21 Comments

A major hospitality industry trade show just occurred in Las Vegas. A colleague arrived in the US from Europe for the show, didn't feel well, and tested positive for COVID. They, responsibly, remained in their hotel room until testing negative, and missed the entire show. In a conversation with another colleague who knew people who attended came reports of others who came home from the show feeling 'not great' and tested positive. The Show has no contact tracing requirement. As has been the case from the start of COVID, events are not checking to see if hotels' and convention center and other service employees are reporting symptoms of positive tests. It would be great if events do occur they announce "We're a mask-friendly event. Ensure others' safety and your own." Our household is still masking, even in our high-rise, to use the elevator to get the mail even tho' we are fully up-to-date on vaccinations.

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Thanks for relating this, Joan. So much letdown at these big gatherings, a recipe for some trouble.

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Even after I posted in social media tagging the group - the event was more than 10k people - about the Bread Loaf Writers event that, as small as it was, was a super-spreader. It is frustrating. And unnecessary.

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I received COVID vaccine recently and three weeks later got COVID. Was fairly sick but seem to be recovering. First time with COVID. Had all other COVID vaccines and boosters and had been pretty careful with masking. Doctor thinks I got one of newer variants that escaped vaccine. This thing is definitely not over.

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Agree. Sorry that you got hit, especially more than 2 weeks out from the booster when you should have had high levels of neutralizing antibodies. Your doctor is right--May reflect the immune evasion aspect of current variants (vs XBB.1.5, booster-directed). Definitely not over.

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As far as "non-pharmacologic means of preventing infections help work against all strains of this and other respiratory viruses that are out there now (including flu and RSV)." I think of masking, fresh air, air filtration and proactive testing. Are there other approaches you have in mind? Thanks for your posts!

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you got it. No other ones besides those and distancing/avoid indoor crowds, checking the MRV status of buildings for best ventilation practice, use of CO2 monitors can quantify

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I’m still using viraleze anti viral nasal spray, plus vaccines, am trying to get the latest version of Novavax here in Australia- I’ve had Covid once (when I stopped using viraleze!) caught it at a health resort 🤦‍♀️ Dr Topol which vaccine would you recommend, this will be my 5th, I’m a 62 yr old with heart issues. Love what you are doing.

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interesting on the viraleze! It doesn't matter which booster you get, really, but I would have gotten Novavax (couldn't wait any longer) just because of the mix/match immune response kick after. having had all mRNAs. It's not clear how much of an edge that really gets, anyway.

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While these alternative designer pharmaceuticals are welcomed additions to our quiver of options they are still focusing on the virus - it’s transmissibility, susceptibility for acquisition, invasion, replication and dissemination. As clever as we humans might be, this coronavirus continues to have the upper hand.

A notable statement comes from Kathie Seley-Radtke, a medicinal chemist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who develops small-molecule antiviral agents and is president-elect of the International Society for Antiviral Research. “The bottom line is, we can’t discard any possibility right now, because COVID is so serious.” Ref: https://rdcu.be/dptTq (Nature citation)

I would opine that that a singular focus on antivirals without considering the ultimate cellular targets whose dysfunctions become critically deranged, would be too narrow. The immunomodulator, anti-inflammatory, nitric oxide donor and antiviral replication disruptor hydroxyurea (HU) - un-related to the highly politicized drug Hydroxychloroquine, demonstrates significant promise in the lab and has been used off-label by multiple prescribers with consistently positive benefits for all phases of COVID19 and without engendering safety concerns nor viral mutations spanning these past 4 yrs.

https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2021-0019

HU is a mainstay drug prescribed by hematologists around the world for sickle cell patients and is declared an essential drug by WHO. It is safe for continuous or intermittent use and many people have taken it for multiple decades without harm.

AIMS Medical Science

2023, Volume 10, Issue 2: 118-129. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2023010

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1. What progress has there been on an all:-variant vaccine or nasal spray?

2. After how many significant mutations will this virus have departed so far from the original 2019 ancestor as to be a fundamentally new virus?

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I covered this in a recent substack https://erictopol.substack.com/p/covid-nasal-vaccines-get-a-boost

Not fundamentally different virus, but it keeps drifting away from its origin, representing a challenge to our defense

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Thanks Eric, I alway enjoy reading your latest Substack! My wife and I got our 7th over all Moderna shots with the latest XBB.1.5 booster/vaccine on Sept 21, and so far it is holding up well. And luckily, we have been fortunate in not contracting Covid at all, to-date.

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Thanks Dr Topol, that’s why I believe viraleze is important, unfortunately we can’t buy it here as yet, I get mine via a dear friend in NZ, our TGA will decide in a few months time, latest human testing will be known by the end of this year, hopefully. Due to its mode of action it apparently works against all variants as it traps the virus, also works against RSV etc., have a look at the research on viraleze.co. Which I believe you know well 😉 seems to work but human research is sadly lacking.

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Very fascinating and important discussions about the role of several antiviral approaches including Viraleze: https://rdcu.be/dptTq

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Would you recommend the current vaccine if you have been dealing with Long Covid for 9 months and are over 65?

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That's a tough one with data going in both directions on risk and benefit. No good, clear answer, unfortunately.

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Dear Dr Topol

I have been very troubled that US and other regulatory bodies have largely ignored T cell contributions of protection both CD4 and CD8. In addition they also seem to ignore IgA and quantitative measures of Memory across the B cell and T cell spectrum. I am both saddened and dismayed by this lack of scientific rigor and accuracy whereas Human Immune Monitoring is standard across many Universities and Private Industry. Vaccines for infectious disease deserve the same level (or higher)

Of scientific truth as Cancer and Autoimmunity.

Your thoughts most welcome!

Ps We met and served together on a science board a long time ago and greatly appreciated.

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Can you comment on the use by some of anti-platelets and anti-coagulants in treating long-Covid and it's potential efficacy in treating the virus itself?

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I don't see any compelling evidence overall, and there is certainly risk of bleeding. May be useful on a specific, individual basis

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October 25, 2023
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Has been thoroughly debunked.

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