( Uit de newsletter van Peter Myeres, 1 febr. 2021)
American Journal of Medicine article now urges early use of HCQ and zinc.
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2021/02/01/hydroxychloroquine-and-zinc-for-coronavirus.aspx
Journal of Medicine Says HCQ + Zinc Reduces COVID Deaths
Analysis by Dr. Joseph
Mercola
Fact Checked
February 01, 2021
Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors around the world reported
high success rates using an inexpensive treatment protocol of
hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and zinc, typically in combination with an
antibiotic to treat secondary bacterial infections.
Almost immediately, government health agencies and mainstream media
started attacking the treatment, going so far as to ban the prescription
and use of HCQ for COVID-19 in some areas. Over time, it became
painfully clear that a concerted and coordinated effort to prevent its
use was afoot.
One of the most obvious reasons for why certain individuals and
companies might want to prevent the use of an inexpensive generic drug
is because it might eliminate the need for a vaccine or other antiviral
medication under development.1 Hundreds of millions of dollars have been
invested, and drug companies were, and still are, counting on a massive
payday. As noted by Dr. Meryl Nass in a June 27, 2020, blog post:2
"Hydroxychloroquine has been used safely for 65 years in many millions
of patients. And so the message was crafted that the drug is safe for
its other uses, but dangerous when used for COVID-19. It doesn’t make
sense, but it seems to have worked. Were these acts carefully
orchestrated? …
Might these events have been planned to keep the pandemic going? To sell
expensive drugs and vaccines to a captive population? Could these acts
result in prolonged economic and social hardship, eventually
transferring wealth from the middle class to the very rich?"
Politicizing Medicine Has Grave Consequences
The fight over HCQ also appears to have had political underpinnings, and
by politicizing medicine, the media has played a role that can readily
be likened to agents of genocide. There’s no telling how many lives may
have been saved had they done their due diligence and reported the
science truthfully.
Most of us in the holistic field have been aware that the intent of
censorship is to mislead people. After all, a majority of news outlets
rely on revenue from advertisers, and drug companies tend to spend the
most. As a result, what the drug industry wants is what the media deliver.
During this pandemic, conventional doctors have gotten a taste of what
it’s like as well and, clearly, many have been absolutely floored by it.
It’s certainly understandable, because to censor potentially lifesaving
medical treatment during a global pandemic really brings it to a whole
new level of evil.
As just one example among many, July 23, 2020, Dr. Harvey A. Risch,
professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, published an
op-ed in Newsweek in which he expressed his dismay and frustration:3
"I have authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications and currently hold
senior positions on the editorial boards of several leading journals.
I am usually accustomed to advocating for positions within the
mainstream of medicine, so have been flummoxed to find that, in the
midst of a crisis, I am fighting for a treatment that the data fully
support but which, for reasons having nothing to do with a correct
understanding of the science, has been pushed to the sidelines.
As a result, tens of thousands of patients with COVID-19 are dying
unnecessarily … I am referring, of course, to the medication
hydroxychloroquine.
When this inexpensive oral medication is given very early in the course
of illness, before the virus has had time to multiply beyond control, it
has shown to be highly effective, especially when given in combination
with the antibiotics azithromycin or doxycycline and the nutritional
supplement zinc."
In what appears to be an effort to change the tide, a medical review4 in
the January 2021 issue of The American Journal of Medicine now urges
early use of HCQ and zinc. The authors include Risch, as well as a long
list of medical doctors from hospitals around the world.
The Importance of Early Outpatient Treatment
Risch’s paper, "Pathophysiological Basis and Rationale for Early
Outpatient Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infection," points out that:5
"In the absence of clinical trial results, physicians must use what has
been learned about the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection in
determining early outpatient treatment of the illness with the aim of
preventing hospitalization or death …
Therapeutic approaches based on these principles include 1) reduction of
reinoculation, 2) combination antiviral therapy, 3) immunomodulation, 4)
antiplatelet/antithrombotic therapy, and 5) administration of oxygen,
monitoring, and telemedicine."
The authors stress that "Most patients who arrive to the hospital … with
COVID-19 do not initially require forms of advanced medical care," and
that, therefore, "it is conceivable that some, if not a majority, of
hospitalizations could be avoided with a treat-at-home first approach."
They also stress that since it can take up to a week to get PCR test
results back, it’s important to start treatment before results are
known. "For patients with cardinal features of the syndrome (i.e.,
fever, body aches, nasal congestion, loss of taste and smell, etc.) …
treatment can be the same as those with confirmed COVID-19," they say.
