According to a recent study, these people have faster and more subtle immune responses than those who develop symptomatic COVID-19.

“These findings shed new light on the crucial early events that either allow the virus to take hold or rapidly clear it before symptoms develop,” Dr. Marko Nikolić, senior author of the study and honorary consultant in respiratory medicine at the University College London, said in the press release.

The study, published in Nature on Wednesday, was a human challenge study conducted by researchers from the UK and the Netherlands. It is the first of its kind wherein participants were deliberately exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Researchers recruited 16 young, healthy participants under 30 for the study. None had comorbidities, and none had ever previously been infected with COVID-19 or vaccinated.

Before the study received peer review, a preprint of it was made available online in April 2023.

3 Different Immune Responses

The 16 individuals responded to the virus exposure differently and were grouped accordingly.

The first group contained six symptomatic people. The study authors categorized them as having sustained infections.

People in the second group were asymptomatic but still tested positive for COVID-19 with PCR tests. These participants were categorized as having transient infections.

The third type of people were asymptomatic and continuously received negative COVID-19 PCR test results. The authors confirmed that these participants were infected but cleared their infections so rapidly that the infections were dubbed “abortive.”

The second and third groups, who had asymptomatic COVID-19, had faster or more subtle immune responses, according to the authors.

On Day 1, the authors detected immune cells that migrated to the nose—the site of infection—in the asymptomatic groups.

However, people who tested negative for COVID-19 recruited fewer immune cell types, while the COVID-19-positive group recruited all immune cell types.

Symptomatic people with sustained COVID-19 infections had slower and more systematic immune responses. These participants had all types of immune cells going into the nose on Day 5 rather than Day 1.

Genetic Factors

Individuals with high expression of specific genes, such as HLA-DQA2, “are better at preventing the onset of a sustained viral infection,” the authors wrote.

Other studies have shown that increased activity of HLA-DQA2 in the blood is associated with milder COVID-19 progression.

HLA-DQA2 is one of many human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. HLA genes make proteins displayed on the cell surface. When pathogens infect cells, HLA proteins signal to immune cells that they have been infected.

The authors said their data confirm that HLA-DQA2 activity protects against further production of SARS-CoV-2 virus in infected cells.

Symptomatic People Had Systematic Responses

Only people with symptomatic COVID-19 displayed systematic interferon responses. Interferons are messengers of the immune system that help reduce or aggravate immune and inflammatory activities.

The authors were surprised to find that interferons in the blood were activated before those at the infection site. Interferon activity in the blood peaked on Day 3 of the infection; however, interferon activity at the infection site—the nose—was not detected until Day 5.

In the press release, the authors said that slow immune responses in the nose could have allowed the infection to establish itself quickly.

Asymptomatic people did not have systemic interferon reactions and rarely had infected cells.

Unsurprisingly, “infected cells were almost exclusively found” in the nasal cavities of symptomatic people, the authors wrote. The cells lining participants’ nasal cavities start producing SARS-CoV-2 virus, contributing to increased viral load.

“We now have a much greater understanding of the full range of immune responses, which could provide a basis for developing potential treatments and vaccines that mimic these natural protective responses,” said Dr. Nikolić.

“Whilst rare, all myocarditis and pericarditis events during the study period occurred in vaccinated individuals,” the authors wrote. There were no deaths from myocarditis or pericarditis.

The study evaluated over 1 million English children aged 5 to 11 and adolescents aged 12 to 15. Vaccinated minors were compared to an equal number of unvaccinated, and children who took one dose were also compared to those who took two doses.

Despite having higher chances of heart inflammation, vaccinated adolescents had significantly lower chances of testing positive for COVID-19 and needing COVID-related hospitalization and critical care compared to their unvaccinated counterparts. Vaccinated children, however, were not substantially different from unvaccinated children in terms of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization.

Additionally, “COVID-19-related hospitalisation, and critical care attendance were rare in both adolescents and children and there were no COVID-19 related deaths,” the authors observed.

18 Cases

The study analyzed data from the National Health Service (NHS) England’s OpenSAFELY-TPP database, which covers 40 percent of English primary care practices.

Vaccinated adolescents and children were matched to unvaccinated cohorts and followed for 20 weeks to compare positive COVID-19 tests, hospitalizations, COVID-19 critical care, adverse events, and non-COVID hospitalizations.

England’s data showed that myocarditis and pericarditis were only documented in the vaccinated. These results contradict data from other studies that showed a higher incidence of myocarditis after COVID-19 infection. Adolescents had a higher incidence of post-vaccine myocarditis and pericarditis than children.

There were 15 cases of pericarditis and three cases of myocarditis among more than 839,000 vaccinated children and adolescents. All of the myocarditis and 12 pericarditis cases appeared in the adolescent cohort.

