Archive for the ‘Viruses’ Category

Are Infections Seeding Some Cases of Alzheimer’s Disease?

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03084-9

Are infections seeding some cases of Alzheimer’s disease?

A fringe theory links microbes in the brain with the onset of dementia. Now, researchers are taking it seriously.
Alison Abbott

Some scientists think that microbes such as the herpes simplex virus 1 (shown here on an epithelial cell) could trigger some cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Credit: SPL

Two years ago, immunologist and medical-publishing entrepreneur Leslie Norins offered to award US$1 million of his own money to any scientist who could prove that Alzheimer’s disease was caused by a germ.

The theory that an infection might cause this form of dementia has been rumbling for decades on the fringes of neuroscience research. The majority of Alzheimer’s researchers, backed by a huge volume of evidence, think instead that the key culprits are sticky molecules in the brain called amyloids, which clump into plaques and cause inflammation, killing neurons. (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Important quote:

Several microbes have been proposed as triggers of Alzheimer’s, including three human herpes viruses and three bacteria: Chlamydia pneumoniae, a cause of lung infections; Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease; and, most recently, Porphyromonas gingivalis, which leads to gum disease. In theory, any infectious agent that can invade the brain could have this trigger role (there’s no good evidence, however, that SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, has this ability).

It’s also sad that Alzheimer’s research has been pigeon-holed for so long:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/01/05/the-maddening-saga-of-how-an-alzheimers-cabal-thwarted-progress-toward-a-cure-for-decades/,  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/01/14/what-causes-alzheimers-not-toxic-amyloid-new-study-suggests/

This article contains Norrins’ paper in the comment section. The article above states there are 40 studies in the cue vying for the 1 million cash prize in March, when the challenge results will be announced:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/23/a-turning-point-in-alzheimers-disease-microbes-matter/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/23/a-turning-point-in-alzheimers-disease-microbes-matter/

Category:

Alzheimer's, Lyme, research, Viruses

‘A Very, Very Bad Look’ For Remdesivir

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6517/642

‘A very, very bad look’ for remdesivir

Science  06 Nov 2020:
Vol. 370, Issue 6517, pp. 642-643
DOI: 10.1126/science.370.6517.642
Science‘s COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Heising-Simons Foundation
Embedded ImagePHOTO: ALEX BRANDON/AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn (right) met with Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day (left) after remdesivir received an emergency use authorization.

October was a good month for Gilead Sciences, the giant U.S. manufacturer of antivirals. On 8 October, the company inked an agreement to supply the European Union with its drug remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19—a deal potentially worth more than $1 billion. Two weeks later, on 22 October, remdesivir became the first COVID-19 drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The decisions mean Gilead can cash in big in two major markets, both with soaring COVID-19 cases.

But they baffled scientists who have closely watched the clinical trials of remdesivir unfold over the past 6 months—and who have many questions about its worth. At best, one large, well-designed study found that remdesivir, which must be infused intravenously, modestly reduced the time to recover from COVID-19 in hospitalized patients with severe illness. A few smaller studies found no impact on the disease whatsoever, and none has found that the antiviral reduces patients’ level of SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus. Then, on 15 October, the fourth and largest study delivered what some believed was a coup de grâce: The World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) giant Solidarity trial showed that remdesivir does not reduce mortality or the time COVID-19 patients take to recover.  (See link for article)

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/26/remdesivir-gets-fda-approval-but-who-says-drug-ineffective-for-covid/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/30/anthony-fauci-40-years-of-lies-from-azt-to-remdesivir/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/01/gilead-big-pharma-and-the-who-an-unholy-trifecta-of-corruption-and-bioterrorism/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/02/remdesivir-for-covid-19-not-backed-by-results/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/stunning-faucis-remdesivir-costs-9-per-dose-will-sold-3000-per-dose-china-company-linked-soros-will-also-mass-produce-drug/

Going back to 1997, Donald Rumsfeld chaired the Board of Directors at Gilead and after 2001 he held share packages valued at $5-25 Million. Gilead originally developed Tamiflu. George P Shultz, US Secretary of State also was on the board. He sold stocks at a value of more than $7 million. CA governor’s Pete Wilson’s wife also sat on the board.