The Case for HCQ and Zinc
In terms of early drug treatment for patients who are quarantining at
home, the authors recommend using a combination of HCQ and zinc
lozenges, along with several other drugs (depending on your symptoms).
HCQ is a zinc ionophore, meaning it shuttles zinc into the cell, and
there’s compelling evidence to suggest the primary benefit of the HCQ
protocol actually comes from the zinc, which effectively inhibits viral
replication.
While I will review those here, keep in mind that I do not necessarily
recommend using all of them, as in some cases there are safer
alternatives. At the end of this article, I will summarize my personal
at-home treatment recommendation, which I believe is among the absolute
safest and most effective.
That said, in his paper, Risch and his co-authors explain the rationale
for using HCQ and zinc as follows:6
"Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an antimalarial/anti-inflammatory drug that
impairs endosomal transfer of virions within human cells. HCQ is also a
zinc ionophore that conveys zinc intracellularly to block the SARS-CoV-2
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which is the core enzyme of the virus
replication.
The currently completed retrospective studies and randomized trials have
generally shown these findings:
1.when started late in the hospital course and for short durations of
time, antimalarials appear to be ineffective
2.when started earlier in the hospital course, for progressively longer
durations and in outpatients, antimalarials may reduce the progression
of disease, prevent hospitalization, and are associated with reduced
mortality …
A typical HCQ regimen is 200 mg bid for 5 days and extended to 30 days
for continued symptoms. A minimal sufficient dose of HCQ should be used,
because in excessive doses the drug can interfere with early immune
response to the virus ...
Zinc is a known inhibitor of coronavirus replication … This readily
available nontoxic therapy could be deployed at the first signs of
COVID-19. Zinc lozenges can be administered 5 times a day for up to 5
days and extended if needed if symptoms persist.
The amount of elemental zinc lozenges is <25% of that in a single 220-mg
zinc sulfate daily tablet. This dose of zinc sulfate has been
effectively used in combination with antimalarials in early treatment of
high-risk outpatients with COVID-19."
It’s worth noting that in areas where hydroxychloroquine is hard to get
a hold of, the nutritional supplement quercetin may be a useful (and
perhaps even better) substitute, as its primary mechanism of action is
identical to that of the drug. It also has antiviral activity of its own.
You can learn more about this in "Is Quercetin a Safer Alternative to
Hydroxychloroquine?" "Quercetin Boosts Interferon Response to Viruses
and COVID-19" and "How to Improve Zinc Uptake with Quercetin to Boost
Immune Health."
Zinc Is a Crucial Key
While much attention is placed on HCQ, it in and of itself is not the
answer. Zinc is. Both HCQ and quercetin are zinc ionophores, meaning
they shuttle zinc into the cell,7,8 and there’s compelling evidence to
suggest the primary benefit of the HCQ protocol actually comes from the
zinc, which effectively inhibits viral replication.9
If given early, zinc along with a zinc ionophore should, at least
theoretically, help lower the viral load and prevent the immune system
from becoming overloaded. The problem is that zinc does not readily
enter cells, which is why a zinc ionophore is needed.
Evidence of this was presented in a September 2020 study10 in the
Journal of Medical Microbiology. In it, they compared outcomes in
hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with one of three regimens: HCQ
alone, Azithromycin alone, or a triplet regimen of hydroxychloroquine,
azithromycin and zinc.
While the addition of zinc had no impact on the length of
hospitalization, ICU duration or duration of ventilation, univariate
analyses showed it did:
Increase hospital discharge frequency
Decrease the need for ventilation
Decrease ICU admission rates
Decrease the rate of transfer to hospice for patients who were never
admitted to the ICU
Decrease mortality
As noted by the authors:11
"After adjusting for the time at which zinc sulfate was added to our
protocol, an increased frequency of being discharged home (OR 1.53 …)
reduction in mortality or transfer to hospice remained significant (OR
0.449 …). This study provides the first in vivo evidence that zinc
sulfate in combination with hydroxychloroquine may play a role in
therapeutic management for COVID-19."
Another paper that addressed the crucial role of zinc was published in
the September 2020 issue of Medical Hypotheses:12
"Besides direct antiviral effects, CQ/HCQ [chloroquine and/or
hydroxychloroquine] specifically target extracellular zinc to
intracellular lysosomes where it interferes with RNA-dependent RNA
polymerase activity and coronavirus replication.
As zinc deficiency frequently occurs in elderly patients and in those
with cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease, or diabetes, we
hypothesize that CQ/HCQ plus zinc supplementation may be more effective
in reducing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality than CQ or HCQ in
monotherapy. Therefore, CQ/HCQ in combination with zinc should be
considered as additional study arm for COVID-19 clinical trials."
