Health & Fitness

As noted by retired nursing teacher John Campbell¹ in the video above, vitamin D is "an important immunological molecule" that likely plays role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his video commentary, Campbell reviews a number of recent papers stressing the importance of vitamin D, starting with a press release² from the French National Academy of Medicine, dated May 22, 2020.

The press release correctly points out that vitamin D is a prohormone, meaning it acts as an endocrine hormone. As such, it has wide-ranging influence on health. There are vitamin D receptors throughout your body, in every tissue and organ. Campbell reviews some of the basics of where and how vitamin D is synthesized in the body.

In summary, vitamin D is synthesized in the dermis of your skin in response to ultraviolet light from the sun. From there, it is transported to your liver and kidneys, where it is converted into an active hormone that is then circulated throughout your body. People with liver or kidney problems may have a reduced ability to synthesize vitamin D. As noted by the French National Academy of Medicine, vitamin D:³

• Modulates (meaning it can upregulate and downregulate as needed) the function of your immune system by stimulating dendritic cells (which detect the presence of antigens such as viruses or bacteria) and macrophages (responsible for triggering immune responses and destroying pathogens)
• Regulates and suppresses the cytokine inflammatory response.⁴ The ability to downregulate the inflammatory response is particularly important for COVID-19, as out of control inflammation (cytokine storm) is a primary cause of death

Vitamin D — An Excellent Adjunct to Any Therapy

The French medical authority points out there's "a significant correlation between low serum vitamin D levels and mortality from COVID-19" — which one would expect considering its modulating and regulatory influence on immune function — and that "by mitigating the inflammatory storm and its consequences," vitamin D "could be considered as an adjunct to any form of therapy."

They cite research showing the inverse correlation between vitamin D and COVID-19 infection and mortality (the lower your vitamin D the greater your risk of infection and death) in European countries has a confidence value of 95.4%, meaning there's only a 4.6% chance that this correlation is due to chance alone.

The press release ends by recommending the French population take supplemental vitamin D, as it is a "simple and inexpensive measure." The French authority also recommends "rapid serum vitamin D testing in people over 60 years of age with COVID-19."

As noted by Campbell, this is "a remarkably good idea." In those who are found to be deficient in vitamin D, the French National Academy of Medicine recommends an initial bolus dose of 50,000 IUs to 100,000 IUs.

And, while vitamin D testing is not stressed for those under the age of 60, they do recommend that anyone under the age of 60 who receives a positive COVID-19 test start taking 800 IUs to 1,000 IUs of vitamin D per day anyway.

Prospective Vitamin D for COVID-19 Studies Are Underway

The French recommendations are in stark contrast to the U.S., where Big Pharma-controlled health authorities and media are still trying to frighten people away from vitamin D supplementation. One reason for this could be because a healthier population is less likely to line up for inoculation with a fast-tracked vaccine.

It's worth noting that while the French National Academy of Medicine and Campbell state there are no randomized controlled trials looking at vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19, this is not true. There are many such trials currently underway. They just haven't been completed and published yet, but you can find them (and may be able to enroll in them) by searching ClinicalTrials.gov.⁵

In the UK, there's the Covidence UK Study,⁶ an effort to collect data about how vitamin D deficiency impacts your COVID-19 risk. If you live in the U.K., you can sign up for the Covidence UK study here. According to Adrian Martineau, a professor of respiratory infection and immunity at Queen Mary University of London, who is leading the Covidence study:⁷

"Vitamin D could almost be thought of as a designer drug for helping the body to handle viral respiratory infections. It boosts the ability of cells to kill and resist viruses and simultaneously dampens down harmful inflammation, which is one of the big problems with Covid."