“‘I don’t know of any biotech company that’s’ so politically well-connected [as Gilead],‘ Andrew McDonald, of the analyst firm Think Equity Partners, told Fortune.” (Source: “Virus Mania, How the Medical Industry Continually Invents Epidemics Making Billion Dollar Profits At Our Expense”)

Excerpt:

Approximately $70 million in U.S. taxpayer funding began Gilead’s partnership with the U.S. Army, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop remdesivir. Initially for treating Ebola, it failed to show benefit and was shelved. If remdesivir is used to treat COVID-19, Gilead shareholders, not the taxpayers, will profit.

Category:

Treatment, Viruses

Danish Newspaper Reveals Largest Study on Masks Has Been Rejected By 3 Medical Journals

To understand how biased medical journals have become, please read this important article and learn that medical journals and 86% of clinical trials are funded by Big Pharma, turning journal articles into little more than marketing machines.  The COVID debacle clearly showed this in action.  Independent research, or those defying the narrative simply could either not get their work published or it was retracted.

https://www.theblaze.com/op-ed/horowitz-danish-newspaper-reveals-largest-study-masks-rejected

Horowitz: Danish newspaper reveals largest study on masks has been rejected by 3 medical journals

‘The study and its size are unique in the world,’ one study author told the paper

By Daniel Horowitz

October 22, 2020

Why not just conduct a randomized controlled trial to test whether masks work against COVID-19? Why assume such a draconian and dehumanizing mandate works as if it’s an article of faith and create such division when we can discover which side is correct? That’s what a group of Danish researchers felt, which is why, over the spring, they conducted such a study. So why have the results not been published, three months later? According to one Danish newspaper, the study has been rejected by three medical journals because the results are too controversial.

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**Comment**

Important excerpts:

The article reveals that, thus far, the study has been rejected by the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Medical Association’s journal JAMA, three of the publications that have been posting much of the research on coronavirus.

The CDC, prior to changing its position on universal mask-wearing, had previously cited 10 randomized controlled trials that showed “no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks.” 

The phobia among the political elites against subjecting mask-wearing mandates to the scientific method is not surprising. In July, Dr. Fauci told a group of Georgetown University students that he has no intention of conducting a controlled study in the U.S.

Yet this same Fauci has no trouble peddling his expensive antiviral Remdesivir, of which he:

  • sponsored the clinical trial for, and obtained EUA status before being peer-reviewed
  • still has not made public his financial relations with Gilead, the manufacturer 
  • instead of using science, he made the promotional announcement sitting on a couch in the White House, without allowing for review of the data.
  • at the time he also failed to disclose to the public that the primary outcomes of the study were changed, which the AHRF considers “dubious and suspicious”, of which the mainstream media ignored, but should raise serious red flags  
  • shrugged off a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center peer-reviewed, published Chinese study that was stopped due to serious adverse events  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/30/anthony-fauci-40-years-of-lies-from-azt-to-remdesivir/
Are we really surprised when science comes out defying the accepted narrative?  

These same people have been getting away with murder for over 40 years:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/26/cdc-playbook-learning-from-lyme/

I recently posted on how medical journals are bought out: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/05/top-medical-journal-caught-in-massive-cover-up/ (See comment section as well)

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/12/former-french-health-minister-blows-whistle-criminal-pressure-from-bigpharma-on-publications-means-theres-no-longer-any-real-science/

Category:

Activism, research, Viruses

Nine COVID Facts: A Pandemic of Fearmongering & Ignorance

http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2020/october/28/nine-covid-facts-a-pandemic-of-fearmongering-and-ignorance/

Nine Covid Facts: A Pandemic of Fearmongering and Ignorance

written by jeff harris
wednesday october 28, 2020
undefinedEver since the alleged pandemic erupted this past March the mainstream media has spewed a non-stop stream of misinformation that appears to be laser focused on generating maximum fear among the citizenry. But the facts and the science simply don’t support the grave picture painted of a deadly virus sweeping the land.Yes we do have a pandemic, but it’ a pandemic of ginned up pseudo-science masquerading as unbiased fact. Here are nine facts backed up with data, in many cases from the CDC itself that paints a very different picture from the fear and dread being relentlessly drummed into the brains of unsuspecting citizens.

1) The PCR test is practically useless

According to an article in the New York Times August 29th 2020 testing for the Covid-19 virus using the popular PCR method results in up to 90% of those tested showing positive results that are grossly misleading.

Officials in Massachusetts, New York and Nevada compiled testing data that revealed the PCR test can NOT determine the amount of virus in a sample. (viral load) The amount of virus in up to 90% of positive results turned out to be so miniscule that the patient was asymptomatic and posed no threat to others. So the positive Covid-19 tests are virtually meaningless.