Antibiotics, Steroids and Other Treatment Additions
In addition to HCQ and zinc, Risch13 et.al also recommend using one of
two antibiotics — azithromycin or doxycycline — primarily to address
secondary bacterial infections. Azithromycin also has antiviral
properties and anti-inflammatory effects, while doxycycline has
"multiple intracellular effects that may reduce viral replication,
cellular damage, and expression of inflammatory factors."
According to the authors, COVID-19 studies that used azithromycin found
"markedly reduced durations of viral shedding, fewer hospitalizations,
and reduced mortality combination with HCQ."
People with known or suspected arrhythmias, and anyone taking a
contraindicated medication, should get a thorough workup and review of
baseline electrocardiogram though before receiving HCQ and/or
azithromycin. In those worried about azithromycin’s effects on the
heart, doxycycline is a better alternative as it has no ill effects on
your heart. On the downside, it can cause gastrointestinal upset and
esophagitis instead.
An important side note here is that while not addressed in this paper,
all antibiotics have the drawback of disrupting your gut microbiome, and
should therefore be used only if absolutely needed.
Risch14 et.al also recommend using corticosteroids, which have
immunomodulating effects and help reduce the effects of cytokine storms.
As explained in their paper:
"In COVID-19, some of the first respiratory findings are nasal
congestion, cough, and wheezing. These features are due to excess
inflammation and cytokine activation.
Early use of corticosteroids is a rational intervention for patients
with COVID-19 with these features as they would be in acute asthma or
reactive airways disease … One potential dosing scheme for outpatients
starting on day 5 or the onset of respiratory symptoms is prednisone 1
mg/kg given daily for 5 days with or without a subsequent taper."
Other treatment additions include:
Colchicine, a nonsteroidal antimitotic that has been shown to reduce
D-dimer levels and improve outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Antiplatelet agents such as aspirin (81 mg daily) or heparin to treat
the abnormal blood clotting sometimes seen in COVID-19
Supplemental oxygen if needed
To reduce the risk of self-reinoculation (since the virus is airborne),
they also recommend opening windows and/or spending long periods of time
outdoors (away from others) without a face covering.
The figure below, from The American Journal of Medicine and republished
in Science Direct,15 illustrates the different approaches to home care
suggested depending on whether you are healthy, have a single
comorbidity or several, and at which point in the disease process the
various drugs should be administered.
Treatment algorithm for COVID-19-like and confirmed COVID-19 illness
Hydroxychloroquine Has a Proven Safety Profile
While media headlines have painted HCQ as a life-threatening drug, it
actually has a very robust safety profile that goes back decades. In a
paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology,16 Risch
reviewed several large-scale studies demonstrating the safety of the
medication.
In his Newsweek article,17 he also pointed out that the adverse event
reports cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when it warned
HCQ might cause cardiac arrhythmia, especially when administered with
azithromycin, were from patients who had used HCQ for very long periods
of time for the treatment of chronic conditions such as lupus or
rheumatoid arthritis. The same risks simply do not apply when you’re
taking HCQ for a few days or weeks.
"Even if the true rates of arrhythmia are tenfold higher than those
reported, the harms would be minuscule compared to the mortality
occurring right now in inadequately treated high-risk COVID-19
patients," Risch wrote.18
"This fact is proven by an Oxford University study of more than 320,000
older patients taking both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, who had
arrhythmia excess death rates of less than 9/100,000 users … A new paper
in the American Journal of Medicine by established cardiologists around
the world fully agrees with this."
Indeed, the so-called evidence that HCQ causes lethal heart problems has
been shown to be fraudulent. One study was retracted after it was
discovered the data had been manufactured, and other large-scale trials
were all using toxic doses.
While doctors reporting success with the drug were using standard doses
around 200 mg per day for either a few days or maybe a couple of weeks,
studies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates-funded19 Recovery Trial used
2,400 mg of hydroxychloroquine during the first 24 hours — three to six
times higher than the daily dosage recommended20 — followed by 400 mg
every 12 hours for nine more days for a cumulative dose of 9,200 mg over
10 days.
Similarly, the Solidarity Trial,21 led by the World Health Organization,
used 2,000 mg on the first day, and a cumulative dose of 8,800 mg over
10 days. These doses are simply too high.
Meanwhile, a July 1, 2020, retrospective analysis22,23,24 of 2,541
patients in Michigan found use of hydroxychloroquine alone cut mortality
by more than half, from 26.4% to 13.5%. Patients received 400 mg of
hydroxychloroquine twice on day 1, followed by 200 mg twice a day for
the next four days.