British Health Care Workers Get Free Vitamin D

Aside from the French, Scotland and the U.K. are also starting to take vitamin D optimization more seriously. For example, the British Frontline Immune Support Team is providing U.K. National Health Service workers with free liposomal vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc packs to bolster and regulate their immune function.⁸ As noted by The Frontline Immune Support Team, vitamin D:⁹

"… plays a critical role in your immune defense system, both in reducing flu-like days of illness if your blood level is sufficient, and in helping your immune system respond when under viral attack. It speeds up recovery from pneumonia.

Two in five adults have a level of vitamin D below 25nmol/l, especially in late winter months such as February and March, that is likely to almost double their risk of flu. A vitamin D level above 100 nmol/l correlates with the lowest numbers of flu-like days. The moral of the story is to get your level up as quickly as possible."

The British NHS is also assessing the evidence to determine whether vitamin D should be prescribed to hospitalized COVID-19 patients and as a prevention to high-risk groups.¹⁰

Scottish Government Recommends Daily Vitamin D Supplement

As of June 3, 2020, Scottish government COVID-19 guidance includes taking a daily vitamin D supplement. As reported by the Scotland Herald:¹¹

"Official Scottish Government guidance issued on June 3 states that everyone, including children, 'should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D.'

However, it is 'specifically recommended' to all pregnant and breastfeeding women; infants and children under five years old; people from minority ethnic groups with dark skin such as those of African, African-Caribbean and South Asian origin, who require more sun exposure to make as much vitamin D; and people who are confined indoors."

Data Support Role of Vitamin D in COVID-19

Several studies have noted the inverse relationship between low vitamin D and a higher risk for COVID-19-positive test results,¹² severity of infection^13,14 and mortality.¹⁵ These studies are correlation studies and do not confirm causation, but studies that will be able to prove causation are currently underway.

Examples of these correlation studies include The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA),^16,17 which suggests vitamin D deficiency could have serious implications for COVID-19. The researchers recommend adults over 50 take a vitamin D supplement year-round if they don't get enough sun exposure to optimize their levels.

Another Irish paper,¹⁸ "Vitamin D and Inflammation: Potential Implications for Severity of COVID-19," concluded there is "a strong plausible biological hypothesis and evolving epidemiological data supporting a role for vitamin D in COVID-19."

Some of those biological mechanisms have already been summarized above. Other mechanisms of action that can impact your risk of COVID-19 include the following:

SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, which means it's more difficult for your immune system to identify and destroy it. However, higher vitamin D levels are inversely associated with infection by many other enveloped viruses, including dengue, hepatitis, herpes, HIV, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza.19,20 We'll have to wait and see if the same holds true for SARS-CoV-2, but chances are it will.

Vitamin D strengthens cellular junctions, thereby making it more difficult for viruses to gain entry through your eyes, ears, lungs and mucus membranes. This in turn makes the infection less likely to migrate down into your lungs.21

Vitamin D can reduce the risk of infection by lowering the rate at which the virus replicates and can reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokines that damage the lungs, leading to pneumonia. It also helps increase concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines that may help protect the lungs. For these reasons, researchers suggest people who are at risk for COVID-19 should take:22 "… 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40-60 ng/mL (100-150 nmol/L)."

Vitamin D is an important component in the prevention and treatment of influenza23 and upper respiratory tract infections.24 While vitamin D does not appear to have a direct effect on the virus itself, it strengthens immune function, thus allowing the host body to combat the virus more effectively.25 As detailed in "Vitamin D Prevents Infections," research shows high-dose vitamin D supplementation lowers the risk of respiratory illnesses and lung infections in the elderly by 40%. As noted by an author of that study, "Vitamin D can improve the immune system's ability to fight infections because it bolsters the first line of defense of the immune system." As mentioned earlier, vitamin D also suppresses inflammatory processes and inhibits excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines that give rise to a cytokine storm.26 Taken together, this might make vitamin D quite useful against COVID-19, because while robust immune function is required for your body to combat the virus, an overactivated immune system is also responsible for the cytokine storm we see in COVID-19 infection that can lead to death.

