It is not surprising that so many people get sick and have long lasting symptoms from COVID-19. Most people have half or less of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D their immune systems need to function properly, at least in winter. Those with dark or black skin who live far from the equator have even lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
The ultraviolet B light which converts 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to vitamin D3 cholecalciferol also damages DNA and so raises the risk of skin cancer. If this was the only way of attaining vitamin D3 (only a few foods contain it, and then in extremely low quantities), then we would have to take the risk and use special lamps most of the year. Fortunately, vitamin D3 supplementation is inexpensive. It can be taken every 7 to 10 days.
For most people, the only practical way of attaining the 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L) 25-hydroxyvitamin D we need is vitamin D3 supplementation in quantities well above the lousy 0.02 milligrams (800 IU) a day most governments recommend for adults. Neither vitamin D3 nor 25-hydroxyvitamin D (produced in the liver from vitamin D3) are hormones. (Vieth 2004 https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2004.03.037.)
70 to 90 IU / kg body weight for those not suffering from obesity (BMI < 30).
100 to 130 IU / kg body weight for obesity I & II (BMI 30 to 39).
140 to 180 IU / kg body weight for obesity III (BMI > 39).
For 70 kg (154 lb) without obesity, this is about 0.125 milligrams (5000 IU) a day. This takes several months to attain the desired > 50 ng/mL circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D. This is 6 or more times what most governments recommend. "5000 IU" sounds like a lot, but it is a gram every 22 years - and pharma grade vitamin D costs about USD$2.50 a gram ex-factory.
Dr. McCullough, you wrote that "The authors do not mention the vaccine status of the study subjects." Actually, the status was clearly stated. The following statement is in the Methods section under the subheading "Study participants": "All participants provided a post-COVID blood sample before a SARS-CoV-2 vaccination to exclude the potential effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on our study." Also, in the introduction, "We leveraged a well-characterized cohort (Long-term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus (LIINC)7; Supplementary Tables 1–3) to analyze the blood from 27 LC and 16 R individuals, obtained 8 months postinfection (Fig. 1a) before any SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or reinfection. "
Thus, your hypothesis that "likely those vaccinated had far worsened proteomic and cellular metrics given super-antigen loading with Spike protein that occurs with vaccination" may be correct but was not tested by this study, which only studied unvaccinated subjects.
Thanks for bringing this study to our attention; anything long-COVID related is appreciated since a close family member has been suffering for 3 years (they began your protocol from the Wellness Co. on Jan. 1, hopefully with positive results).
Expression of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES genes in lymph nodes from HIV+ individuals: correlation with a Th1-type cytokine response
results demonstrate that a high IFN-γ production is accompanied by a strong expression of MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES in the lymph node after HIV infection. This favours the idea that a Th1-type immune response correlates with a preferential production of C-C chemokines in FHLN of HIV+ patients....
The most obvious and dramatic immunologic change that occurs during progression of an HIV infection to AIDS is the severe depletion of CD4+ T cells in the blood and in lymphoid tissue. However, long before a decline in the number of circulating CD4+ T cells is obvious a loss of the T helper (Th) cell function is observed in HIV+ individuals [1], indicating that factors other than CD4 depletion contribute to T cell dysfunction. As a popular hypothesis it has been put forward that a switch from the Th1 to the Th2 cytokine phenotype is a critical step in the progression of HIV disease
Thank you for these observations, and I'm so glad you didn't bring "HIV" into the picture. Mathematical biologist Rebecca Culshaw Smith has written a lot about the "too big to fail" HIV scam, the fraudulence of all HIV tests, and how immune disregulation is a real problem but has never been proved to be caused by HIV. https://rebeccaculshawsmith.substack.com/p/too-big-to-fail-from-november-2022?
She asserts HIV was a sort of pilot project or clinical trial for the more universal reach of the covid scam, including demonization of dissident scientists and physicians. Even now, useless but toxic Pre-exposure Prophylaxis drugs are being heavily marketed to wide swaths of people testing HIV negative.
It is not surprising that so many people get sick and have long lasting symptoms from COVID-19. Most people have half or less of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D their immune systems need to function properly, at least in winter. Those with dark or black skin who live far from the equator have even lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
The ultraviolet B light which converts 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to vitamin D3 cholecalciferol also damages DNA and so raises the risk of skin cancer. If this was the only way of attaining vitamin D3 (only a few foods contain it, and then in extremely low quantities), then we would have to take the risk and use special lamps most of the year. Fortunately, vitamin D3 supplementation is inexpensive. It can be taken every 7 to 10 days.
