Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Long-COVID Symptoms Mirror Those in Other Viral Illnesses, Study Shows

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/15/long-covid-symptoms-flu-cold

Time to stop using term ‘long Covid’ as symptoms are no worse than those after flu, study finds

Researchers compared the symptoms and impairment of Covid and influenza patients a year after they tested positive

Long Covid may be no different from other post-viral syndromes such as those experienced after flu, according to new research from Queensland Health.

The lead author of the study, the state’s chief health officer Dr John Gerrard, said it was “time to stop using terms like ‘long Covid’” because they imply there is something unique about the longer-term symptoms associated with the virus, and in some cases create hypervigilance.

There are different definitions of long Covid but the World Health Organization defines post-Covid or long Covid as occurring in people still experiencing symptoms three months after their initial Covid-19 infection, when those symptoms can’t be explained by an alternative diagnosis. (See link for article)

Important quote:

Gerrard said long Covid may have appeared to be a distinct and severe illness because of the high number of people infected with Covid-19 within a short period of time, rather than the severity of long Covid symptoms.

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**Comment**

The author states that the symptoms patients experience are real but that the incidence of these symptoms is no greater in COVID than it is with other respiratory viruses and that using the term ‘Long COVID’ is misleading and harmful.

He also admitted that the findings are associations and do not represent prevalence as well as the fact there was no laboratory pathophysiological assessment making it impossible to detect if this is indistinguishable from flu-related or any other post-viral syndrome.  But, it’s important to mention here that the PCR test used is utterly useless and can’t detect if a person has COVID or just the flu, and it can’t identify variants.

But to keep the COVID narrative alive and well he states that because 90% of people in Queensland are ‘vaccinated’ with the gene therapy when Omicron emerged, the lower severity of COVID could be due to ‘vaccination’ and the variant.

Research and reality; however, shows just the opposite.

There is actually increased risk of new variant infections which can be severe in the ‘vaccinated’ only, which has been recorded many, many times.

Category:

Activism, research, vaccines, Viruses

Can Lyme Disease Cause Speech Issues?

https://danielcameronmd.com/can-lyme-disease-cause-speech-issues/

CAN LYME DISEASE CAUSE SPEECH ISSUES?

Can-Lyme-cause-speech-issues

“Lyme can affect the nerves that are responsible for controlling the muscles in the vocal cords,” says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “As a result, someone could technically lose their voice if they had Lyme disease.”

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“Lyme disease has been associated with a wide variety of persistent neuropsychological and cognitive symptoms, including: impaired attention, focus, concentration, judgment, and impulse control,” in addition to impaired memory and speech functions, according to an article published by Amen Clinics.¹

Recent studies of patients with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) have found “consistent deficits in memory and processing speed,” according to the authors of a new study “Language Fluency Deficits in Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.”² But are language fluency deficits due to poor performance in these other neurocognitive areas?

The study by Gorlyn et al. evaluated 38 individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), 59 healthy volunteers, and 31 individuals with Post-treatment Lyme disease Syndrome (PTLDS).

The major depressive disorder group “had a cumulative time since first episode of depression of 13.5 ± 10.9 years, with an average 3.8 ± 3.5 episodes of depression,” wrote Gorlyn et al.

The Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome group “had a duration of illness of 7.7 ± 5.6 years of illness and had gone 13.0 ± 18.5 (median = 7.0) months before being formally diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease.”

Additionally, the PTLDS group “received an average of 2.3 ± 1.7 months of prior intravenous antibiotic treatment and 7.4 ± 9.8 (median = 3) months of prior oral antibiotic treatment.”

The study found that both the PTLDS and MDD groups had deficits in basic verbal abilities, memory, and processing speed.

“…language fluency deficits were evident in PTLDS patients even after controlling for the significant effects of verbal ability, slowed processing speed, and memory difficulties on fluency performance.”

The authors concluded, “Language fluency appears to be an independent area of neurocognitive deficit within the constellation of PTLDS symptoms.”

These deficits in language fluency could not be a function of depressed mood, basic verbal abilities, or other cognitive problems, the authors point out.

“These findings suggest that language problems are a distinct area of cognitive deficit in PTLDS, and not a function of depressed mood, basic verbal abilities, or other cognitive problems frequently observed in PTLDS.”

The findings support those from other studies. “A clearer picture of these patients’ neurocognitive difficulties has emerged incorporating mild slowing, disruptions of learning and information retrieval, and dysfunction in everyday language skills,” wrote the authors.