Vitamin D upregulates production of human cathelicidin, LL-37, which has antimicrobial and antiendotoxin activities.27

Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to protect against acute respiratory infections.28 Daily or weekly supplementation (opposed to infrequent bolus doses) of vitamin D had the greatest protective effect in those with the lowest vitamin D levels.29 In one study,30 those with severe vitamin D deficiency who took a daily or weekly supplement cut their respiratory infection risk in half, whereas the acute administration of high bolus doses of vitamin D had no significant impact on infection risk.

Data analysis31 by GrassrootsHealth shows people with a vitamin D level of at least 40 ng/mL reduced their risk of colds by 15% and flu by 41%, compared to those with a level below 20 ng/mL.

COVID-19-Specific Papers

In addition to the Irish papers cited above, several others have come to the same or similar conclusions. Additional examples include:

The vitamin D review paper32 "Evidence That Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Death," published in the journal Nutrients, April 2, 2020, which states that: "To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40–60 ng/mL (100–150 nmol/L). For treatment of people who become infected with COVID-19, higher vitamin D3 doses might be useful."

A GrassrootsHealth review33 of an observational study involving 212 COVID-19 patients in Southeast Asia identified a correlation between vitamin D levels and disease severity. Those with the mildest disease had the highest vitamin D levels, and vice versa. In the initial study group of 212 patients (see Table 1 below), 55 had normal vitamin D levels, which was defined as greater than 30 ng/ml; 80 had insufficient levels of 21 to 29 ng/ml and 77 had deficient levels of less than 20 ng/ml. According to the research done by GrassrootsHealth, 40 ng/mL is the lower edge of optimal, with 60 ng/mL to 80 ng/mL being ideal for health and disease prevention. Despite that, the benefit of having a vitamin D level above 30 ng/mL was clear.

In a study34 that looked at data from 780 COVID-19 patients in Indonesia, those with a vitamin D level between 20 ng/mL and 30 ng/mL had a sevenfold higher risk of death than those with a level above 30 ng/mL. Having a level below 20 ng/mL was associated with a 12 times higher risk of death.

Research35,36 posted on the preprint server MedRxiv June 10, 2020, reports a combination of vitamin D3, B12 and magnesium inhibited the progression of COVID-19 in patients over the age of 50, resulting in "a significant reduction in proportion of patients with clinical deterioration requiring oxygen support and/or intensive care support."

"The Role of Vitamin D in the Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection and Mortality"37 — which looked at the average vitamin D levels and the number of COVID-19 cases and death rates in 20 European countries — found lower vitamin D levels correlated with higher caseloads and mortality. The authors concluded, "We believe that we can advise vitamin D supplementation to protect against SARS-CoV2 infection."

Northwestern University researchers report finding an inverse relationship between vitamin D and CRP, a marker for inflammation. Those with higher CRP had lower vitamin D and vice versa. According to the authors:38 "COVID-19 patient-level data shows a notable OR of 3.4 … for high CRP in severe COVID-19 patients. Given that CRP is a surrogate marker for cytokine storm and is associated with Vit D deficiency, based on retrospective data and indirect evidence we see a possible role of Vit D in reducing complications attributed to unregulated inflammation and cytokine storm. Further research is needed to account for other factors through direct measurement of Vit D levels in COVID-19 patients."

"The Possible Role of Vitamin D in Suppressing Cytokine Storm and Associated Mortality in COVID-19 Patients,"39,40 posted on the preprint portal medRxiv May 18, 2020, reports finding a strong correlation between severe vitamin D deficiency and higher mortality rates in countries across the globe. The researchers attribute this to a connection between low vitamin D and high risk for cytokine storms. The analysis suggests higher vitamin D levels among the general population could cut mortality in half by reducing complications.41

Now Is the Time to Optimize Your Vitamin D

Health experts are warning we're likely to see a second wave of COVID-19 this fall, as temperatures drop. This means the time to start optimizing your vitamin D is now.