Except for three pericarditis cases, all other cases occurred after the first vaccine dose. More than half of the adolescents with pericarditis and myocarditis were hospitalized or went to the emergency room. It is unknown how many adolescents needed critical care, though the maximum length of stay for myocarditis treatment was one day.

Cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times that the study is one of many demonstrating that COVID-19 vaccination is not medically necessary for children, given the less than 1 percent rate of infection, and that excessive testing for COVID-19 is a waste of resources.

The fact that COVID-19 vaccination can lead to side effects like myocarditis and pericarditis means it can potentially result in fatal cardiac arrest in a fraction of victims, which cannot be predicted ahead of time, Dr. McCullough added.

COVID-19 Hospitalization

The authors also compared myocarditis and COVID-19 hospitalization risks in the vaccinated. While rare, children and adolescents were more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than develop myocarditis or pericarditis, regardless of vaccine status.

Of the adolescents who took one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 33 were hospitalized from COVID-19, while three developed myocarditis. In the unvaccinated group, 57 were hospitalized.

The authors concluded that adolescents may have more to benefit from COVID-19 vaccines than children because compared to adolescents, children had a greater risk of myocarditis post-vaccination and a lower risk reduction of hospitalization due to COVID-19 infection.

Children Are Different

Vaccination appears to significantly reduce the risks of having severe COVID-19 outcomes for adolescents but not for children.

Of the over 552,000 unvaccinated children or adolescents, only three cases of COVID-19 required critical care. All three cases occurred among unvaccinated adolescents.

Furthermore, there was no significant difference in COVID-19 infection severity between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

Since the appearance of COVID-19, researchers have been mystified by how young children have a survival advantage compared to adults. Infectious diseases often kill the very young and the very old; however, research has shown that COVID-19 usually spares infants.

Some researchers have reasoned that children are better protected because, compared to adults, they have a faster-responding innate immune system, often referred to as the first line of defense. This enables them to mount a robust defense against COVID-19 infections more quickly.

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Consequently, when vaccinated with the most recent COVID-19 XBB.1.5 mRNA boosters, recipients produced few to no antibodies specific to the XBB.1.5 variant.

Immune imprinting occurs when previous infections or vaccinations leave such a strong immune memory that the body continues to produce immune cells and antibodies targeting the previous immune experience—even when exposed to a new variant or vaccine.

“[Immune imprinting] could be a problem if the person was unable to mount a useful immune response against a new variant,” Dr. Stanley Perlman, an immunologist and microbiologist at the University of Iowa, told The Epoch Times. He was not involved in the study.

While that did not occur in this study, most of the antibodies made following vaccination targeted the original COVID-19 variant and not XBB.1.5.

Surprising Findings

“Imprinting is not a new concept, but the situation we are looking at seems to be quite unique,” said David Veesler, who has a doctorate in structural biology, is a professor and chair in the Department of Biochemistry at UW, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, in a press release.

Immune imprinting is a well-recognized phenomenon that can occur with other infections and viruses.

New influenza infections distinct from previous variants can overcome imprinting from influenza vaccinations and infections.

However, in the UW study, immune imprinting persisted even among those infected with new omicron variants.

“It is completely different from what we know from the influenza virus,” said Mr. Veesler.

“Immune imprinting persists after multiple exposures to Omicron spikes through vaccination and infection, including post XBB.1.5 booster vaccination, which will need to be considered to guide future vaccination,” the authors wrote.

More than 20 people with a history of three or more Wuhan-variant mRNA vaccines participated in the study. Most had been infected with pre- and post-omicron COVID-19 infections.

In addition to the original mRNA vaccines, most participants took the bivalent booster or the XBB.1.5 booster. By the time of the study, all participants had taken four to seven shots.

The authors found that most of the antibodies produced after XBB.1.5 mRNA inoculation were best at neutralizing the original Wuhan COVID-19 variant.

The antibodies had the second-greatest neutralizing potency against the BA.2.86 omicron variant. The antibodies were third most potent against XBB.1.5 in people who took the XBB.1.5 vaccine.

These antibodies were cross-reactive, meaning they could also bind to other variants, including the XBB.1.5 variants.

However, there were few to no antibodies specific to XBB.1.5.

Some people did produce new immune cells that recognized only XBB.1.5. However, of the 12 participants evaluated, only five had immune cells that recognized XBB.1.5 but not the Wuhan variant.

“Most of the antibodies recalled by the updated vaccine boosters are cross-reactive and help block new variants, which is a good thing. However, could we do an even better job? The answer is most likely yes,” said Mr. Vessler.

2 Possible Reasons

“There are two leading hypotheses about what we are seeing,” Mr. Veesler said in the press release, “and I don’t know which of the two options explains it yet.”

