Vitamin C Prevent Viruses

As more and more people are being infected with Coronavirus, scientist and doctors are looking for potential therapies to treat or prevent Coronavirus.  Now Chinese teams are adding high dose Vitamin C and Thiamine to the list of potential therapies against viruses.  Vitamin C or Thiamine have not proven to be a treatment for coronavirus.  It will take significant amount of time and clinical studies to get approval from FDA for potential Coronavirus treatment.  Chinese doctors and department of critical care medicine in Wuhan has initiated clinical studies to test efficacy of Vitamin C infusions for the treatment of severe respiratory infections associated with Coronavirus.

Vitamin C studies are promising as an immune booster  as it reduces the inflammation and damage to the lungs.   Coronavirus infection is a serious and potentially deadly due to the cells  in the lungs release fluids and inflammation from body reaction and induces Cytokine (chemicals released from the cells to kill the virus) which damages the surrounding cells.   This process forces further inflammation in the local area and fibrosis (scarring of the lungs).

Vitamin C high doses (DarMon Cocktail) is an antioxidant that may help reduce inflammation and fibrosis (scarring) of the lungs.  During severe infection, the body tends to deplete all of its Vitamin C and is in need of replenishment.   Unlike animals which are able to synthesize Vitamin C during infection stress to the body, human bodies are not able to synthesize Vitamin C.

Immune cells need vitamin C to synthesize protein to fight against viruses and bacterial infections.  Intravenous Vitamin C can produce immediate effect and help boost the immune system.   Supplemental pills likely do not have the ability to increase the levels dramatically.

Clinical studies have shown that Vitamin C reduces the inflammatory response and it prevents and shortens the duration of the common cold and flu like symptoms.   The study also indicates that insufficient Vitamin C increases the risk of organ failure, poor body response and severity of the influenza.

It is common medical knowledge that high doses of Vitamin C is needed to reduce the severity of flu like symptoms, but does it work on Coronavirus? The body needs vitamin C to function properly and to deal with the stress viruses induce.

Currently, there is no effective medication for CoronaVirus.   The main treatment of Coronavirus is supportive care to manage symptoms and allow your body to build immune system against Coronavirus.

During clinical trials, participants received 10 times more vitamin C on a daily basis.  There are many more clinical trials now in china and the US working on high dose Vitamin C for treatment of COVID-19.  Shanghai Medical Association has actually released an expert consensus statement on the comprehensive treatment of COVID-19 where they endorse the use of high dose IV Vitamin C for the illness.

Preliminary results of the clinical studies are very promising based on the medical investigators in china.

Disclaimer:  Please note that currently there is no medication or therapy available to treat Coronavirus.  These therapies in this article is purely used as an immune booster and it is not a treatment for Coronavirus.

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