Heinicke von Zeppelin; pharmacological analyses by Cornelia Bodinet; and research by a team from the "Stefan Angelov" Institute of Microbiology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The ingredients of the original herbal combination (echinacea, wild indigo and white cedar) have a complex effect in mobilising the immune system. Echinacea activates the cells that recognise and kill external aggressors. Wild indigo speeds up the production of the substances that support the body's guardian cells, and white cedar acts directly on the viruses. This original, proven combination has been used in Bulgaria for two decades now.
The most effective antigens and inducers of cytokine synthesis and immune system activation are live probiotic bacteria. Data on increased levels of IL-10 and other immunological molecules that help our body fight various disease-causing microbes have been reported by many research teams in people who took probiotic bacteria of the species Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus plantarum and others.
Taking a good probiotic can be a good preventive step for strengthening the immune system ahead of a potential viral epidemic. The choice of a good probiotic should be based on proven scientific research into how the specific strain modulates the immune system and reduces the number of pathogenic bacteria in the intestinal flora. The Bulgarian probiotic ProViotic, with the strong strains L. bulgaricus GLB44 and L. plantarum GLP3, which have been studied at Harvard, has been proven in the Harvard laboratories to defeat pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, S. typhimurium, L. monocygenese and S. aureus. Taking this type of proven probiotic bacteria can be a supportive step towards boosting immunity. Healthy eating and a healthy sleep routine are also hugely important for a strong immune system, which will truly be what matters most in a potential flu epidemic. In the fight against COVID-19 these are the basic preventive requirements:
- Wash your hands often with warm water and soap. Washing should last at least 20 seconds;
- Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth with dirty hands. Remember that the coronavirus clings to fingers and palms and is transmitted via surfaces;
- Ventilate rooms. Do not linger in rooms where many people gather. The concentration of dangerous viruses there is very high;
- Drink more fluids. This will keep the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract moist, making it harder for viruses to get through;
- Eat healthily. Get more fruit, vegetables, dairy products, lean meats and red wine, which is rich in resveratrol.