Data from GrassrootsHealth's D*Action studies suggest the optimal level for health and disease prevention is between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL, while the cutoff for sufficiency appears to be around 40 ng/mL. In Europe, the measurements you're looking for are 150 to 200 nmol/L and 100 nmol/L respectively.

I recently published a comprehensive vitamin D report in which I detail vitamin D's mechanisms of action and how to ensure optimal levels. I recommend downloading and sharing that report with everyone you know.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

A quick summary of the key steps is as follows:

The Importance of Testing Your Vitamin D Levels

A growing body of evidence shows that vitamin D plays a crucial role in disease prevention and maintaining optimal health. There are about 30,000 genes in your body, and vitamin D affects nearly 3,000 of them, as well as vitamin D receptors located throughout your body.

For a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of the connection of vitamin D and COVID-19, please review the report I created that could be used to address any health care professionals who would disagree with this recommendation. Also included is a shortened version of the document which will be better to educate those that you would like to convince of the importance of getting your vitamin D levels optimized.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

Vitamin D Helps Protect Against Cancer and Other Diseases

According to one large-scale study, having optimal vitamin D levels can slash your risk of cancer and can help prevent at least 16 different types of cancer, including pancreatic, lung, ovarian, prostate and skin cancers.

Vitamin D from sun exposure also radically decreases your risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Type 1 diabetes. Sun exposure also helps prevent osteoporosis, which is a significant concern for women in particular.

Magnesium Is Necessary to Activate Vitamin D

Since over half the population does not get enough magnesium and far more are likely deficient, magnesium supplementation is recommended when taking vitamin D supplements. This is because magnesium helps to activate vitamin D, as the enzymes that metabolize vitamin D in your liver and kidneys require magnesium.

What GrassrootsHealth observed in testing and analyzing nutrient intakes from over 15,000 patients is that about half of those taking vitamin D supplements were unable to normalize their vitamin D levels until they started to take supplemental magnesium.

They also found that those who do not take supplemental magnesium need, on average, 146% more vitamin D per day to achieve a healthy blood level of 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L), compared to those who take at least 400 mg of magnesium along with their vitamin D supplement.

Omega-3 Fats Are Crucial to Your Well-Being

Meanwhile, recent research suggests high doses (4 grams) of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA may help improve healing after a heart attack. Other benefits of omega-3 fats include prevention of lupus and Parkinson’s disease, decreased anxiety, healthier and stronger bones, as well as fighting fats in the body.

However, you can’t tell by looking in a mirror if you are deficient in vitamin D, magnesium or omega-3s. The only real way to know if you are deficient in these nutrients is to get tested.

How Much Vitamin D Should You Take

If you know your vitamin D level you can use the calculator below to find the best dose to take.

If you are unable or unwilling to get a vitamin D test, they have found that the average dose to achieve a healthy vitamin D level of 40 ng/ml is about 8,000 units per day. If you are underweight you will want to reduce this dose to 6-7,000 units per day as heavier people tend to need more vitamin D.

How to Test Your Levels

I'm really pleased GrassrootsHealth Nutrient Research Institute has expanded its research projects to include a range of different tests, seeing how deficiency may be needlessly affecting the health of so many. Like its Vitamin D*action Project, the Magnesium*PLUS Focus Project will allow us all to take action on known science with a consensus of experts without waiting for institutional lethargy.

The Vitamin D*action Project has truly demonstrated the value measurement can have on public health, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Magnesium*PLUS Focus Project will have the same impact. As in earlier projects, once the study of a community is completed, all that information can be used to push for public health recommendations that will benefit everyone.

You have the ability to participate in a variety of different tests, including:

• Vitamin D
• Vitamin D and Omega 3
• Vitamin D, Omega 3 and Magnesium
• Vitamin D, Magnesium & Omega 3 PLUS Elements. Remember, by participating in this public research project, you not only are identifying your own levels, but allowing yourself to make decisions about your diet and supplements to improve your health.

