Zinc vs Covid-19

[Frederick Foresight]

The CDC should put me on retainer. In the maintime:

https://www.cnet.com/news/zinc-supplements-wont-protect-you-from-the-coronavirus/

Here is what the official guidance is:

"If you really want to protect yourself from COVID-19, it's best to follow the measures already set in place by the WHO and CDC. These include social distancing, washing your hands frequently and not touching your face."

Here is what the expert guidance is:

"People are flocking to zinc supplements because of an email that virologist and pathologist James Robb wrote to family and friends in late February advising them on common-sense ways to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus. He mentioned that they should stock up on zinc supplements, and when the email went viral the internet seized on this piece of advice, with some memes even calling zinc a "silver bullet against coronavirus."

"Robb reportedly never meant for the email to be shared widely, but his recommendation is likely rooted in scientific studies that suggest zinc supplements can help treat symptoms of the common cold."

I hope you know what you're doing.

Do Zinc Lozenges Work for Viral Infections?
Short-term oral zinc treatment has been shown to shorten the length of rhinovirus colds when taken at the proper dose by adults, according to Medscape author Joseph Adrian L Buensalido, MD.

The treatment seems to work when at least 75mg of elemental zinc is taken within the first 24 hours of cold symptoms developing, Dr. Buensalido said. He said the improvement was not seen in children.

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=228691

"In some people, zinc might cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, metallic taste, kidney and stomach damage, and other side effects. Zinc is POSSIBLY SAFE when taking by mouth in doses greater than 40 mg daily."

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-982/zinc

 

[Pekelo]

I am watching CNN and the report says that the black population gets effected more by Covid-19 than the white. Could be lots of different reasons, but this is interesting to note:

"prevalence of zinc deficiency and anemia was high in this population of low-income minority children, especially among African Americans."

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/91/4/1027/4597114

The implication is obvious, Zinc deficiency (more prevalent among poor blacks) leads to a higher mortality rate because of Covid-19.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Encouraging. Let's hope it pans out.

 

[Pekelo]

"In some people, zinc might cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, metallic taste, kidney and stomach damage, and other side effects.

Sure. As opposed to:

in some people hydroxychloroquine can cause:

• skin rashes, especially those made worse by sunlight
• feeling sick (nausea) or indigestion
• diarrhea
• headaches
• bleaching of the hair or mild hair loss
• tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• visual problems.

There's a small risk that hydroxychloroquine can damage a part of the inside of the eye called the retina. And this increases with long-term use and higher dosage.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Sure. As opposed to:

in some people hydroxychloroquine can cause:

• skin rashes, especially those made worse by sunlight
• feeling sick (nausea) or indigestion
• diarrhea
• headaches
• bleaching of the hair or mild hair loss
• tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• visual problems.

There's a small risk that hydroxychloroquine can damage a part of the inside of the eye called the retina. And this increases with long-term use and higher dosage.

And so you'll risk stomach and kidney damage to get enough zinc as a prophylactic measure? Or will you wait for symptoms first?

 

[Pekelo]

And so you'll risk stomach and kidney damage to get enough zinc as a prophylactic measure? Or will you wait for symptoms first?

I am taking 1 Zinc pill (and 1 Quercetin) right now what is only 6-7 mg of elemental Zinc. Your quote said it is safe up to 40 mg, and I agree, so I could take up to 6 pills without problems.

But I don't want to waste too early the pills (I also plan to give it to others if they can't order it), so yes, I am waiting for the symptoms and then I would take 4-5 pills per day. It seems to work real fast, so I don't have to use too many pills on myself.

I also have lozenges, but they are very low in Zinc. I think sucking on them after being around other people can be beneficial.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I am taking 1 Zinc pill (and 1 Quercetin) right now what is only 6-7 mg of elemental Zinc. Your quote said it is safe up to 40 mg, and I agree, so I could take up to 6 pills without problems.

But I don't want to waste too early the pills (I also plan to give it to others if they can't order it), so yes, I am waiting for the symptoms and then I would take 4-5 pills per day. It seems to work real fast, so I don't have to use too many pills on myself.