2) A positive test is NOT a CASE

For some reason every positive Covid-19 test is immediately designated a CASE. As we saw in #1 above up to 90% of positive Covid-19 tests result in miniscule amounts of virus that do not sicken the subject. Historically only patients who demonstrated actual symptoms of an illness were considered a case. Publishing positive test results as “CASES” is grossly misleading and needlessly alarming.

3) The Centers for Disease Control dramatically lowered the Covid-19 Death Count

On August 30th the CDC released new data that showed only 6% of the deaths previously attributed to Covid-19 were due exclusively to the virus. The vast majority, 94%, may have had exposure to Covid-19 but also had preexisting illnesses like heart disease, obesity, hypertension, cancer and various respiratory illnesses. While they died with Covid-19 they did NOT die exclusively from Covid-19.

4) CDC reports Covid-19 Survival Rate over 99% 

The CDC updated their “Current Best Estimate” for Covid-19 survival on September 10th showing that over 99% of people exposed to the virus survived. Another way to say this is that less than 1% of the exposures are potentially life threatening. According to the CDC the vast majority of deaths attributed to Covid-19 were concentrated in the population over age 70, close to normal life expectancy.

5) CDC reveals 85% of Positive Covid cases wore face masks Always or Often 

In September of 2020 the CDC released the results of a study conducted in July where they discovered that 85% of the positive Covid test subjects reported wearing a cloth face mask always or often for two weeks prior to testing positive. The majority, 71% of the test subjects reported always wearing a cloth face mask and 14% reported often wearing a cloth face mask. The only rational conclusion from this study is that cloth face masks offer little if any protection from Covid-19 infection.

6) There are inexpensive, proven therapies for Covid-19

Harvey Risch, MD, PhD heads the Yale University School of Epidemiology. He authored “The Key to Defeating Covid-19 Already Exists. We Need to Start Using It”which was published in Newsweek Magazine July 23rd, 2020. Dr. Risch documents the proven effectiveness of treating patients diagnosed with Covid-19 using a combination of Hydroxychloroquine, an antibiotic like azithromycin and the nutritional supplement zinc. Medical Doctors across the globe have reported very positive results using this protocol particularly for early stage Covid patients.

7) The US Death Rate is NOT spiking

If Covid-19 was the lethal killer it’s made out to be one would reasonably expect to see a significant spike in the number of deaths reported. But that hasn’t happened. According to the CDC as of early May 2020 the total number of deaths in the US was 944,251 from January 1 – April 30th. This is actually slightly lower than the number of deaths during the same period in 2017 when 946,067 total deaths were reported.

8) Most Covid-19 Deaths Occur at the End of a normal Lifespan

According to the CDC as of 2017 US males can expect a normal lifespan of 76.1 years and females 81.1 years. A little over 80% of the suspected Covid-19 deaths have occurred in people over age 65. According to a June 28th New York Post article almost half of all Covid suspected deaths have occurred in Nursing Homes which predominately house people with preexisting health conditions and close to or past their normal life expectancy.

9) CDC Data Shows Minimal Covid Risk to Children and Young Adults

The CDC reported in their September 10th update that it’s estimated Infection Mortality Rate (IFR) for children age 0-19 was so low that 99.97% of those infected with the virus survived. For 20-49 year-olds the survival rate was almost as good at 99.98%. Even those 70 years-old and older had a survival rate of 94.6%. To put this in perspective the CDC data suggest that a child or young adult up to age 19 has a greater chance of death from some type of accident than they do from Covid-19.

Taken together it should be obvious that Covid-19 is pretty similar to typical flu viruses that sicken some people annually. The vast majority are able to successfully fight off the virus with their body’s natural immune system. Common sense precautions should be taken, particularly by those over age 65 that suffer from preexisting medical conditions.

The gross over reaction by government leaders to this illness is causing much more distress, physical, emotional and financial, than the virus ever could on its own. The bottom line is there is NO pandemic, just a typical flu season that has been wildly blown out of proportion by 24/7 media propaganda and enabled by the masses paralyzed by irrational fear.

State and local governments in particular have ignored the rights of the people and have instituted outrageous attacks on freedom and liberty that was bought and paid for by the blood and sacrifice of our forefathers.

Slowly the people are recognizing the great fraud perpetrated on them by bureaucrats and elected officials who have sworn to uphold rights and freedoms as spelled out in the US Constitution. The time has come to hold these criminals accountable by utilizing the legal system to bring them to justice.