  Your data (which is anonymous) will also help GrassrootsHealth researchers to determine the ideal levels for the prevention of various diseases, and what kind of dose-response relationship exists among the general population.

With the data from this project, individuals will be able to see what works for them, and, researchers will be able to demonstrate just to what extent health care costs may be reduced simply by getting people into an optimal range.

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December 31, 2019, China reported a case of pneumonia from an unknown cause to the World Health Organization.¹ It wasn't long afterward that it became apparent that the "unknown cause" would create global havoc.

Immediately, scientists began scrambling to find ways to kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus, treat the infection and develop public health policies to contain the spread. Historically, scientists identified coronaviruses responsible for human infection in the mid-1960s.² By 2003 when SARS first appeared, researchers had only identified four subgroups of coronavirus that could infect humans.

But then, also in 2003, SARS-CoV appeared and joined the list. In 2012, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was identified in Saudi Arabia. And, finally, the most recent addition to this list is SARS-CoV-2.

When it comes to fighting them, one method of disinfecting bacteria and viruses, including coronaviruses, in hospitals has been ultraviolet light. This is one wavelength in the light spectrum that's found in light from the sun, which provides the primary means of killing pathogens in the environment through UV radiation.

In 2005, a team of researchers reviewed the estimated amount of time it took to inactivate viruses using exposure to UVA and UVB radiation from the sun.³ They developed a predictive model that they concluded "should be a useful step to understanding and eventually predicting the survival of viruses after their release in the environment."

Company Claims New Lightbulb Can Kill Coronavirus

In a recent development, one of the largest lighting companies in the world, Signify, says they have developed a new light bulb they believe can kill 96% of coronavirus in just three seconds.⁴ The organization partnered with Boston University to test the effectiveness of the lightbulb to inactivate the virus.

Eric Rondolat, CEO, spoke to CNBC, telling the reporter that after six seconds of exposure, the rate of pathogen death goes up to 99%.⁵ In a press release on Signify's website, Anthony Griffiths, Ph.D., from Boston University School of Medicine is cited:⁶

"Our test results show that above a specific dose of UV-C radiation, viruses were completely inactivated: in a matter of seconds we could no longer detect any virus. We're very excited about these findings and hope that this will accelerate the development of products that can help limit the spread of COVID-19."

Rondolat believes the light bulbs are a preventive measure that may be useful in all types of public places. The notice from Signify follows research from Columbia University, where researchers found low doses of far-UVC light "inactivated 99.9% of aerosolized alpha coronavirus 229E and beta coronavirus OC43."⁷

These scientists found that viral inactivation took approximately 25 minutes. They believe that by doubling the intensity, they may be able to cut the disinfection time in half and still maintain safety.

Researchers Using Far-UVC to Reduce Potential Damage

There are three major types of ultraviolet light: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVA and UVB penetrate the atmosphere and reach the Earth. UVA can penetrate the skin while high levels of exposure to UVB can damage the skin's DNA.⁸

UVC, however, is the most damaging. The wavelengths are between 100 and 290 nanometers, which are almost completely absorbed in the atmosphere.⁹ The wavelength is highly energized and effective as a decontaminant since it destroys the molecular bonds in bacterial and viral DNA.

In one study using UVC to decontaminate hospital rooms and surgical tools, Duke University researchers found that sanitizing a room with UVC light in addition to traditional cleaning reduced the transmission of drug-resistant bacteria by 30%.¹⁰

The danger in working with UVC light is that it not only kills bacteria and viruses, but also damages human DNA. Dan Arnold works for UV Light Technology providing UV disinfecting equipment in the U.K. He spoke with BBC about the potential for using UVC light to disinfect skin and clothing, saying, "You would literally be frying people."¹¹