No adverse heart-related events were observed. Hydroxychloroquine in
combination with azithromycin had a mortality rate of 20.1%, and
azithromycin alone had a mortality rate of 22.4%. The azithromycin was
dosed as 500 mg on day 1, followed by 250 mg once a day for the next
four days.
According to the authors,25 "The combination of hydroxychloroquine +
azithromycin was reserved for selected patients with severe COVID-19 and
with minimal cardiac risk factors." Unfortunately, zinc was not included
in this trial.
"Physicians who have been using these medications in the face of
widespread skepticism have been truly heroic," Risch wrote in
Newsweek.26 "They have done what the science shows is best for their
patients, often at great personal risk.
I myself know of two doctors who have saved the lives of hundreds of
patients with these medications, but are now fighting state medical
boards to save their licenses and reputations. The cases against them
are completely without scientific merit …
As all know, the medication has become highly politicized. For many, it
is viewed as a marker of political identity, on both sides of the
political spectrum. Nobody needs me to remind them that this is not how
medicine should proceed … Reality demands a clear, scientific eye on the
evidence and where it points"
With that in mind, evidence that HCQ could be useful against SARS-CoV-2
goes as far back as 2005, when the article "Chloroquine Is a Potent
Inhibitor of SARS Coronavirus Infection and Spread" was published in the
Virology Journal.27
Did Dr. Anthony Fauci, appointed to lead the White House Pandemic
Response Team, know about this? One could argue he should have. And, if
he did, why didn’t he say something? According to this study:28
"… chloroquine has strong antiviral effects on SARS-CoV infection of
primate cells. These inhibitory effects are observed when the cells are
treated with the drug either before or after exposure to the virus,
suggesting both prophylactic and therapeutic advantage."
In other words, chloroquine functioned as both a prophylactic
(prevention) and a treatment against SARS coronavirus. This is precisely
what many doctors have found with HCQ as well — a drug that is very
similar to chloroquine but has a safer profile — when used against
SARS-CoV-2.
Nebulized Peroxide — My Favorite Treatment Choice
While HCQ with zinc appears to be a very useful early treatment choice,
my personal choice for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms is nebulized
peroxide. This is a home remedy I recommend everyone familiarize
themselves with, as in many cases it can improve symptoms in mere hours.
You can also use it as a preventive strategy if you know you’ve been
exposed to someone who is ill.
Nebulizing hydrogen peroxide into your sinuses, throat and lungs is a
simple, straightforward way to augment your body’s natural expression of
hydrogen peroxide to combat infections and can be used both
prophylactically after known exposure to COVID-19 and as a treatment for
mild, moderate and even severe illness.
Dr. David Brownstein, who has successfully treated over 100 COVID-19
patients with nebulized peroxide, published a case paper29 about this
treatment in the July 2020 issue of Science, Public Health Policy and
The Law. He also reviews its benefits in "How Nebulized Peroxide Helps
Against Respiratory Infections."
Nebulized hydrogen peroxide is extremely safe, and all you need is a
desktop nebulizer and food-grade hydrogen peroxide, which you’ll need to
dilute with saline to 0.1% strength. I recommend buying these items
beforehand so that you have everything you need and can begin treatment
at home at the first signs of a respiratory infection.
hydrogen peroxide dilution chart
In the video above, I go over the basics of this treatment. Be sure to
buy a nebulizer that plugs into an electrical outlet, as battery-driven
ones are too low-powered to be truly effective. Also make sure your
nebulizer comes with a face mask, not just a mouth piece. If it doesn’t
come with a face mask, you can pick one up separately. Just search
Amazon for "nebulizer face mask for adults."
- Sources and References
1 Gates Notes April 30, 2020
2 Anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com June 27, 2020
3, 17, 18, 26 Newsweek July 23, 2020
4, 5, 6, 13, 14 The American Journal of Medicine January 2021; 134(1): 16-22
7 PLOS ONE 2014; 9(10): e109180
8, 9 Preprints April 6, 2020 DOI: 10.20944/preprints202004.0124.v1
10 Journal of Medical Microbiology September 15, 2020; 69(10)
11 medRxiv May 8, 2020 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.02.20080036 (PDF)
12 Medical Hypotheses September 2020; 142: 109815
15 Science Direct January 2021
16 American Journal of Epidemiology May 27, 2020, kwaa093
19 Age of Autism June 16, 2020
20 Uptodate.com Hydroxychloroquine
21 The Solidarity Trial
22 International Journal of Infectious Diseases July 1, 2020 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.099
23 Epoch Times July 2, 2020
24 Just the News July 3, 2020
25 International Journal of Infectious Diseases July 1, 2020 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.099, Patients
27, 28 Virology Journal 2005; 2: 69
29 Science, Public Health Policy and The Law July 2020; 1: 4-22 (PDF)
Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors around the world reported
high success rates using an inexpensive treatment protocol of
hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and zinc, typically in combination with an
antibiotic to treat secondary bacterial infections.
