Recent studies have shown that coronavirus does not cause pneumonia. This explains the fact that antibiotics do not help with the disease caused by COVID-19 and the use of mechanical ventilation devices does not give results.
It turned out that the cause of dangerous complications – excess iron in the body of patients with coronavirus. Tells Vice President of the Russian Scientific Medical Society of Therapists Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Leonid Lazebnik.
Lydia Yudina, AiF.ru: Leonid Borisovich, as it turned out that the complication of coronavirus – not pneumonia at all?
Leonid Lazebnik: The fact that changes in the lungs that occur with coronavirus are not like pneumonia was first noticed by Chinese doctors, and then confirmed by the Americans and Israelis. Indirectly, this is also confirmed by the fact that only computed tomography detects a specific lesion of the lung tissue in coronavirus, while ordinary pneumonia is “seen” by a conventional X-ray examination.
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COVID-19 damages the hemoglobin gene, as a result of which the iron atom is blocked. Because of this, an excess of iron is formed in the body, which prevents the exchange of oxygen and leads to hypoxic syndrome (oxygen starvation).
The development of this dangerous life-threatening complication can be predicted by increasing levels of ferritin (a protein that is produced in the liver and collects all the iron that is in the body). Excess ferritin provokes “cytokine storm” – excessive reaction of the immune system, in which an excessive amount of immune cells is formed. The “cytokine storm” also leads to a sudden worsening of the condition, which often causes the sudden death of patients who previously had a mild illness.
Iron arguments
– Predicting the development of complications is important. But how to prevent them from developing?
– In the world there are very few drugs and procedures that remove excess iron from the body. In Russia, there is a registered drug (hepaprotector and immunostimulant) that could be useful. As Japanese and domestic observations show, it reduces the level of ferritin in patients with liver diseases and congenital hemochromatosis (a hereditary disease in which iron is deposited in the body, which leads to organ damage). Scientists who worked with him believe that it can be effective in severe patients with COVID-19.
– Now they are trying to treat coronavirus infection with antimalarial drugs that do not have a specific effect …
– The drugs that were donated by our Chinese colleagues as humanitarian aid contribute to the transport of oxygen in the body. This medicine under the same international generic name has long been used in Russia for diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Due to the lack of an alternative at the beginning of a pandemic, it was recommended for patients with coronavirus infection for the prevention of oxygen starvation. Its effectiveness is still under discussion. For example, French studies show that it is insufficient.
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It must be remembered that a new type of coronavirus is unknown to either science or medical practitioners, so new data and, accordingly, new publications that recommend certain treatment methods appear almost daily.
– How justified is the use of unregistered drugs? For example, in Brazil, 11 patients died during clinical trials of a Chinese drug.
– The causes of death of these patients are not known for certain. I am convinced that data from Chinese colleagues can be trusted – they have the greatest experience in removing the population from dangerous situations that may arise in the focus of the disease, and they generously share it.
The pace of the epidemic and the number of cases do not give time for thought. That is why they are now trying to use funds from the existing arsenal, the safety of which has already been proven.
Perspective direction – use of blood plasma of patients who underwent coronavirus. I believe that antibodies can be isolated from it, which in the future will serve as the basis for the creation of specific drugs.
– One well-known virologist believes that quarantine prevents the development of collective immunity. After all, asymptomatic carriers – live vaccine against coronavirus, and all of them are now on self-isolation.
– For the development of collective immunity, it is necessary that ¾ of the population is ill. It’s unavoidable. Sooner or later everyone will gain immunity to coronavirus. Asymptomatic carriers and vaccination of the population can indeed accelerate this process.
But there are two possible scenarios for the development of the epidemic. At the first (without restrictive measures) the incidence curve has a short rise, a high peak and a rapid decline. In the second (with the introduction of quarantine) – slow rise, long plateau and long descent. The area under both curves (the number of cases) in the first and second scenarios is the same, but the percentage of deaths under quarantine is much lower.
Without restrictive measures, the “Italian variant” is inevitable (a large number of cases at the same time). In such cases, doctors have to choose whom to save. Quarantine avoids this situation and guarantees medical care for the majority of the population.
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Comrade time
– The head of the information center for monitoring the situation with coronavirus has already announced “a Russian miracle” – low morbidity and low mortality from coronavirus in Russia. Is such a statement premature?
– Official reports indicate that we are still at the beginning of the epidemiological process. The virus came to Russia later than to Europe, and this allowed to take into account the experience of other countries. Reducing the incidence due to the efforts of the authorities is achieved by all possible means. In addition, time works for us. – the most favorable factor for the natural spontaneous weakening of the aggressiveness of the virus.
Vivid example – 2009 swine flu. When it first appeared, there was an extremely high morbidity and mortality rate, especially among young people, but a year later it was an unremarkable strain of seasonal flu. There have been reports that coronavirus is also already “weakening” and becoming less toxic. An example of this – a large number of “seasonal colds” who underwent it in a mild form or are generally asymptomatic, which was found during a recent survey in Moscow. Mortality from COVID-19 in Russia at the moment – one of the lowest in the world (0.8%). Perhaps we already have some collective immunity that protects against the virus and those who have not yet encountered it. Or the reason for this is the timely protective measures taken. However, personal caution is crucial right now. Sit at home! The later you cross the virus, the higher the likelihood that this meeting will not lead to serious consequences.
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