A study from Columbia University, however, published in Scientific Reports in 2018, generated excitement about the potential for reducing the spread of influenza by using far-UVC.¹² Researchers used continuous low dose far-UVC light and found results which suggested that using this technique in public places may reduce the number impacted by flu, without penetrating human skin or eyes.¹³

Doorway Portal Douses Patrons in UVC Light

Before the results of the light tests from Boston University were published, one bakery announced plans to install far-UVC light bulbs in the stores and at a portal above the doorway. The New York Post reported that Magnolia Bakery "is installing futuristic-looking portals and purple-hued ceiling lights that will drench patrons and workers in potentially disease-destroying far-ultraviolet light."¹⁴ 

The chief baking officer called their store "experiential," saying their customers enjoy spending time in their shop in the Upper West Side. In an attempt to accommodate the needs of their customers and possibly reduce airborne SARS-CoV-2, they are also replacing the indoor lighting with far-UVC light bulbs.

This move has caught some experts by surprise. In March 2020, the Food and Drug Administration released guidelines on the use of disinfectant devices, sterilizers and air purifiers during the pandemic.¹⁵ Karl Linden, environmental engineer, spoke to a reporter at Discover Magazine, saying:¹⁶

"I was quite shocked to see this portal come out … my excitement [is] tempered with the concern that it could be an application that could have some dangerous side effects or direct effects."

It appears that far-UVC lights do not have the immediate and direct effects that regular UVC light has on mammal skin. David Brenner, Ph.D., from Columbia University is one of the scientists in the study showing that low dose far-UVC light inactivates human coronavirus. He spoke with a reporter from the New York Post about the safety of the lights.

Thus far they have tested far-UVC lights on hairless mice for eight months and have not seen any evidence of damage, he said.¹⁷ However, while concentrated forms of UVC are being used to clean city buses in China, hospital floors and even money,¹⁸ the long-term effects of far-UVC light on human skin may require a lengthier test period than just eight months. 

What About Sunlight?

Sunlight is used in developing countries to help sterilize water. The World Health Organization recommends using a process pioneered in the 1980s that involves the sun, a bottle and a black surface. A transparent bottle is placed horizontally for five hours.¹⁹

Field studies in China, Columbia, Bolivia and elsewhere show it helps kill pathogens and reduce the incidence of diarrhea. How long sunlight may take to disinfect surfaces or viruses suspended in the air is still under investigation, though.

During a press conference, William Bryan from the Department of Homeland Security presented results from a study evaluating how long sunlight might take to kill SARS-CoV-2, or if it could. It was found that under ordinary circumstances, when humidity was low at 20% and the temperature was 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, it took about an hour for the virus to be inactivated.²⁰

When sunlight was added to the experiment, it took about 1.5 minutes. The final results of this study have not been made public as yet, nor have they been peer reviewed. However, a report of the results was leaked and picked up by Yahoo! News.²¹ The briefing on the results was marked for "official use only." Yahoo! News reported:

"The study found that the risk of 'transmission from surfaces outdoors is lower during daylight' and under higher temperature and humidity conditions. 'Sunlight destroys the virus quickly,' reads the briefing."

The Department of Homeland Security did not answer a reporter's questions from Yahoo! News and cautioned the public against making a conclusion based on the data from the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, which is a lab that was developed to address bioterrorism after the 9/11 attack. A statement from the Department of Homeland Security read:²²

"The department is dedicated to the fight against COVID-19, and the health and safety of the American people is its top priority. As policy, the department does not comment on allegedly leaked documents. It would be irresponsible to speculate, draw conclusions, or to inadvertently try to influence the public based upon a document that has not yet been peer-reviewed or subjected to the rigorous scientific validation approach."

Vitamin D Level Must Reach 60ng/mL Before Fall

Sunlight is necessary to support optimal health. Scientists have now found those who are deficient in vitamin D, which your body makes with exposure to the sun, have a far higher risk of severe disease from SARS-CoV-2. There is also evidence that SARS-CoV-2 responds to humidity and temperature, causing different scientists to expect another wave of illness in the fall.²³

This means there is a "deadline" before which it is important to optimize your vitamin D levels. To improve your immune function and lower your risk of viral infections, I suggest raising your vitamin D to a level between 60 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) and 80 ng/mL by fall. In Europe, the measurements you're looking for are 150 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) and 200 nmol/L.