Almost immediately, government health agencies and mainstream media
started attacking the treatment, going so far as to ban the prescription
and use of HCQ for COVID-19 in some areas. Over time, it became
painfully clear that a concerted and coordinated effort to prevent its
use was afoot.
One of the most obvious reasons for why certain individuals and
companies might want to prevent the use of an inexpensive generic drug
is because it might eliminate the need for a vaccine or other antiviral
medication under development.1 Hundreds of millions of dollars have been
invested, and drug companies were, and still are, counting on a massive
payday. As noted by Dr. Meryl Nass in a June 27, 2020, blog post:2
"Hydroxychloroquine has been used safely for 65 years in many millions
of patients. And so the message was crafted that the drug is safe for
its other uses, but dangerous when used for COVID-19. It doesn’t make
sense, but it seems to have worked. Were these acts carefully
orchestrated? …
Might these events have been planned to keep the pandemic going? To sell
expensive drugs and vaccines to a captive population? Could these acts
result in prolonged economic and social hardship, eventually
transferring wealth from the middle class to the very rich?"
Politicizing Medicine Has Grave Consequences
The fight over HCQ also appears to have had political underpinnings, and
by politicizing medicine, the media has played a role that can readily
be likened to agents of genocide. There’s no telling how many lives may
have been saved had they done their due diligence and reported the
science truthfully.
Most of us in the holistic field have been aware that the intent of
censorship is to mislead people. After all, a majority of news outlets
rely on revenue from advertisers, and drug companies tend to spend the
most. As a result, what the drug industry wants is what the media deliver.
During this pandemic, conventional doctors have gotten a taste of what
it’s like as well and, clearly, many have been absolutely floored by it.
It’s certainly understandable, because to censor potentially lifesaving
medical treatment during a global pandemic really brings it to a whole
new level of evil.
As just one example among many, July 23, 2020, Dr. Harvey A. Risch,
professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, published an
op-ed in Newsweek in which he expressed his dismay and frustration:3
"I have authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications and currently hold
senior positions on the editorial boards of several leading journals.
I am usually accustomed to advocating for positions within the
mainstream of medicine, so have been flummoxed to find that, in the
midst of a crisis, I am fighting for a treatment that the data fully
support but which, for reasons having nothing to do with a correct
understanding of the science, has been pushed to the sidelines.
As a result, tens of thousands of patients with COVID-19 are dying
unnecessarily … I am referring, of course, to the medication
hydroxychloroquine.
When this inexpensive oral medication is given very early in the course
of illness, before the virus has had time to multiply beyond control, it
has shown to be highly effective, especially when given in combination
with the antibiotics azithromycin or doxycycline and the nutritional
supplement zinc."
In what appears to be an effort to change the tide, a medical review4 in
the January 2021 issue of The American Journal of Medicine now urges
early use of HCQ and zinc. The authors include Risch, as well as a long
list of medical doctors from hospitals around the world.
The Importance of Early Outpatient Treatment
Risch’s paper, "Pathophysiological Basis and Rationale for Early
Outpatient Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infection," points out that:5
"In the absence of clinical trial results, physicians must use what has
been learned about the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection in
determining early outpatient treatment of the illness with the aim of
preventing hospitalization or death …
Therapeutic approaches based on these principles include 1) reduction of
reinoculation, 2) combination antiviral therapy, 3) immunomodulation, 4)
antiplatelet/antithrombotic therapy, and 5) administration of oxygen,
monitoring, and telemedicine."
The authors stress that "Most patients who arrive to the hospital … with
COVID-19 do not initially require forms of advanced medical care," and
that, therefore, "it is conceivable that some, if not a majority, of
hospitalizations could be avoided with a treat-at-home first approach."
They also stress that since it can take up to a week to get PCR test
results back, it’s important to start treatment before results are
known. "For patients with cardinal features of the syndrome (i.e.,
fever, body aches, nasal congestion, loss of taste and smell, etc.) …
treatment can be the same as those with confirmed COVID-19," they say.
The Case for HCQ and Zinc
In terms of early drug treatment for patients who are quarantining at
home, the authors recommend using a combination of HCQ and zinc
lozenges, along with several other drugs (depending on your symptoms).