The study was not designed to determine if the language fluency deficits in Lyme disease were transient or a long-standing effect, although the PTLDS group had been ill for years despite antibiotic treatment. Nor was the study designed to determine the cause of the language fluency deficits in Lyme disease.

References:
  1. Amen Clinics. November 15, 2022. https://rb.gy/ac4geu
  2. Gorlyn M, Keilp JG, Fallon BA. Language Fluency Deficits in Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. Dec 22 2022;doi:10.1093/arclin/acac095

For more:

Category:

Lyme, research

Lyme-Induced Cardiac Problems Persist Despite Antibiotic Treatment

https://danielcameronmd.com/lyme-cardiac-antibiotic-treatment/

LYME-INDUCED CARDIAC PROBLEMS PERSIST DESPITE ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT

lyme-cardiac

In their article, “An Unusual Presentation of Lyme Carditis and Adenosine-Sensitive Atrioventricular Block,” Alexandre and colleagues present the case of a 20-year-old female with Lyme disease and cardiac manifestations, who continued to experience cardiac problems despite 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment. [1]

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The young woman was admitted to the emergency department with acute pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath. (Pleuritic chest pain is characterized by sudden and intense sharp, stabbing, or burning pain in the chest when inhaling and exhaling.)

The woman exhibited only mild tachycardia (100/min). However, “Considering the suspicion of acute myocarditis, the patient was admitted to an intensive cardiac care unit,” the authors state.

During hospitalization, cardiac monitoring revealed several asymptomatic episodes of paroxysmal AV block, including second-degree Mobitz I AV block, second degree AV block, and high-grade AV block.

Although there was no evidence of tick exposure or skin lesions, clinicians ordered testing for Lyme disease, which was positive by Western blot. “… an IgM Western-Blot test was performed, confirming positivity and recent Borrelia spp. infection.”

The patient was diagnosed with Lyme disease with cardiac manifestations of high-grade AV block. She was treated with a 4-week course of IV ceftriaxone, which led to a complete resolution of chest pain and shortness of breath.

However, the AV conduction disturbance continued after 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment. And subsequently, the woman was given an alternative diagnosis of extrinsic idiopathic paroxysmal AV block (“adenosine-sensitive AV block”).

This could be an extremely rare course of Lyme carditis, or the patient may have had asymptomatic AV conduction problems that surfaced when she developed Lyme disease, according to the authors.

“The patient was started on theophylline 400 mg twice daily, and after one week of treatment, the Holter monitoring demonstrated a significant reduction in AV conduction disturbances,” the authors state.

At her 18-month follow-up appointment, the woman continued to have fewer AV conduction disturbances, no cardiac complaints, and no need for a permanent pacemaker.

Authors conclude:

“This case illustrates a challenging scenario of [Lyme carditis] with high grade AV block, which persisted after appropriate antibiotic treatment and had key features supporting the diagnosis of extrinsic idiopathic paroxysmal AV block (‘adenosine sensitive AV block’).

References:
  1. Alexandre A, Ribeiro D, Sousa MJ, Reis H, Silveira J, Torres S. An Unusual Presentation of Lyme Carditis and Adenosine-Sensitive Atrioventricular Block. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2024 Jan;121(1):e20230228. Portuguese, English. doi: 10.36660/abc.20230228. PMID: 38324857.

For more:

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment, Uncategorized

MMR Fails to Protect Against Measles & Destroys Natural Immunity and Dengue Vaccine Trial: More Vaccinated Kids Died Than Unvaccinated

https://popularrationalism.substack.com/p/the-2024-narrative-on-measles-

The 2024 Narrative on Measles and Measles Vaccines Falls Flat on Facts: MMR Fails to Protect Against Measles Infection and Destroys Natural Immunity

Surprising facts to put things into perspective. Measles vaccines took longer, but have failed for the same reason COVID19 vaccines have failed.

MAR 12, 2024

By James Lyons Weiler and Alison Fujito

More recently, in 2012, MMR vaccine coverage was 90.6%, and in 2018/19, according to the CDC, it was 91.6%. With the latest data, the CDC states that MMR vaccination rates were 93% in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023  school years. This thoroughly refutes any claims of a “dangerous shift” (or any shift), a new movement driving it, and “political infiltration.”

Journalism used to mean “reporting the facts.” Somewhere along the way, the definition changed; the Cambridge Dictionary now defines journalism as “the work of collecting, writing, and publishing news stories and articles in newspapers and magazines or broadcasting them on the radio  and television,”  without a word about facts.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Weiler completely dismantles the CDC narrative on measles, and “vaccine” hesitancy has nothing to do with measles cases or outbreaks.

