Our Position On Calcifediol Is Validated Again.
In early July 2020 we identified the importance of vitamin D in respect of SARS-CoV-2, both in terms of systematic vitamin D deficiency leading to increased COVID-19 disease severity & resultant higher mortality rates and the role of vitamin D in providing protective or sterilising immunity. Natural exposure to sunlight, specifically UVB radiation, causes the skin to synthesise cholecalciferol, which then converts to calcifediol, which in turn converts to calcitriol or ‘active’ vitamin D.
25(OH)D3 chemical structure, image courtesy of Isosciences.
The high mortality rates in European countries – countries with developed healthcare systems and advanced medicines – correlate with high levels of vitamin D deficiency in their populations. Lips et al. [2019] show that more than 10% of Europeans are severely deficient (<12ug) in vitamin D.
In October we evaluated the importance of nitric oxide as a viral countermeasure, especially in the paranasal sinuses and nasopharynx. The vitamin D→ endothelial nitric oxide synthase→ nitric oxide pathway maintains a healthy level of nitric oxide, making an individual up to 10.4x more resilient to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Last month we reviewed SaNOtize‘s NORSTM nitric oxide vaccine candidate, which is based around a nasal spray that concentrates upon the upper respiratory tract. SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus and S1 cleavage (in effect the spike protein trimers being ‘armed’ for S2 cellular binding & fusion) occurs in the upper respiratory tract. Viral load – quite possibly the most important variable in terms of viral pathogenesis and COVID-19 disease severity – also relates to the upper respiratory tract.
It is very encouraging to read the results of a study undertaken at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. The full study results can be found here but Nogués et al.’s key findings are:
- For those with COVID-19 symptoms requiring hospitalisation, treatment upon admission with calcifediol reduced subsequent transfer to intensive care from 21% to 5.4%.
- The mortality rate of those treated upon admission with calcefediol reduced from 15% to 6.5%. That’s an 8.5 percentage point reduction, which equates to a 56.7% reduction in mortality rate.
Nogués et al. own’s conclusion is: “Higher baseline 25(OH)D3 levels were significantly associated with decreased mortality [95% CI]…calcifediol treatment at the time of hospitalization significantly reduced ICU admission and mortality.”
No Vaccine Required.
As with many other similar studies on the role of vitamin D in COVID-19 treatment, it shows that vitamin D and therefore nitric oxide is a highly effective, natural treatment both – and this is the crucial part – as a prophylactic vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and as a therapeutic antiviral to attenuate COVID-19 disease severity.
A concentrated nitric oxide spray offers the prospect of sterilising immunity and/or passive immunity to those with compromised immune systems, high degrees of immunosenescence and lacking immunological memory, as well as to those who feel ‘safer’ receiving a vaccine. For everyone else, an effective vaccine is universally, naturally and freely available: vitamin D.
If you remember the wonderful weather in the UK from March through June, nature presented a natural countermeasure to SARS-CoV-2. Instead of encouraging people to get outside and get some sunshine as they could, the UK government enforced the opposite – locking people away for months on end – that not only denied them the opportunity to increase their vitamin D levels but also allowed viral load to increase through confining people in close proximity to each other for sustained periods of time.
Rather than stop SARS-CoV-2 in its tracks (peak infections were 19th March 2020 and peak deaths were 8th April 2020) the UK government deliberately inflicted conditions calculated to bring about the destruction of life upon its citizens. Almost the verbatim definition of genocide under Article 6 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Do not panic. Do not worry. Do not follow government advice.