HCQ is a zinc ionophore, meaning it shuttles zinc into the cell, and
there’s compelling evidence to suggest the primary benefit of the HCQ
protocol actually comes from the zinc, which effectively inhibits viral
replication.
While I will review those here, keep in mind that I do not necessarily
recommend using all of them, as in some cases there are safer
alternatives. At the end of this article, I will summarize my personal
at-home treatment recommendation, which I believe is among the absolute
safest and most effective.
That said, in his paper, Risch and his co-authors explain the rationale
for using HCQ and zinc as follows:6
"Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an antimalarial/anti-inflammatory drug that
impairs endosomal transfer of virions within human cells. HCQ is also a
zinc ionophore that conveys zinc intracellularly to block the SARS-CoV-2
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which is the core enzyme of the virus
replication.
The currently completed retrospective studies and randomized trials have
generally shown these findings:
1.when started late in the hospital course and for short durations of
time, antimalarials appear to be ineffective
2.when started earlier in the hospital course, for progressively longer
durations and in outpatients, antimalarials may reduce the progression
of disease, prevent hospitalization, and are associated with reduced
mortality …
A typical HCQ regimen is 200 mg bid for 5 days and extended to 30 days
for continued symptoms. A minimal sufficient dose of HCQ should be used,
because in excessive doses the drug can interfere with early immune
response to the virus ...
Zinc is a known inhibitor of coronavirus replication … This readily
available nontoxic therapy could be deployed at the first signs of
COVID-19. Zinc lozenges can be administered 5 times a day for up to 5
days and extended if needed if symptoms persist.
The amount of elemental zinc lozenges is <25% of that in a single 220-mg
zinc sulfate daily tablet. This dose of zinc sulfate has been
effectively used in combination with antimalarials in early treatment of
high-risk outpatients with COVID-19."
It’s worth noting that in areas where hydroxychloroquine is hard to get
a hold of, the nutritional supplement quercetin may be a useful (and
perhaps even better) substitute, as its primary mechanism of action is
identical to that of the drug. It also has antiviral activity of its own.
You can learn more about this in "Is Quercetin a Safer Alternative to
Hydroxychloroquine?" "Quercetin Boosts Interferon Response to Viruses
and COVID-19" and "How to Improve Zinc Uptake with Quercetin to Boost
Immune Health."
Zinc Is a Crucial Key
While much attention is placed on HCQ, it in and of itself is not the
answer. Zinc is. Both HCQ and quercetin are zinc ionophores, meaning
they shuttle zinc into the cell,7,8 and there’s compelling evidence to
suggest the primary benefit of the HCQ protocol actually comes from the
zinc, which effectively inhibits viral replication.9
If given early, zinc along with a zinc ionophore should, at least
theoretically, help lower the viral load and prevent the immune system
from becoming overloaded. The problem is that zinc does not readily
enter cells, which is why a zinc ionophore is needed.
Evidence of this was presented in a September 2020 study10 in the
Journal of Medical Microbiology. In it, they compared outcomes in
hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with one of three regimens: HCQ
alone, Azithromycin alone, or a triplet regimen of hydroxychloroquine,
azithromycin and zinc.
While the addition of zinc had no impact on the length of
hospitalization, ICU duration or duration of ventilation, univariate
analyses showed it did:
Increase hospital discharge frequency
Decrease the need for ventilation
Decrease ICU admission rates
Decrease the rate of transfer to hospice for patients who were never
admitted to the ICU
Decrease mortality
As noted by the authors:11
"After adjusting for the time at which zinc sulfate was added to our
protocol, an increased frequency of being discharged home (OR 1.53 …)
reduction in mortality or transfer to hospice remained significant (OR
0.449 …). This study provides the first in vivo evidence that zinc
sulfate in combination with hydroxychloroquine may play a role in
therapeutic management for COVID-19."
Another paper that addressed the crucial role of zinc was published in
the September 2020 issue of Medical Hypotheses:12
"Besides direct antiviral effects, CQ/HCQ [chloroquine and/or
hydroxychloroquine] specifically target extracellular zinc to
intracellular lysosomes where it interferes with RNA-dependent RNA
polymerase activity and coronavirus replication.
As zinc deficiency frequently occurs in elderly patients and in those
with cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease, or diabetes, we
hypothesize that CQ/HCQ plus zinc supplementation may be more effective
in reducing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality than CQ or HCQ in
monotherapy. Therefore, CQ/HCQ in combination with zinc should be
considered as additional study arm for COVID-19 clinical trials."
