Some politicians and doctors are sparring over whether to use hydroxychloroquine against the new coronavirus, with many scientists saying the evidence is too thin to recommend it now.
HOW IS IT BEING USED?
The drug can help tame an overactive immune system. It’s been used since the 1940s to prevent and treat malaria, and to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. It’s sold in generic form and under the brand name Plaquenil in the United States. Doctors also can prescribe it “off label” for other purposes, as many are doing now for COVID-19.
WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE?
Some small and very preliminary studies give conflicting results. One lab study suggested it curbed the virus’ ability to enter cells. Another report on 11 people found it did not improve how fast patients cleared the virus or their symptoms. A report from China claimed the drug helped more than 100 patients at 10 hospitals, but they had various degrees of illness and were treated with various doses for different lengths of time, and might have recovered without the drug — there was no group that didn’t get the drug for comparison.
Other researchers in China reported that cough, pneumonia and fever seemed to improve sooner among 31 patients given hydroxychloroquine compared to 31 others who did not get the drug, although fewer people in the comparison group had cough or fevers to start with. Four people developed severe illness and all were in the group that did not get the drug. These results were posted online and have not been reviewed by other scientists or published in a journal.
Finally, the small study from France that President Donald Trump touted as evidence of the drug’s benefit is now in question. The head of the journal that published it has put out an “ expression of concern ” about its methods.
Larger, more rigorous studies are underway now.
WHAT’S THE RISK?
The drug can cause heart rhythm problems, severely low blood pressure and muscle or nerve damage. Taking it outside of a scientific experiment adds the risk of not having tracking in place to watch for any of these side effects or problems and quickly address them if they do occur.
(AP)
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Quercetin and Zinc for anti-viral and immune support against Covid-19
As many of you know there is a race to find a treatment or vaccine for Covid-19 and many potential anti-virals are currently being looked at closely. Hydroxychloriquine, has been receiving a lot of attention lately as anecdotal evidence suggests it could help fight the severity of the virus and potentially be used early on to prevent progression of the virus. The fact that it’s been widely used for decades for other conditions has added to its legitimacy and currently there are many studies going on that will biezras Hashem reveal that it is effective at treating Covid-19. Dr Zelenko has already started prescribing it in the outpatient setting to high risk individuals or for people with shortness of breath, and he has shown a high success rate. Because of its potential negative side effects it’s not recommended yet for lower to moderate risk patients, although that might change in the near future as more studies and information come forth. Other drugs are also being carefully looked at such as Gilead’s Remdesivir, which has shown to be very promising. But it is currently in phase 3 trials and hasn’t been approved yet by the FDA although that too may change as trial data comes out in the very near future.
What I would like to share is a potential treatment that is not very well known yet but is generally used as a supplement, Quercetin.
Quercetin, being a safe supplement allows even low risk Covid-19 sufferers a potential treatment, especially if taken early on to prevent symptoms from getting worse or prolonged. I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist so I don’t want to give out medical advice, however I do want to bring it to people’s attention so that at least they can be well informed and thereby ask their medical provider if they should take Quercitin and Zinc or not.
Quercetin is a bioflavonoid supplement that has been shown in a study(1) to act as a zinc ionophore(allowing access of zinc into cells to inhibit virus replication). It is very similar in this respect to Hydroxychloriquine which also works as a zinc ionophore. It is also believed to block viruses from entering cells in the first place, lowering the ‘viral load’. A study published by the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Labs used the most powerful IBM supercomputer to model which FDA approved compounds or supplements might interfere with the coronavirus binding to cells. Quercetin was listed as number 5 on that list(2). Additionally one study shows it has anti inflammatory properties, which could help limit the inflammatory response or the cytokine storm caused by Covid19. (3)
Dr Michel Chrétien and Dr Majambu Mbikay are well known Montreal researchers who have been researching the effects of Quercetin for decades and have found it to inhibit various bacteria and viruses. They’ve seen positive results in mice with its use against Ebola and Zika(4). It’s also been tested with influenza(5) and SARS(6). Now they are in the process of testing it with Covid-19(7)(8).While it’s not yet proven, the basic mechanism suggests it would be effective although they don’t want to give a false sense of hope until clinical trials prove it to be so. Either way it is already approved by the FDA for general consumption purposes and is available currently in vitamin stores. It’s naturally found in capers, apples, red onions,dill and elderberries but generally at a significantly lower amount than supplements which are generally at about 500mgs-1000mg per dose. Again it has not been proven as a treatment and there isn’t enough data yet to prove its efficacy but it has a lot potential in theory. Zinc should also be taken(perhaps about 30mgs a day) as it has potential to inhibit virus replication once in the cell and the two supplements compliment each other. Recently Dr Joshua Ritchie of Refuah Institute put out a video strongly suggesting people take Zinc as an anti-viral and immune booster, especially since he believes many (a third of the population) are deficient in zinc. Dr Richard Roberts also suggested taking a daily zinc supplement as a preventative.
