23/03/2020
By Prof.
"An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure" . Benjamin Franklin The Emerging Science of Coronavirus Defense The Covid-19 Paradox
The sudden appearance in China of the novel coronavirus, now identified as Covid-19, has rapidly spread around the globe with a relatively small but rising death toll. Death from the infection is due to SARS, a severe
acute respiratory syndrome, that effects the lungs ability to transport oxygen to red blood cells.
We would like to believe that this is due to the rapid response by our government in identifying the location of origin, Wuhan China, but has not found Patient Zero (the index case or the first person to acquire the illness) which would help identified the originating source of the virus. Speculation exists that claim the Covid-19 virus was manufactured or that the virus jumped from animal to man, these are just that – speculations (! or?)
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Now, we know what we are dealing with a virus, and the question becomes how best to protect
ourselves from becoming infected with the virus. With that question asked, we need to take a short
course in virology to understand how we might be able to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
How Viruses infect our cells
Viruses are a unique adversary to human wellness since they need to utilize our own cells’ systems
to replicate their genome. Once the virus injects its RNA (ribose nucleic acid) into our cell, it utilizes our
protein manufacturing centers called ribosomes to recreate and multiply this protein which is called
Replicase (RNA dependent RNA polymerase). It is Replicase that directs our cells to continue to manufacture the viral genome and structural proteins. The coronavirus replication cycle is divided into several steps: attachment and entry, translation of viral replicase, genome transcription and replication,
translation of structural proteins, and virion assembly and release Therefore, the question is how best to stop this process? Enter zinc, which has been found to inhibit the production of Replicase. Without replicase there cannot be replication of the viral genome,
but there is a problem with getting zinc into the cell. Zinc is a mineral that has an electric charge making
it an ion; an atom or molecule with a net electric charge; zinc has a plus 2 charge (ZN+2). Due to this electric
charge, zinc cannot easily cross the cell membrane and enter the cell to stop the replicase production.
The Ionophore Carrier
The membranous outer surface of our cells is a bi-lipid layer that controls the entrance as well as
exit of compounds in and out of our cells. Some compounds pass easily into the cell while others cannot
transverse the membrane due to their size or an electrical charge. The presence of an electric charge
impedes their passage through the bi-lipid cell membrane and mandates that they be chaperoned or
carried into the cell by a substance called an Ionophore.
Ionophore means "ion carrier" and represents a diverse group of compounds that catalyze ion
transport across hydrophobic membranes such as those making up our cells. These carrier ionophores
may be proteins or other molecules, pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals.
In order to get these compounds from the outside of the cell to the inside, a virtual
transmembrane channel is needed. These highly selective transmembrane passageways allow for the
transport of charged particles, ions, into the cell, but they need a carrier or transport molecule to facilitate
their passage. Without a transporter, the product to be delivered is stuck on the outside of the cell
membrane never to gain entrance.
Fortunately, zinc has been found to be transported into the cell by a number of medications and
natural products or nutraceuticals. Presently, the anti-malarial medication Chloroquine, has been found
to be an ionophoric transporter of zinc. In the coming days more information will come out about this
medication with potential side-effects. In the nutraceutical realm both Quercetin and Epigallocatechin
gallate (EGCG) are capable of ionotropic transport of zinc
into the cell without toxic side-effects.
The three types of zinc supplements most easily absorbed by the body which are zinc picolinate,
zinc acetate, and zinc citrate. Once the zinc is absorbed through the intestinal lining into the blood stream
it becomes the responsibility of either the EGCG or Quercetin6
to act as the ionophore transporter to get
it into the cell. Once Zinc is in the cell it can address the disruption of the viral replication mechanism by
inhibiting replicase’s production.
Based upon this science, it appears if the combination of Quercetin
, EGCG, and Zinc are taken
pre-infection the cells are prepared for the attempted invasion of the viral genetic material into our cells.
If you have not prepared your cells, the only benefits will be in curtailing the further replication of the viral
particles if the virus has already gained a foothold in your cells and is using your ribosomal-protein
synthesis mechanism to make more virus. As always, an ounce of prevention goes a long way.
