Is Vitamin C the answer that people have been waiting for to resolve the Covid-19 pandemic? There are thousands of individuals that have perished globally from this deadly strain of the coronavirus, and something must be done.
The Chinese medical community believes that the answer may lie– in a vitamin that so many people already take as a daily supplement. However, doctors must administer the dosage intravenously and in much higher than average amounts. Is it safe to take more than the recommended amount of a vitamin without any harsh effects?
What is it about this vitamin that has the power to help cure so much? It’s not the first-time vitamin C has been used to treat an illness, and although results aren’t out until September 2020, early results look promising.
Understanding the Complexity of Covid-19
Covid-19 is a respiratory virus that attacks the breathing system. It’s hard to compare such a massive disease with anything else, but it has similar trademarks of SARS-CoV and MERS-Cov, which has a mortality rate that is over 40 percent.
Covid-19 can infect a person for many days before they display any signs of the virus. In some cases, a person can carry the virus and be asymptomatic. The real risk of deadly complications is in those who are elderly, have significant health problems, or individuals with a weakened immune system.
Antiviral drugs have proved beneficial to influenza and other viruses. However, there is nothing on the market to stop the spread of Covid-19, though many theories abound. Social distancing is the best method to prevent the transmission of this illness.
Sadly, the outbreak in Italy is so bad that the medical community can no longer treat people over 60 years of age. The problem in this country is there aren’t enough hospital beds. There are no medications other than symptom treating. Doctors, nurses, and support staff face exhaustion.
Hospitals are full, and people are getting worse rather than getting better. Something must be done to stop this deadly virus from taking more victims.
What Doesn’t Work on Covid-19
Social distancing and complete isolation seem to be the methods that work best to stop the spread of the virus, but what helps to eradicate this pandemic? France’s governor, Olivier Véran, made a statement that using any anti-inflammatory medications could make the virus worse.
Based on his experience in fighting the virus, he believed that NSAIDs like ibuprofen gives the virus power. However, acetaminophen seemed to ease fever symptoms as well as provide some relief from the bodily pains without aggravating the illness.
There is currently no medical evidence to back up his theories, yet many people believe that the NSAIDs do make things worse. The real question is, what can make it better?
Is Malaria Treatment the Answer?
Malaria, a deadly mosquito-borne parasitic infection, is a rare condition that is fatal unless treated. However, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are being tested as a potential cure. Additionally, doctors use these drugs to treat people with auto-immune conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Tens of thousands of people died from Malaria before these treatment drugs became commonly used. Is it possible that they can help or cure Covid-19? Well, the medical community in the United States thinks it’s a strong possibility.
President Donald Trump stated that the medical experts are working with him on the Covid-19 crisis state that antimalarial drugs show promising results. While there have been no formal studies to show that taking these drugs will help, there are medical reports of people making a complete recovery while using them.
Using these drugs is purely trial and error at this point, though no one has died from taking these medications. However, President Trump remained optimistic that using these drugs shows a strong probability of eradicating this illness. However, taking such medications does come with dangerous side effects, and some people may not be able to tolerate the drugs.
What if the answer already exists, but people were too quick to discount the suggestion? The Chinese are well known for their use of holistic and all-natural treatments. Eastern medicine has infiltrated into a Western world, but is it trusted for such a pandemic as Covid-19?
Vitamin C Increases A Body’s Immune Defense
Vitamin C is an essential supplement found in citrus fruits and some vegetables. When a body is deficient in this nutrient, it increases a person’s susceptibility to illness. When a person is fighting a virus, taking this vitamin can help to boost the immune system to get over whatever ailment plagues them.
How many times has a doctor said to drink plenty of orange juice when fighting things like a common cold? The power isn’t in the drink itself, but rather the vitamins in that drink helped to eliminate the virus.
Experts find that those who have deficient levels of this vitamin will also have an increase in the severity of the illness. There’s no doubt that this vitamin is an essential help in building the body’s immune defense, but what can it do when someone has Covid-19?
Zhongnan Hospital Conducts Promising Trial
In China’s mainland, Zhongnan Hospital is conducting a study to see how vitamin C can help with this Covid-19 pandemic. Intravenous administration of this nutrient has helped many other conditions. For instance, when a person has their immune system wiped out by chemotherapy, then they often give IVs of this vitamin to rebuild immunity.
To test their theories, experts at the hospital are administering the drug by IV to people who have developed severe respiratory complications from Covid-19. The recommended amount for an adult is 2,000 milligrams each day. However, during this trial, the patients are receiving 24,000 mg, which is more than 12 times more than the recommended amount.
While some vitamins may be dangerous to take at such high levels, vitamin C is entirely safe. You can’t overdose or become ill from taking too much. The kidneys expel any overage through the urinary system.
High levels of this vitamin are given for seven days. Why do they need to use an IV rather than just giving it to these patients in a pill form? Research shows that this vitamin absorbs more efficiently when given through an IV. Doctors want these patients to receive the antioxidant directly so that they get as much of the benefits from it as possible.
The absorption rate is much better in an IV, which is what a patient with Covid-19 needs to heal from this virus. Deficient levels of vitamin C are a global issue that should be handled by nutrition. However, even if a person takes the recommended 2,000 mg each day, experts say that the death rate will decrease in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tongji Hospital Joins the Study
With Zhongnan Hospital showing promising results, Tongji Medical Center decided to conduct a study too. They found that when doctors gave this vital nutrient to people early in the diagnosis that they fared better. A timely application has the power to stop cardiopulmonary failure, which is the most common cause of death.
Furthermore, their study shows that Covid-19 causes a person to go into oxidative stress. Free radicals destroy the cell walls and antioxidants. When the oxygen-containing molecules in the body become uneven, then the body enters into a state of distress.
The results of the study at this hospital showed that high levels of this vitamin reduced inflammatory responses as well as a robust antioxidant effect on the person. In past studies, people with acute lung injuries and those in respiratory distress showed a remarkable response to IV vitamin therapy.
Final Thoughts: Vitamin C Offers a Promising Outlook On A Pandemic
The pandemic of Covid-19 will go down in the record books. While many people have lost their lives, many will be saved by radical treatment options. Whether it’s antimalarial drugs or high doses of Intravenous Vitamin C, there is hope.
China has closed the last of their treatment centers for the coronavirus because their patients have dwindled to the point where the local hospital staff can handle it. Americans are in the midst of the battle, but the medical community is scrambling to find answers.
If anything, this outbreak will teach us it’s the importance of health. Taking supplements each day can help to thwart viruses and build the immune system. There are hundreds of deadly toxins in the air you breathe each day, and the only hope you have against these bacteria is your immunity.
Eat healthy foods, and make sure that you take supplements essential to build your free radicals and oxidative health. All the things that you need to keep yourself healthy and fight off foreign invaders can be found in nature.
Eat fruits and vegetables along with whole grains. These are what you must have each day to support overall wellness and maintain a healthy immune system.
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