Although everyone should consult their healthcare provider first, I suggest people take these supplements at the onset of symptoms to inhibit the virus from progressing further given the fact that they are generally safe to take for standard health reasons (Quercetin is usually taken for its anti histamine and antioxidant properties). Obviously it needs to be taken in moderation as too much zinc could cause copper deficiencies and too much Quercetin may potentially have negative side effects.
Again I am not a doctor. The information provided is just to bring awareness to a potential anti-viral and immune boosting treatment or preventative. At the very least it may lower the intensity and duration of the virus. Therefore while I suggest people advocate to be prescribed Hydroxychloriquine whenever possible, given that it’s currently the best option, certain criteria might prevent a doctor from prescribing it, especially in mild to moderate cases. Therefore at least this may potentially serve as a safe alternative in those cases. Also health care workers and first responders can use it as a safe preventative.
May Hashem Who is the Source of all refuah quickly bring an end to this Mageifa and may He bring a Refuah Shileima to all those that are sick.
Sincerely, A fellow Yid
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25050823/
2. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.11871402.v3
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6273652/#sec3-molecules-21-00450title
4. https://aac.asm.org/content/60/9/5182
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728566/
6. https://jvi.asm.org/content/78/20/11334#T1
7.https://www.mcgilltribune.com/sci-tech/montreal-researchers-propose-a-treatment-for-covid-19-170320/
8. https://ircm.qc.ca/en/news/lazaridis-family-foundation-contributes-1-million-ircm-support-its-research-covid-19
For me it has lightened the symptoms within three hours.
Im conducting my own little study..everyone i heard(10 ppl of diff ages with diff symptoms ) that got this drug saw marked improvement in their symtoms within 24-48 hours..it works! Use it! Before it gets bad that person needs to be hospitalized..And may we know of no more tzaar loss or pain..
#RightToTry!
I am saddened and outraged that this article is still up. I sent a letter to the editor that this inaccurate and biased article could literally cause the death of tens or even hundreds of our fellow Jews, as anyone who is not informed about chloroquine would be discouraged to use this corona treating after reading this article. The fact is that this drug is now the most preferred drug in this war against corona by doctors worldwide, and many doctors and patients have reported that this drug makes people better and even brings them back from death’s door. Yeshiva World News should no better that the AP and most of the media have a bias against this drug, even though it has been safely in use for over 60 years. This bias is probably because President Trump has touted this drug as a possible game changer and is pushing hard to get it into the hands of doctors and patients. And if Trump likes it, the main stream media is against it. So shame on you Yeshiva World News for still having this hit piece up and placing the lives of many Jews in danger. We are at war with this virus and we cannot afford to wait a year or even months to find out the results of scientific studies while thousands of people die. The AP talks about the side effects of this drug but does not mention that the side effects are rare and generally a problem with long term use. So I guess as far as the AP is concerned, it’s better for a person to die then take the minimal “risk” of a heart or nerve issue in a drug with a long history. It is even more ludicrous for the AP to suggest that this drug should only be taken under the supervision of a scientific study. What happens if a person is not in a study or can’t get into a study or is in a study but receives the placebo, I guess the AP would have him just die. Chloroquine, when taken under the care of a doctor, could save tens of thousands of lives and this article will discourage people from even asking their doctor about it. Shame on you YWN.
A Gutten Moed – you can delete my post but it won’t change the fact that the posting of this article could cause the death of tens or even hundred of our beloved Jewish brothers, Rachmana litzlan.