To determine if you need to use a supplement, it's important to test your vitamin D levels first. This easy-to-use, at-home vitamin D test kit from GrassrootsHealth can help identify if you need a supplement. I provide this kit as a convenience for my readers; I don't make any money from the sale of this kit.

As I've written before, low levels of vitamin D are commonly found in those with comorbid health conditions or dark skin. This raises the potential risk from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. To learn more and develop a plan to raise your vitamin D levels by fall, see "Your Vitamin D Level Must Reach 60ng/mL Before the Second Wave."

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Some people are better protected than others against urinary tract infections. This may be because their bodies produce more of a protein called uromodulin. An interdisciplinary research team has now found out exactly how this helper protein brings relief when nature calls and how this knowledge might benefit the treatment and prevention of these painful inflammations.

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Researchers have developed a new method to convert gaseous, low-weight hydrocarbons into more complex molecules by illuminating the hydrocarbons with light in the presence of a suitable catalyst.

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For the first time, scientists have shown that the bacterium that causes the tick-borne disease anaplasmosis interferes with tick gene expression for its survival inside cells and to spread to a new vertebrate host.

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Health care providers may unintentionally expose patients to endocrine- disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by prescribing certain medications and using medical supplies, according to a new perspective.

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As a primary care physician at an academic community health care system in Massachusetts, I received a rapid introduction to telehealth this year. Within days after Massachusetts declared a state of emergency in response to the spread of COVID-19, almost all of our patient visits became telemedicine visits. Our staff reached out to patients to inform them of different ways they could get in touch with their doctor. Many would be able to gain access to health care through a health app connected to their healthcare web portal, or through a phone call or video call. The enormous potential of telehealth was apparent to me within weeks. Yet I also came to understand the need to overcome certain barriers to widespread telehealth access and provide additional support, as some of my stories below illustrate.

Chronic conditions and COVID-19: How did telemedicine help?

Healthcare providers like myself had to quickly adapt our clinical practice to use technology optimally. We found that a combination of phone calls and video calls allows us to continue to monitor people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart and lung problems. Video proved particularly helpful in assessing who needed to be seen quickly for a health issue, while avoiding unnecessary exposure to COVID-19 in emergency rooms when possible.

Our organization developed an intensive community management strategy for COVID-19. For example, we were able to educate patients and their families on ways to avoid getting COVID-19, or spreading it. Additionally, we used telehealth to lessen the strain on emergency and hospital systems, conserve personal protective equipment (PPE), and reduce health care costs. By using phone and video triage, clinicians could identify people who were so ill they needed to be seen in clinics or at the hospital. Throughout recent months, telehealth platforms have helped our primary care providers and specialists communicate across various clinics, through virtual huddles and meetings.

Telemedicine can marginalize non-English speakers

Translation resources are key to inclusion for some patients, including a woman I’ll call Maria, who had recently moved from Brazil to just outside Boston with her husband, Jose, and two children.

“Muito obrigado!” she exclaimed several months into our telehealth visits. “I feel like a new woman now. My husband and I wish to express our gratitude to you.” The couple contacted our health care services due to a bad skin itch and a rash all over the body. Being non-English speakers, they were struggling to find a health care provider who could help. Fortunately, the combined assistance of our staff and our health interpreter services helped the couple gain access to the patient portal and video technology. Through teledermatology consults we were able to cure them of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic skin infections over a period of two months. Having the translation resources to overcome the language barrier was critical for the success of telemedicine in this case.