Specifically, the alleged “rise” is not a rise. It’s a 3-4 year cycle, which occurs naturally and is also due to vaccine failure and the loss of passive immunity in infants and toddlers from pregnant and breastfeeding women.

OOPs!  There’s an inconvenient truth.

Here’s another:

The article’s title and content paint vaccine-hesitant people, regardless of reason, as an “infiltrating”organized political movement. But in fact, the exact opposite is true: vaccination mandate proponents, including vaccine manufacturers, are not only an “organized political movement;” US state vaccine policies are actually driven by well-funded national political organizations like Immunization Coalition, which counts 10 vaccine manufacturers among their “corporate members,” whose state groups advertise that they meet with their state legislators to advocate for stricter vaccination laws. Pfizer and other vaccine manufacturers have donated to the campaigns of at least one state senator who proposed a state bill to require all children to be vaccinated against Covid.  

Well now.  That explains some things.

For more:

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/wsd-dengue-vaccine-trial-kids-deaths-childhood-obesity-lead/

Dengue Vaccine Trial: More Vaccinated Kids Died Than Unvaccinated

The Defender’s Weekly Science Digest delivers a roundup of the latest research on children’s health, including studies on vaccines, drugs, chemicals, pesticides and lead exposure.

3/8/24

The vaccine worked — but the kids died

Long-term efficacy and safety of a tetravalent dengue vaccine (TAK-003): 4·5-year results from a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; The Lancet Global Health, February 2024.

The good news: the vaccine was 61.2% effective in preventing dengue and 84.1% effective in preventing dengue-associated hospitalization.

The bad news? Nearly twice as many vaccinated as unvaccinated children died during their clinical study.

Investigators enrolled 20,099 children, ages 4-16, 50.5% males, from 26 medical or research centers in “dengue territory” — Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Sick or highly allergic children were excluded.

The researchers administered two doses, three months apart, of an experimental, live-attenuated  dengue vaccine to 13,401 children. The vaccine, TAK-003, was developed by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

TAK-003’s slightly superior side effect profile did not translate into the most significant safety signal of all — death — as 11 vaccinated children died during follow-up versus just 6 unvaccinated children.

In July 2023, Takeda “voluntarily” withdrew its application to sell TAK-003 in the U.S. due to discrepancies in its data collection practices, according to a Takeda press release.

Category:

Activism, mosquitoes, research, vaccines, Viruses

Superior Efficacy of Combination Antibiotics Therapy Versus Monotherapy For Lyme Disease in Mouse Model

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1293300/full

Front. Microbiol., 20 November 2023
Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease
Volume 14 – 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1293300
This article is part of the Research TopicInsights in Infectious Agents and Disease: 2023View all 11 articles

Superior efficacy of combination antibiotic therapy versus monotherapy in a mouse model of Lyme disease

Yasir Alruwaili1,2,3Mary B. Jacobs2Nicole R. Hasenkampf2Amanda C. Tardo2Celine E. McDaniel2Monica E. Embers2,3*

Lyme disease (LD) results from the most prevalent tick-borne infection in North America, with over 476,000 estimated cases annually. The disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) sensu lato which transmits through the bite of Ixodid ticks. Most cases treated soon after infection are resolved by a short course of oral antibiotics. However, 10–20% of patients experience chronic symptoms because of delayed or incomplete treatment, a condition called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease (PTLD). Some Bb persists in PTLD patients after the initial course of antibiotics and an effective treatment to eradicate the persistent Bb is needed. Other organisms that cause persistent infections, such as M. tuberculosis, are cleared using a combination of therapies rather than monotherapy. A group of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs previously shown to be efficacious against Bb in vitro were used in monotherapy or in combination in mice infected with Bb. Different methods of detection were used to assess the efficacy of the treatments in the infected mice including culture, xenodiagnosis, and molecular techniques. None of the monotherapies eradicated persistent Bb. However,

  • 4 dual combinations (doxycycline + ceftriaxone, dapsone + rifampicin, dapsone + clofazimine, doxycycline + cefotaxime)
  • 3 triple combinations (doxycycline + ceftriaxone+ carbomycin, doxycycline + cefotaxime+ loratadine, dapsone+ rifampicin+ clofazimine) eradicated persistent Bb infections.

These results suggest that combination therapy should be investigated in preclinical studies for treating human Lyme disease.

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**Comment**

This research demonstrates clearly why many do not get better.  Mainstream doctors are still in the Dark Ages regarding all things Lyme/MSIDS and treat with the antiquated and unscientific IDSA Lyme Guidelines which have never worked and never will.

For more:

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment