COVID & other Diseases

**** {Effects of Prilosec/omeprazole} "the pH of normal gastric acid is generally between 1.5 and 3.5. The SARS-CoV-1 virus is inactivated at a pH  12.0 [5]. Assuming these inactivation levels are similar for SARS-CoV-2, gastric acid will not inhibit all the viruses in the stomach (and some viruses will be hidden in food boluses). However, the inhibition that does occur may be enough to decrease the viral load entering the small intestine. In many older adults, the gastric acid pH is higher than normal, either because of atrophic gastritis or because of antacid and acid-reducing medications. One oral dose of a proton pump inhibitor raises the gastric acid pH from 2.0 to over 6.0, which will not inhibit the virus" "abdominal pain was associated with a near fourfold increased odds of severe disease," "many intubated patients are given acid-reducing drugs and gastrointestinal feeding may be continuous rather than intermittent. Such factors could result in a gastric pH of around 4.0 or 5.0. This would not inactivate these viruses, which might then pass into the small intestine where the relevant ACE2 receptors are abundant."

Hydrochloric acid or HCl is made in the stomach. It can be a very helpful chemical. Too much or too little acid or HCl in the wrong place can cause problems, however.

*****!!!!*****!!!!***** 2020 July "What scientists know about the inner workings of the pathogen that has infected the world."

Correspondence from The New England Journal of Medicine — Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1

" In this decision analytical model of multiple scenarios of proportions of asymptomatic individuals with COVID-19 and infectious periods, transmission from asymptomatic individuals was estimated to account for more than half of all transmissions."

LitCovid is a curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about the 2019 novel Coronavirus.

CDC - Blogs - NIOSH Science Blog – Research Questions for Aerosol Scientists Addressing COVID-19 and the Workplace -

{Coronavirus destroyed best in dry environment, etc} "the virus in droplets of saliva survives best indoors and in dry conditions. The virus does not survive as well in droplets of saliva — and that’s important, because a lot of testing being done is not necessarily being done, No. 1 with the Covid-19 virus, No. 2, with saliva or respiratory fluids. And third, the virus dies the quickest in the presence of direct sunlight under these conditions,” "

"Via activation of NFKB, ROS may activate viral replication, but oxidants are believed to contribute also to the loss of CD4 T cells by apoptosis. Antioxidants, together with agents interfering with the harmful effects of cytokines and lipid mediators, may have a role in the treatment of viral diseases" "enhanced ROS production during the course of influenza infection in mice. Analysis of major antioxidants (α-tocopherol, ascorbate and glutathione) revealed no changes in the redox status, but the overall concentrations of these antioxidants decreased during the course of influenza."

"Reactive species (RS), generally known as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), are produced during regular metabolism in the host and are required for many cellular processes such as cytokine transcription, immunomodulation, ion transport, and apoptosis. Intriguingly, both RNS and ROS are commonly triggered by the pathogenic viruses and are famous for their dual roles in the clearance of viruses and pathological implications. Uncontrolled production of reactive species results in oxidative stress and causes damage in proteins, lipids, DNA, and cellular structures. In this review, we describe the production of RS, their detoxification by a cellular antioxidant system, and how these RS damage the proteins, lipids, and DNA." "Innate immune cells are activated in all the viral infections, causing the production of ROS and prooxidant cytokines and enhancing the iron uptake of a mononuclear phagocytic system (reticuloendothelial system) [79]. Viruses enhance the production of oxidants such as superoxide and NO and prevent the synthesis of CAT, SOD, and GPx resulting in the disruption of the redox balance." "During viral infections, production of ROS is increased from the granulocytes and macrophages and exerts antimicrobial action against many pathogens [6]. Failure to ROS production leads to many opportunistic pathogens including Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, and Aspergillus spp. [80–83]. The direct antimicrobial action includes oxidation of DNA, protein, and lipid peroxidation [84]. Upon viral infection, ROS triggers a different pathway to kill or spread viral infections, including autophagy [85], apoptosis [86], and inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin [87]. Moreover, ROS also interfere with the antigen presentation by innate immune cells, T cell polarization, and adaptive immune responses [84]. At the same time, research also supports the immunosuppressive effects of ROS which may also facilitate the viral infection and evolution" "Administration of antioxidants including vitamin E, vitamin C, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, glutathione, resveratrol, ambroxol, isoquercetin, and quercetin decreases the pathological effects caused by the influenza virus"

Stay up to date on the latest COVID-19 research as it happens, get help and support others, and contribute to the research the international community is using to combat the current crisis.

The global crisis surrounding the novel coronavirus 2019–nCoV, commonly known as the COVID-19 coronavirus, is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. It has affected the lives and the work of people around the world, including chemists. Yet chemists are also at the forefront of the fight to understand, contain, treat, and eventually defeat the disease. […]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an acute infectious disease that spreads mainly via the respiratory route. A distinct coronavirus (SARS‐CoV) has been identified as the aetiological agent of SARS. Recently, a metallopeptidase named ...

The unwavering spread of COVID-19 has taken the world by storm. Preventive measures like social distancing and mask usage have been taken all around the globe but still, as of September 2020, the number of cases continues to rise in many countries. Evidently, ...

When it comes to critically ill patients with COVID-19, some physicians say that ventilators may be doing more harm than good.

We evaluated an eye-nose goggle to determine its usefulness in reducing nosocomial RSV infection in patients and staff members on our infant ward. During a community outbreak of RSV in 1984, infection was assessed by biweekly routine viral cultures on all ward personnel and patients and also by...

Every year, lives are lost because of the spread of hospital infections. Read about the preventive steps you can take, such as proper handwashing

Biosafety, facility hygiene and the latest breakthroughs in the disinfection and sanitation industries.

Books, papers and statistics on impacts on and solutions for our lives and our societies – and what are some of the solutions to boost our healthcare systems, secure our businesses, maintain our jobs and education, and stabilise financial markets and economies?

General COVID resources nationally and internationally.

Restaurants remain hardest hit, permanent and temporary closures increase

Combining the aforementioned antimicrobial contact-killing properties of copper, the anti-adhesion properties of polymeric micelles and the release-kill abilities of chlorine dioxide (ClO2), Li et al. [47] developed a multifunctional coating viricidal for influenza virus H1N1.

Companies the world over are directing their ingenuity at the fight against the coronavirus. Here are the front-runners, from sanitising robots to a 3D-printed hospital ward

Vitamin D generates many extraskeletal effects due to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) which is present in most tissues throughout the body. The possible role of vitamin D in infections is implied from its impact on the innate and adaptive immune responses. ...

Officials have been considering whether to recommend face coverings be worn in public because of increasing evidence that infected people without symptoms can spread the infection, according to internal memos and new guidance provided to the White House by the CDC.

The metaphor doesn’t capture free speech’s most fundamental function: Freedom of speech gives you a fighting chance to know the world as it really is.