Internet and smartphones may be a barrier

In this age of ubiquitous smartphones and high-speed Internet, it is easy to lose sight of people who have no access to Internet connections or smartphones. Recently I treated Felix, a 77-year-old man who had previously been in prison for 40 years. Suffering from a number of ailments including hypertension, heart rhythm problems, cardiac disease, and chronic diarrhea, he only had a flip phone and had no access to the internet. We were able to connect him with a cardiologist, and a remote home rhythm monitor identified untreated abnormal heart rhythms, which we later addressed.

For the poor and disadvantaged, lack of access to digital devices and Internet are significant barriers to accessing telemedicine. It’s important for healthcare providers to be aware of the social determinants of health and to identify hurdles when screening patients. And if you’re a patient, you may need to ask staff or your doctor for help in navigating this changing digital healthcare world.

Lack of physical examination can impair accurate decision-making

Twenty-eight-year old Eric was struggling with ear discomfort that had become so severe that he was now in pain. During a video call, it wasn’t possible to determine if he had a blocked ear canal due to wax or an ear infection. Both conditions can present similarly, but are treated with very different approaches. In this instance, an in-person visit was essential. An ear exam showed impacted ear wax. Simple ear irrigation helped alleviate his symptoms, thereby avoiding unnecessary antibiotics.

A role in recovery — at least for those with access

Patricia, a 59-year-old woman, had suffered a stroke that affected her mobility and vision, and was recovering from recent brain surgery. After leaving the hospital, she lived alone with little family support. A friend who was also her health care proxy was present during the appointments, and helped her connect with her primary care team and specialists, using telemedicine through phone calls or video calls. The friend also helped advocate for her needs. Her anxiety and insomnia were treated with medication and therapy through telehealth consults. The care management team was able to connect her with alternate housing resources. Telehealth played an essential role in Patricia’s recovery.

Telemedicine is promising. However, it works best when primary care organizations and hospital systems address the gaps in access and service that inevitably arise.

Unsure about using telemedicine?

Here are some useful tips:

• Create an email address if you do not have one already. This is the first step to help you communicate with your doctor.
• Call your doctor’s office to understand better how telemedicine works at their clinic. Staff can usually take you through the steps of creating an account and logging into the patient portal or health app you’ll be using.
• Familiarize yourself with the device you’ll be using (phone, tablet, or computer) before your appointment. Seek help from a family member or friend if you need additional support.
• Ask questions and advocate for yourself. Telemedicine visits are new to a lot of people, and it is okay to not know everything.

The post Making telemedicine more inclusive appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

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Researchers have solved the mystery of why a species of bacteria that causes food poisoning can swim faster in stickier liquids, such as within guts.

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In a new study in rotifers (microscopic invertebrates), scientists tested the evolutionary fitness of older-mother offspring in several real and simulated environments, including laboratory culture, under threat of predation in the wild, or with reduced food supply. They confirmed that this effect of older maternal age, called maternal effect senescence, does reduce evolutionary fitness of the offspring in all environments, primarily through reduced fertility during their peak reproductive period. They also suggest an evolutionary mechanism for why this may occur.

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Getting married early in life may increase the risk of problematic drinking behavior among people who are genetically predisposed to drink more.

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Scientists outline how individual cells maintain their internal clocks, driven both through heritable and random means. These findings help explain how organisms' circadian clocks maintain flexibility and could offer insights into aging and cancer.

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Men are more likely than are women to be seen as ''brilliant,'' finds a new study measuring global perceptions linked to gender. The work concludes that these stereotyped views are an instance of implicit bias, revealing automatic associations that people cannot, or at least do not, report holding when asked directly.

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New research shows that 12 weeks of easy-to-administer passive stretching helps improve blood flow by making it easier for your arteries to dilate and decreasing their stiffness.

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Problems with brain folding are linked with neurological conditions like autism, anorexia and schizophrenia, but there are currently no ways to detect, prevent or treat misfolding. New research offers genetic insights into the folding process, an important step towards developing potential treatments.

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