For most people, the only practical way of attaining the 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L) 25-hydroxyvitamin D we need is vitamin D3 supplementation in quantities well above the lousy 0.02 milligrams (800 IU) a day most governments recommend for adults. Neither vitamin D3 nor 25-hydroxyvitamin D (produced in the liver from vitamin D3) are hormones. (Vieth 2004 https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2004.03.037.)
Please see the research on the vitamin D compounds and the immune system, cited and discussed at: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/ .
https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/#00-how-much includes Prof. Sunil Wimalawansa's recommendations https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/14/2997 for vitamin D3 supplemental intake to attain at least the 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L) circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which the immune system needs to function properly. As he noted in a recent FLCCC webinar, these are ratios of body weight, with higher ratios for those suffering from obesity: https://odysee.com/@FrontlineCovid19CriticalCareAlliance:c/Weeekly_Webinar_Aug16_2023:d?t=3386 This is because people suffering from obesity convert less vitamin D3 into circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D than normal-weight people.
The average daily vitamin D3 intake should be:
70 to 90 IU / kg body weight for those not suffering from obesity (BMI < 30).
100 to 130 IU / kg body weight for obesity I & II (BMI 30 to 39).
140 to 180 IU / kg body weight for obesity III (BMI > 39).
For 70 kg (154 lb) without obesity, this is about 0.125 milligrams (5000 IU) a day. This takes several months to attain the desired > 50 ng/mL circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D. This is 6 or more times what most governments recommend. "5000 IU" sounds like a lot, but it is a gram every 22 years - and pharma grade vitamin D costs about USD$2.50 a gram ex-factory.
Vitamin D and dementia: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/#3.3. The impact of low 25(OH)D on autism, preeclampsia, pre-term birth and low birth weight: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/#3.2 .
Surely, proper 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels would help with long COVID.
Thank you Dr. McCullough! A True Truth Warrior who we so much Love and Appreciate!
Dr. McCullough, you wrote that "The authors do not mention the vaccine status of the study subjects." Actually, the status was clearly stated. The following statement is in the Methods section under the subheading "Study participants": "All participants provided a post-COVID blood sample before a SARS-CoV-2 vaccination to exclude the potential effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on our study." Also, in the introduction, "We leveraged a well-characterized cohort (Long-term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus (LIINC)7; Supplementary Tables 1–3) to analyze the blood from 27 LC and 16 R individuals, obtained 8 months postinfection (Fig. 1a) before any SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or reinfection. "
Thus, your hypothesis that "likely those vaccinated had far worsened proteomic and cellular metrics given super-antigen loading with Spike protein that occurs with vaccination" may be correct but was not tested by this study, which only studied unvaccinated subjects.
Thanks for bringing this study to our attention; anything long-COVID related is appreciated since a close family member has been suffering for 3 years (they began your protocol from the Wellness Co. on Jan. 1, hopefully with positive results).
Expression of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES genes in lymph nodes from HIV+ individuals: correlation with a Th1-type cytokine response
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1904935/
results demonstrate that a high IFN-γ production is accompanied by a strong expression of MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES in the lymph node after HIV infection. This favours the idea that a Th1-type immune response correlates with a preferential production of C-C chemokines in FHLN of HIV+ patients....
The most obvious and dramatic immunologic change that occurs during progression of an HIV infection to AIDS is the severe depletion of CD4+ T cells in the blood and in lymphoid tissue. However, long before a decline in the number of circulating CD4+ T cells is obvious a loss of the T helper (Th) cell function is observed in HIV+ individuals [1], indicating that factors other than CD4 depletion contribute to T cell dysfunction. As a popular hypothesis it has been put forward that a switch from the Th1 to the Th2 cytokine phenotype is a critical step in the progression of HIV disease
Subject vaxxed / boosted status was not stated. So . . . . . . . . we just go to "likely" right of start?
Thank you for these observations, and I'm so glad you didn't bring "HIV" into the picture. Mathematical biologist Rebecca Culshaw Smith has written a lot about the "too big to fail" HIV scam, the fraudulence of all HIV tests, and how immune disregulation is a real problem but has never been proved to be caused by HIV. https://rebeccaculshawsmith.substack.com/p/too-big-to-fail-from-november-2022?
She asserts HIV was a sort of pilot project or clinical trial for the more universal reach of the covid scam, including demonization of dissident scientists and physicians. Even now, useless but toxic Pre-exposure Prophylaxis drugs are being heavily marketed to wide swaths of people testing HIV negative.