Either we act now to preserve freedom and liberty for our children and future generations yet unborn, or we meekly submit to tyrants who crave more power and control. I will not comply!

Copyright © 2020 by RonPaul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
Please donate to the Ron Paul Institute

com/2020/07/10/coronavirus-why-everyone-was-wrong/  Beda M Stadler is the former director of the Institute for Immunology at the University of Bern, a biologist and professor emeritus.

Excerpt:

  1. Firstly, it was wrong to claim that this virus was novel.
  2. Secondly, It was even more wrong to claim that the population would not already have some immunity against this virus.
  3. Thirdly, it was the crowning of stupidity to claim that someone could have Covid-19 without any symptoms at all or even to pass the disease along without showing any symptoms whatsoever.

Category:

Activism, Testing, Treatment, Viruses

Robust SARS-CoV-2-Specific T-Cell Immunity is Maintained at 6 Months Following Primary Infection

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.01.362319v1

Robust SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell immunity is maintained at 6 months following primary infection

Jianmin Zuo, Alex Dowell, Hayden Pearce, Kriti Verma, Heather Long, Jusnara Begum, Felicity Aiano, Zahin Amin-Chowdhury, Bassam Hallis, Lorrain Stapley, Ray Borrow, Ezra Linley, Shazaad Ahmad, Ben Parker, Alex Horsley, Gayatri Amirthalingam, Kevin Brown, Mary E Ramsay, Shamez Ladhani, Paul Moss
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.01.362319
This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].

Abstract

The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is critical in both controlling primary infection and preventing re-infection. However, there is concern that immune responses following natural infection may not be sustained and that this may predispose to recurrent infection. We analysed the magnitude and phenotype of the SARS-CoV-2 cellular immune response in 100 donors at six months following primary infection and related this to the profile of antibody level against spike, nucleoprotein and RBD over the previous six months. T-cell immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 were present by ELISPOT or ICS analysis in all donors and are characterised by predominant CD4+ T cell responses with strong IL-2 cytokine expression. Median T-cell responses were 50% higher in donors who had experienced an initial symptomatic infection indicating that the severity of primary infection establishes a set-point for cellular immunity that lasts for at least 6 months. The T-cell responses to both spike and nucleoprotein/membrane proteins were strongly correlated with the peak antibody level against each protein. The rate of decline in antibody level varied between individuals and higher levels of nucleoprotein-specific T cells were associated with preservation of NP-specific antibody level although no such correlation was observed in relation to spike-specific responses. In conclusion, our data are reassuring that functional SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses are retained at six months following infection although the magnitude of this response is related to the clinical features of primary infection.

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/08/17/robust-t-cell-immunity-in-convalescent-individuals-with-asymptomatic-or-mild-covid-19/

lymphocytes from 20–50% of unexposed donors display significant reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 antigen peptide pools1,2,3,4.

In conclusion, it is now established that SARS-CoV-2 pre-existing immune reactivity exists to some degree in the general population.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/10/coronavirus-why-everyone-was-wrong/  Excerpt:

  1. Firstly, it was wrong to claim that this virus was novel.

  2. Secondly, It was even more wrong to claim that the population would not already have some immunity against this virus.

  3. Thirdly, it was the crowning of stupidity to claim that someone could have Covid-19 without any symptoms at all or even to pass the disease along without showing any symptoms whatsoever.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/02/what-sage-has-got-wrong/  Excerpt:

SAGE made – and continues to make – two fatal errors in its assessment of the SAR-CoV-2 pandemic, rendering its predictions wildly inaccurate, with disastrous results. These errors led SAGE to conclude that the pandemic is still in its early stages, with the vast majority (93%) of the UK population remaining susceptible to infection and that, in the absence of more action, a very high number of deaths will occur.

  • Error 1: Assuming that 100% of the population was susceptible to the virus and that no pre-existing immunity existed.
  • Error 2: The belief that the percentage of the population that has been infected can be determined by surveying what fraction of the population has antibodies.
Both of these points run entirely counter to known science regarding viruses

http://

Sunetra Gupta Takes on Deepti Gurdasanti Regarding Herd Immunity

Although mainstream media have been terming Deepti Gurdasani an “epidemiologist” and “peer” of Sunetra Gupta, (who is a Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford), her LinkedIn profile [1] and academic page [2] indicate this may be a weak claim. Her present role is “Senior Lecturer Machine Learning”. In any case, her publications to date [2] appear irrelevant to SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19.   For more on viruses and herd immunity:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/31/covid-19-exposed/

Category:

research, Viruses