FEATURE ARTICLESHEALTH

3 STAGES OF COVID 19 BRAIN DAMAGE

B: Dr Pearce

Still feeling brave/foolish enough to not wear a mask to protect you and others?
In Stage 1 the infection is in the nose and mouth. Stage 2 has it in the lungs and blood clots in the lungs can pass into the brain causing strokes. Stage 3 has the virus crossing the normal barrier between the blood and brain and infecting and inflaming the brain possibly causing permanent damage.
EPIDEMIC VS. PANDEMIC VS. OUTBREAK
Maybe you are not familiar with these terms even though we hear them frequently.
Outbreak is a burst of cases that were not expected and are above the normal level and can grow to an epidemic and later a pandemic. E.g. let’s say a large number of syphilis cases follow the White Party. There was a meningitis outbreak about 6 years ago around the time of the White Party but was not associated with it. I Googled it today and found my 2013 Adelante article at the top!
Epidemic affects a large number of people within a region, e.g. a city, state, or country. E.g. Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Pandemic is an epidemic that has spread over multiple regions

SHORTCUTS ON VACCINES FOR COVID?
The government leaders of Operation Warp Speed to get a vaccine out ASAP is cutting corners by throwing money at the steps that can be speeded up. Instead of taking more than 10 years to develop a vaccine there will be money wasted in order to speed up the steps. Listed below are some steps that are being speeded up, but having a vaccine that protects 50% of the people and having millions of doses by the end of the year seems nearly impossible, but money does solve a lot of problems. Working fast and throwing a lot of money at a problem is a great opportunity for thievery and mismanagement—look at the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Manufacturing plants are being built and ready for the vaccine candidate (some signal this candidate might work, but not the final signal) which will start making vaccines in huge amounts, realizing that if that candidate gets rejected, there will be a lot of waste.
Acceleration of steps through the FDA without sacrificing scientific principles.
Funding for developers to get them to gear up faster. Many more companies are receiving the funding and are working on candidates. Our hope is one or two will work.
Intentionally infecting volunteers instead of trials chasing hot spots around the world. There are many people who have already volunteered to receive a vaccine candidate or a placebo and then get infected.
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AGREE ON FACE MASKS
To protect those around them, a new survey found that face masks were agreeable to 85% of those polled. Numbers for Republicans and Democrats were about the same. Face masks protect you a little, others a lot. They are needed if you are less than 6 feet from someone or are in a building. Outside in the breeze is great for prevention but it is hot sometimes and the mask is uncomfortable. You don’t need a mask with your housemates since you all share the same germs unless one of you is not being careful.
By wearing face masks, you prevent suffering and death of health care workers, friends and relatives, others you meet, and you get the economy back faster.
It is sad we don’t have a better method, but mask-wearing is proven and we should use it. Don’t let your mask slip under your nose, SARS CoV 2 loves the nose and mouth.
I heard of someone thinking of going to a rally against face masks and putting on their sign, “I may have Ebola and TB but you can’t make me wear a face mask.” They wondered what would be the reaction of the others at the rally.
FINGERSTICK TEST FOR HEPATITIS C
There is a new test for Hepatitis C that can have results in 2 hours. The study shows it is accurate. It has yet to be approved and distributed.
NO MATTER WHO OR WHAT KIND OF SEX, ANTIVIRALS PREVENT HIV TRANSMISSION
An analysis of many studies (a meta-analysis) showed that no matter which sexual body parts with HIV combined with any other type of sexual body parts in males or females, there was no transmission of HIV. This is an important study that confirms U=U (Undetectable equals Untransmissible) and TasP (Treatment of HIV As Prevention). This worked for condoms also. Condoms also protect against all other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They are great for preventing gonorrhea and chlamydia, the two most common STIs and others. But a little less prevention for those diseases that can be passed to and from the area the condoms don’t cover, like herpes, syphilis, and warts. Of course antiretrovirals do not protect against other STIs.
LATEST ON COVID AND HIV
New York has many people with HIV so they looked at the risk of having HIV and Covid 19 and found that there was no increased risk for being more ill or dying if the Covid patient had HIV. This was found in spite of the fact that HIV patients have more cardiovascular diseases, are at more risk for being a smoker, and have slightly more risk for lung, kidney disease and cancer, etc. Therefore, I can’t write a work excuse during the Covid pandemic based on just having HIV and being otherwise healthy.
People still ask me to fill out disability papers because they have HIV. I tell them to look at Magic Johnson who is running multiple companies and seems quite healthy.
BIG PHARMA TRIES TO BLOCK INSULIN PRICE REDUCTION LAW
In Minnesota, a large group of pharmaceutical companies have filed a lawsuit to block a new law that would make emergency insulin free. A young man had died since he couldn’t afford insulin some years ago and this new law was passed to prevent such suffering and death. Both sides feel strongly about the new law. Big Pharma was present at the meetings forming the law and gave their advice.
Keep those questions coming, Be safe!

Daniel Pearce, D.O., FACOI, AAHIVMS
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine and HIV, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine and Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
HIV Specialist, Borrego Health (Riverside, San Bernardino, San Jacinto)
Member, Coachella Valley Clinical Research Initiative

REFERENCES: Medscape®