Antibiotics, Steroids and Other Treatment Additions
In addition to HCQ and zinc, Risch13 et.al also recommend using one of
two antibiotics — azithromycin or doxycycline — primarily to address
secondary bacterial infections. Azithromycin also has antiviral
properties and anti-inflammatory effects, while doxycycline has
"multiple intracellular effects that may reduce viral replication,
cellular damage, and expression of inflammatory factors."
According to the authors, COVID-19 studies that used azithromycin found
"markedly reduced durations of viral shedding, fewer hospitalizations,
and reduced mortality combination with HCQ."
People with known or suspected arrhythmias, and anyone taking a
contraindicated medication, should get a thorough workup and review of
baseline electrocardiogram though before receiving HCQ and/or
azithromycin. In those worried about azithromycin’s effects on the
heart, doxycycline is a better alternative as it has no ill effects on
your heart. On the downside, it can cause gastrointestinal upset and
esophagitis instead.
An important side note here is that while not addressed in this paper,
all antibiotics have the drawback of disrupting your gut microbiome, and
should therefore be used only if absolutely needed.
Risch14 et.al also recommend using corticosteroids, which have
immunomodulating effects and help reduce the effects of cytokine storms.
As explained in their paper:
"In COVID-19, some of the first respiratory findings are nasal
congestion, cough, and wheezing. These features are due to excess
inflammation and cytokine activation.
Early use of corticosteroids is a rational intervention for patients
with COVID-19 with these features as they would be in acute asthma or
reactive airways disease … One potential dosing scheme for outpatients
starting on day 5 or the onset of respiratory symptoms is prednisone 1
mg/kg given daily for 5 days with or without a subsequent taper."
Other treatment additions include:
Colchicine, a nonsteroidal antimitotic that has been shown to reduce
D-dimer levels and improve outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Antiplatelet agents such as aspirin (81 mg daily) or heparin to treat
the abnormal blood clotting sometimes seen in COVID-19
Supplemental oxygen if needed
To reduce the risk of self-reinoculation (since the virus is airborne),
they also recommend opening windows and/or spending long periods of time
outdoors (away from others) without a face covering.
The figure below, from The American Journal of Medicine and republished
in Science Direct,15 illustrates the different approaches to home care
suggested depending on whether you are healthy, have a single
comorbidity or several, and at which point in the disease process the
various drugs should be administered.
Treatment algorithm for COVID-19-like and confirmed COVID-19 illness
Hydroxychloroquine Has a Proven Safety Profile
While media headlines have painted HCQ as a life-threatening drug, it
actually has a very robust safety profile that goes back decades. In a
paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology,16 Risch
reviewed several large-scale studies demonstrating the safety of the
medication.
In his Newsweek article,17 he also pointed out that the adverse event
reports cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when it warned
HCQ might cause cardiac arrhythmia, especially when administered with
azithromycin, were from patients who had used HCQ for very long periods
of time for the treatment of chronic conditions such as lupus or
rheumatoid arthritis. The same risks simply do not apply when you’re
taking HCQ for a few days or weeks.
"Even if the true rates of arrhythmia are tenfold higher than those
reported, the harms would be minuscule compared to the mortality
occurring right now in inadequately treated high-risk COVID-19
patients," Risch wrote.18
"This fact is proven by an Oxford University study of more than 320,000
older patients taking both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, who had
arrhythmia excess death rates of less than 9/100,000 users … A new paper
in the American Journal of Medicine by established cardiologists around
the world fully agrees with this."
Indeed, the so-called evidence that HCQ causes lethal heart problems has
been shown to be fraudulent. One study was retracted after it was
discovered the data had been manufactured, and other large-scale trials
were all using toxic doses.
While doctors reporting success with the drug were using standard doses
around 200 mg per day for either a few days or maybe a couple of weeks,
studies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates-funded19 Recovery Trial used
2,400 mg of hydroxychloroquine during the first 24 hours — three to six
times higher than the daily dosage recommended20 — followed by 400 mg
every 12 hours for nine more days for a cumulative dose of 9,200 mg over
10 days.
Similarly, the Solidarity Trial,21 led by the World Health Organization,
used 2,000 mg on the first day, and a cumulative dose of 8,800 mg over
10 days. These doses are simply too high.
Meanwhile, a July 1, 2020, retrospective analysis22,23,24 of 2,541
patients in Michigan found use of hydroxychloroquine alone cut mortality
by more than half, from 26.4% to 13.5%. Patients received 400 mg of
hydroxychloroquine twice on day 1, followed by 200 mg twice a day for
the next four days.
No adverse heart-related events were observed. Hydroxychloroquine in
combination with azithromycin had a mortality rate of 20.1%, and
azithromycin alone had a mortality rate of 22.4%. The azithromycin was
dosed as 500 mg on day 1, followed by 250 mg once a day for the next
four days.