One hypothesis is that residents of Seattle, where most of the samples came from, were exposed to the virus so many times—mainly through vaccination but also infection—that they developed antibodies and immune memory cells preferable to the original virus.

“People in Seattle, including myself, have been so compliant,” Mr. Veesler said. “We have been exposed many, many times over the past four years through vaccination and usually at least one infection. And that’s very unusual to have so many exposures in such a short amount of time—up to seven vaccine doses in the cohort we analyzed.”

Another reason is that the mRNA vaccine creates a more robust immune imprinting effect than previously known vaccines. The authors cited another study that found inoculating with killed COVID-19 viruses rendered a reduced imprinting effect in humans.

“Inactivated vaccines induce a weaker immune response, so there is less opportunity for the response to be biased [toward one variant],” Dr. Perlman said.

“mRNA vaccines may have been so good and elicited such strong immune responses that the imprinting may be stronger than what we have been used to seeing with vaccines for other viruses such as for influenza virus,” Mr. Veesler said.

The systematic review, published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), analyzed 42 studies on diabetes incidence, including 17 studies involving nearly 38,000 people under the age of 19. The review revealed a 14 percent surge in Type 1 diabetes cases in 2020, followed by a 27 percent increase in 2021, compared to before the pandemic.

Furthermore, the research highlighted a rise in Type 2 diabetes incidence and diabetic ketoacidosis, a severe complication of diabetes more common in Type 1 patients, after the start of the pandemic.

What Is the Link Between COVID and Type 1 Diabetes?

The exact connection between COVID-19 and the higher risk of developing diabetes is unclear, according to the authors of the study. However, some doctors disagree.

Type 1 diabetes is well established as an autoimmune disease, where the body attacks its own pancreatic beta cells, a primary source of insulin.

Both viral infections and vaccinations are known triggers for autoimmune diseases, and COVID-19 and its vaccine could be no exception, Dr. Paul Marik, a critical care physician, former tenured professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and co-founder of the Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care (FLCCC) Alliance, told The Epoch Times.

The spike proteins present in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as those produced by the body after vaccination, are very likely to be causing autoimmunity, according to Dr. Marik.

“There is few doubts that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is the most likely trigger of Type 1 diabetes,” Dr. Flavio Cadegiani, an endocrinologist and researcher at Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil, told The Epoch Times via email.

The primary role of COVID-19 spike proteins is to attach to ACE-2 receptors on cell surfaces and enter the cells. Pancreatic beta cells, which have ACE-2 receptors, are vulnerable to infection and potential damage caused by spike protein entry.

Spike proteins also share similarities with human proteins, and their presence may lead the body to produce antibodies that not only target the spike protein but also attack human tissues, including the pancreas.

This phenomenon of molecular mimicry is seen in vaccine-injured patients, and those with long COVID, Dr. Marik said. Studies have found autoantibodies—antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues or cells—in both groups of patients.

Type 2 Diabetes: More Common and Complicated Consequence

The study may mistakenly conflate Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes as the same disease, hence the “no clear underlying mechanism” conclusion, board-certified internist Dr. Keith Berkowitz told The Epoch Times.

Type 2 diabetes, compared to Type 1, is more complex and metabolic, influenced by factors like obesity, processed food, heart disease, blood cholesterol, and hypertension.

Dr. Berkowitz said he has observed a unique blood glucose dysregulation pattern in his post-COVID and post-vaccine patients.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes typically have high blood sugar levels with high or low insulin levels as the beta cells become fatigued. However, Dr. Berkowitz said he observed that some of his patients had low blood sugar alongside high insulin levels, a condition he said he has never encountered before.

“Even my well-controlled diabetic patients are not faring well, especially those who have received both vaccinations and had COVID infections,” Dr. Berkowitz added.

Dr. Berkowitz uses intravenous fluids to address these conditions in Type 2 diabetics, restoring their water balance and blood sugar regulation. “When a diabetic goes to the hospital, the first thing they do is administer intravenous saline because insulin doesn’t work well in a severely dehydrated cell,” he said.

Treatment for Autoimmunity and Type 1 Diabetes

Autoimmunity is a condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies its own cells, tissues, or organs as foreign invaders and attacks them. This can lead to various autoimmune diseases.

But the body may be brought back into balance.

1. Remove COVID-19 Spike Protein

The spike protein may contribute to autoimmune disease, prompting doctors to consider therapies that may remove these inflammatory proteins.

Research suggests that fasting can trigger autophagy, the process of clearing old, damaged, and foreign proteins.

Intermittent fasting and prolonged fasts, even for three days, may “reset” the immune system, potentially reducing autoimmune activity. Fasting, however, is not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Other recommended therapies for spike protein removal include ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation.