I also have lozenges, but they are very low in Zinc. I think sucking on them after being around other people can be beneficial.

Maybe so, but sucking on raw garlic before being around people is the true prophylactic. Safe distances are assured.

 

[Pekelo]

A few interesting stories showing that doctors are still in the dark and throwing everything at the virus without even knowing what works and why:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-without-hard-evidence-it-works-idUSKBN21O2VO

Story #1:

"Lat said he was treated with hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin. He also received the experimental therapy clazakizumab, which aims to regulate an overreaction by the body’s immune system thought to trigger the respiratory distress seen in severe COVID-19. After the story was published, Lat clarified that he received a fourth therapy, the antiviral Kaletra, not Kevzara, as he had initially recalled.

“The doctors haven’t concluded what caused my recovery,” Lat said."

Story #2: (Zinc, the hero)

"Some doctors have been vocal in advocating the drug. Dr Vladimir Zelenko, a general practitioner in upstate New York, has claimed that a three-drug cocktail of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and zinc sulfate has helped mitigate the infection in nearly 200 hundred of his patients before they became sick enough to require hospitalization." (this was already mentioned in post #44)

So again, this is at least the second doctor getting good results of HCQ+Zinc, yet we are not hearing about it in the MSM. I can't explain why, maybe an internet armchair epidemiologist is just better at connecting the similar stories...

 

[Sprout]

Morons. They screwed up the whole pandemic response and we wasted a whole month. They are also probably biased against a simple supplement. In America everything has to be a drug. Read the second post in this thread. Zinc's effect is well known for the rest of the world.

Personally I have been surprised that for people having the virus and going through it at home there is no advice given. "Take a rest and drink fluids." This is it. This is the most scientific advise what America came up with. No taking vitamins or some anti-viral supplement, just drink fluids.

Generally speaking, they never push simple and cheap solutions. Did they ever say, lose weight, give up smoking? (before you get the virus) They are not promoting to boost your immune system, although we still have time, before we get the virus. This is one reason to try to push out the inevitable, so you can get your body in the most optimal state when you get hit by Covid 19.

I was also surprised the government and/or CDC didn't do commercials about how to wash hands or distance yourself MUCH EARLIER. Information costs nothing but could save lives, yet it was up to every channel and program if they spread any kind of helpful info. Finally about 2 weeks ago I started to see government ads. Again, they wasted 3-4 weeks easily.

Now why is that, that is anyone's guess. Was it the anti-science culture what Trump promotes? Was it just plain old stupidity? Anyhow, that is politics, this is the science subgroup.

Interesting perspective on the dynamics of why Republicans in general were slow to recognize the potential impact.

Unfortunately for them, conservatives are generally older and more susceptible to the worst effects.

I would prefer not to have this informational thread derailed into any sort of political commentary.

https://link.medium.com/M7fBDTRXu5

 

[Pekelo]

Let's do the math. The Monroe, NY doctor gave 220 mg zinc sulfate to his patients. Zinc sulfate is approximately 22% zinc by weight. So that is about 48 mg elemental Zinc, a bit on the high end of the 40 mg daily no problem zone.

---------------------------

Robert B1 April 2020, 9:41 am
Here is the outcome data since 3/18/20 – 3/26/20

1. 669 patients seen in my Monroe, NY practice with either test proven or clinically diagnosed corona infection
2. zero deaths
3. zero intubations
4. 4 hospitalizations for pneumonia – patients are on iv antibiotics and improving
5. Dr Zelenko statistics – 699 cases / 0 deaths = 0% death rate

Patients treated with three drug regimen

1- hydroxychloroquine 200mg twice a day for 5 days
2- azithromycin 500mg once a day for five days
3- zinc sulfate 220mg once a day for five days

Here’s Dr. Zelenko’s advice: TREAT AS EARLY AND AS AGGRESSIVELY AS POSSIBLE IN THE OUTPATIENT SETTING