According to the authors,25 "The combination of hydroxychloroquine +
azithromycin was reserved for selected patients with severe COVID-19 and
with minimal cardiac risk factors." Unfortunately, zinc was not included
in this trial.
"Physicians who have been using these medications in the face of
widespread skepticism have been truly heroic," Risch wrote in
Newsweek.26 "They have done what the science shows is best for their
patients, often at great personal risk.
I myself know of two doctors who have saved the lives of hundreds of
patients with these medications, but are now fighting state medical
boards to save their licenses and reputations. The cases against them
are completely without scientific merit …
As all know, the medication has become highly politicized. For many, it
is viewed as a marker of political identity, on both sides of the
political spectrum. Nobody needs me to remind them that this is not how
medicine should proceed … Reality demands a clear, scientific eye on the
evidence and where it points"
With that in mind, evidence that HCQ could be useful against SARS-CoV-2
goes as far back as 2005, when the article "Chloroquine Is a Potent
Inhibitor of SARS Coronavirus Infection and Spread" was published in the
Virology Journal.27
Did Dr. Anthony Fauci, appointed to lead the White House Pandemic
Response Team, know about this? One could argue he should have. And, if
he did, why didn’t he say something? According to this study:28
"… chloroquine has strong antiviral effects on SARS-CoV infection of
primate cells. These inhibitory effects are observed when the cells are
treated with the drug either before or after exposure to the virus,
suggesting both prophylactic and therapeutic advantage."
In other words, chloroquine functioned as both a prophylactic
(prevention) and a treatment against SARS coronavirus. This is precisely
what many doctors have found with HCQ as well — a drug that is very
similar to chloroquine but has a safer profile — when used against
SARS-CoV-2.
Nebulized Peroxide — My Favorite Treatment Choice
While HCQ with zinc appears to be a very useful early treatment choice,
my personal choice for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms is nebulized
peroxide. This is a home remedy I recommend everyone familiarize
themselves with, as in many cases it can improve symptoms in mere hours.
You can also use it as a preventive strategy if you know you’ve been
exposed to someone who is ill.
Nebulizing hydrogen peroxide into your sinuses, throat and lungs is a
simple, straightforward way to augment your body’s natural expression of
hydrogen peroxide to combat infections and can be used both
prophylactically after known exposure to COVID-19 and as a treatment for
mild, moderate and even severe illness.
Dr. David Brownstein, who has successfully treated over 100 COVID-19
patients with nebulized peroxide, published a case paper29 about this
treatment in the July 2020 issue of Science, Public Health Policy and
The Law. He also reviews its benefits in "How Nebulized Peroxide Helps
Against Respiratory Infections."
Nebulized hydrogen peroxide is extremely safe, and all you need is a
desktop nebulizer and food-grade hydrogen peroxide, which you’ll need to
dilute with saline to 0.1% strength. I recommend buying these items
beforehand so that you have everything you need and can begin treatment
at home at the first signs of a respiratory infection.
hydrogen peroxide dilution chart
In the video above, I go over the basics of this treatment. Be sure to
buy a nebulizer that plugs into an electrical outlet, as battery-driven
ones are too low-powered to be truly effective. Also make sure your
nebulizer comes with a face mask, not just a mouth piece. If it doesn’t
come with a face mask, you can pick one up separately. Just search
Amazon for "nebulizer face mask for adults."
- Sources and References
1 Gates Notes April 30, 2020
2 Anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com June 27, 2020
3, 17, 18, 26 Newsweek July 23, 2020
4, 5, 6, 13, 14 The American Journal of Medicine January 2021; 134(1): 16-22
7 PLOS ONE 2014; 9(10): e109180
8, 9 Preprints April 6, 2020 DOI: 10.20944/preprints202004.0124.v1
10 Journal of Medical Microbiology September 15, 2020; 69(10)
11 medRxiv May 8, 2020 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.02.20080036 (PDF)
12 Medical Hypotheses September 2020; 142: 109815
15 Science Direct January 2021
16 American Journal of Epidemiology May 27, 2020, kwaa093
19 Age of Autism June 16, 2020
20 Uptodate.com Hydroxychloroquine
21 The Solidarity Trial
22 International Journal of Infectious Diseases July 1, 2020 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.099
23 Epoch Times July 2, 2020
24 Just the News July 3, 2020
25 International Journal of Infectious Diseases July 1, 2020 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.099, Patients
27, 28 Virology Journal 2005; 2: 69
29 Science, Public Health Policy and The Law July 2020; 1: 4-22 (PDF)
