The SARS2/Covid is driving us all bat poop crazy!

The SARS2/Covid is driving us all bat poop crazy!

This has been a wild week on the Sars2/Covid19 battle front. As of this writing the US has passed over 187000 infected and 3850 dead. This looks bad, but pales in comparison to our normal seasonal flu deaths. Now take in account that the flu has a fatality rate of .01 or so percent. And SARS2 in the US is averaging about 2% 20 times greater. Things could be a lot worse. We’re not here to talk about those numbers. Today is pass along information.

First

Do. Not. Drink. Fish Tank. Cleaner. EVER!!!

Sounds kind of dumb, but a couple in Arizona did just that. Killed the husband and put the wife in ICU. It is claimed that the President said it would “cure” Covid19. I personally don’t care what he said. But here is the Tweet that caused all the hubbub. That way we can all see what was said.

 

 

What we have been doing

Now that, it is out of the way lets move along. Hydroxy-chloroquine and chloroquine are old anti malarial drugs. Today they are normally given with a Z pack (Azithromycin). I have no way to prescribe either drug, so we’re just going to drop it. Well perhaps I’m drinking more Gin and Tonic’s. For medical research only!

I want to apologize for the sporadic posts here. With our hospital going bat poop crazy. Its either no patients are allowed in or we are over whelmed with patients. And normal prepping. We are still going to the store and using that instead of our preps as little as they are. And we put in a raised bed garden. Straw bale and pallets for beds. Thank the gods our kids are grown up and don’t have to be home schooled.

It was bad enough doing it for one kid in normal times. I cant imagine today. We’ll keep posting as we can. May be a bit between posts but we’ll keep things running. If you have ideas or topics you want us to talk about email us at bjarni@paganprepredness.com One more thing. This post is going to jump around a bit. So hang on for the ride!

Nettle to the Rescue?

What I consider big news is a study done in 2011 shows an extract from Stinging Nettle killed a similar covid to our current nemesis in mice. Inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus replication in a lethal SARS-CoV BALB/c mouse model by stinging nettle lectin,Urtica dioicaagglutinin

The study is a few years old and I’ve sent emails from my work email to get some details on the extraction method, but in reading the article, it appears to be a water soluble lectin (A lectin is a type of protein)

So I foresee a lot of nettle soup, tinctures and tisanes in the making. Lucky for us nettles in the south are starting to appear along road side creeks and ditches. A lot of work still needs to be done on this. The study again was from 2011. At least nettles are not toxic in the way chloroquine or it’s relatives are. I’m talking with other herbalists on the best way for the nettles. Tincture or Tisane is the big question. Tincture is the longest lasting and makes the plant go further. Tisane is faster and being a water extraction MAY be more in line with the study. If you need nettles right now is the time to get it. Amazon still has them in stock. Frontier Nettle Leaf (affiliate link)

The Heart and Covid 19.

Some disturbing news is out about the bug and cardiac patients. The Washington post last week, published an article on how patients with Covid19 AND are in a code blue situation are being issued what is called a DNR order.
From the article:


“The conversations are driven by the realization that the risk to staff amid dwindling stores of protective equipment — such as masks, gowns and gloves — may be too great to justify the conventional response when a patient “codes,” and their heart or breathing stops.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago has been discussing a do-not-resuscitate policy for infected patients, regardless of the wishes of the patient or their family members — a wrenching decision to prioritize the lives of the many over the one.”

Alarming in the least. Here is what I posted on Facebook with the link to the article. First I think that everyone that codes, needs to be worked to the very best of our ability. While keeping family and or patients wishes in mind. Sometimes we go to far in working a code. It is almost unheard of, that we didn’t go far enough. 

From the ACC

SARS2/covid 19 has shown a nasty tendency for attacking the heart of patient’s with cardiac disease. Heart failure, coronary artery disease etc. On those patients it sometimes causes viral cardiomyopathy. The walls of the ventricles thicken. They get so thick there is no room for blood. When these patients code it is useless to do CPR. There is no place for the blood to enter to be pumped. That has been a topic of discussion in a lot of cardiac circles.”

The same day the ACC, (American Collage of Cardiology) published some more data on this topic. The PDF can be downloaded

JAMA, (Journal of American Medical Association) Published this article on Covid19 and cardiac damage . This nasty little bug is pulling some amazing little tricks.

Right now the best thing is, if you have ANY of the co-morbidities to Stay At Home. Find one person to do your shopping for you. Reach out to your community. Do not be afraid to ask for help. A lot of us are willing to give it.

Cytokine storms and Elderberry

Elderberry and Cytokine storms. A FB Friend of mine and fellow Army medic (He was a high speed low drag 18D SF Medic where I was a low speed high drag 91B Ranger Medic) Sam Coffman has posted some good links on Cytokine storms and Elderberry. And I like him may just lose my shi…..stuff if we hear how Elderberry causes them. Short answer Read this article The Truth about Elderberry . Elderberry is to valuable of a resource to not be used over irrational fears of a hyper rare event. Sam runs The Human Path. A very good school on wilderness medicine. Cytokine storms are very rare. VERY Rare. In fact in my entire career, I only have seen one. And at the time we didn’t know what it was.

My first Cytokine Storm

Mid 1980’s in some place we didn’t need to be. A young solider ran over a mine with a then brand new HMMWV (HummVee). The young man sustained massive damage from the explosion and the shredding of the then unarmored vehicle. He was sent to Battalion med and to a MASH unit ( Yes Mash units are real. Not a TV show 🙂 )

Intubation was made and they arrived at the MASH. At the time we could not send him back to the world nor to a USN Hospital ship. 24 hours later he had a roaring infection. Was reintubated since the tube at the time was not the optimal size. During reintubation the solider vomited and aspirated. This caused aspiration pneumonia. Antibiotics were infused to try to control both the pneumonia AND the abdominal infection from a perforated bowel AND infection for AM General fiberglass and steel in the young mans lower extremities.

24 hours later, we are now 48 hours from the initial injuries, he was getting very bad. To unstable to move. One of the docs, and I’ll never forget what he said. He said “his body was attacking itself. The immune system is going ape……” They gave massive doses of steroids to help and the young man got worse. COD was listed as Pneumonia, Peritonitis and severe trauma. Today I am totally convinced he passed from a cytokine storm. Possibly induced by the drugs he was given. And for sure by the type of trauma and infection he had. If you have a cytokine storm your patients needs expert medical care. There is nothing that a “ditch medic” can do.

 

Don’t blame the plants.

Don’t blame elderberry nor echinacea. Cytokine storms need weakened immune system. Massive trauma and or massive pulmonary infection of some sort. Elderberry extracts have been shown to stimulate immune-regulatory cytokines, with a net non-inflammatory effect. Elderberry extracts were shown to enhance both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Med-speak translation: Elderberry works with the anti-inflammatory cytokines and the cytokines that regulate cytokines in the body. Can it cause a cytokine storm? I do not know. But judging on the available information, I would not hesitate to use them on a loved one with Covid 19.

There is so much information and disinformation out there on this disease. Please check your sources. Check MY sources.  We’ll keep posting what we can when we can. We are in for a wild ride my freinds. Lets make sure to make it to the end of the ride. Together

 

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