2. Supplement With Vitamin D

Vitamin D insufficiency, a common deficiency among the U.S. population, has been linked to autoimmune disorders.

Research shows vitamin D supplementation reduces autoimmune disease risk by 22 percent. Infants given vitamin D also have lower Type 1 diabetes incidence, a 2001 study found.

Vitamin D reduces inflammation and provides infection protection. Some scientists propose it helps the immune system differentiate between self and non-self.

Dr. Cadegiani stated that one of his first therapies is to increase Type 1 diabetes patients’ vitamin D levels between the range of 60 to 90 ng/ml, which is around 6,000 to 9,000 IUs of dietary vitamin D per day.

Vitamin D is also linked to improved insulin sensitivity.

3. Reduce Sugar Intake 

Sugar contributes to inflammation, and studies have found that those who consume high levels of sugar over extended periods are at a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases.

In the case of patients with Type 1 diabetes, Dr. Cadegiani said that cutting glucose and carbohydrate consumption reduces insulin, and, therefore, can prevent the body from forming more autoantibodies against pancreatic beta cells.

4. Hydroxychloroquine

Dr. Cadegiani said that he sometimes prescribes hydroxychloroquine when a patient is positive for Type 1 diabetes antibodies, but still has around normal blood sugar levels.

The anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine is a powerful drug that fights autoimmune diseases. It is able to bind to the ACE-2 receptors and prevent spike protein entry and is also able to block spike protein from causing further harm.

It is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in chronic discoid lupus erythematosus, systemic lupus erythematosus in adults, and rheumatoid arthritis, all autoimmune diseases.

Studies have shown that hydroxychloroquine can also reduce blood sugar and is associated with a reduced risk of Type 1 diabetes. The use of chloroquine, a hydroxychloroquine derivative, in Type 1 diabetes cases can reduce inflammation in the body.

5. Plant Supplements 

Plant supplements like curcumin and berberine also have anti-diabetic properties and may help prevent Type 1 diabetes.

Curcumin can decrease blood sugar and insulin levels and reduce inflammation and oxidation. Some theories have suggested that curcumin may be able to prevent the immune system from overreacting, which results in autoimmunity.

Curcumin reduces inflammation in the gut, helping with digestion and overall gut health. An unhealthy gut can lead to a dysregulated immune system, increasing the risk of autoimmunity.

Despite being a plant compound, berberine has been found to have potent blood glucose-lowering properties. Berberine has been shown to be protective against pancreatic beta cells and also improve insulin resistance.

Thus, both patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes may supplement with berberine. Those already taking medications for diabetes may need to consult their doctors before supplementing with berberine.

6. Diabetes Drugs 

Dr. Cadegiani also uses diabetes drugs like metformin and liraglutide to treat and prevent Type 1 diabetes.

Metformin is a common diabetes drug that can reduce blood sugar levels. In Type 1 diabetes, metformin increases insulin sensitivity and action and also increases peripheral glucose uptake.

Liraglutide increases satiety and slows gastric emptying. Studies have also shown that the drug increases pancreatic beta cell mass, improves the cells’ functions, and prevents beta cell deaths, all of which may help prevent Type 1 diabetes.

Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.

As many doctors and scientists have noted, the presence of spike proteins from infections appears to dissipate in most over time, but the spike proteins from the jabs are persistent. The CDC and FDA even removed claims on their websites that the spike proteins from the jabs leave the body quickly. It’s because they do not. Here’s Marina Zhang…

Multiple studies have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is a highly toxic and inflammatory protein, capable of causing pathologies in its hosts.

The presence of spike protein has been strongly linked with long COVID and post-vaccine symptoms. Studies have shown that spike proteins are often present in symptomatic patients, sometimes even months after infections or vaccinations.

The numbers of long COVID and post-vaccine cases have been climbing in the United States, increasingly posing as a healthcare problem.

Data from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 7 percent of Americans are currently experiencing long COVID symptoms, which would be over 15 million people. Some people with long COVID have been so debilitated that they cannot go to work, the same have been reported in people experiencing post-vaccine symptoms.

Over 880,000 adverse events have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database for possible post-COVID vaccine symptoms. However, statisticians argue that the number of people suffering from post-vaccine syndromes are much higher.

Canadian molecular biologist Jessica Rose estimated an underreporting factor of 31, adding up to an estimation that more than 27 million Americans may have suffered from adverse events following vaccination.

“The vaccine-injured are vast,” said Dr. Pierre Kory on Oct. 15 at a Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) conference. “The numbers are massive … they are underserved and their needs are not being met.”

However, many doctors are looking to change this situation. The FLCCC has been at the forefront in treating COVID-19, long COVID, and post-vaccine symptoms.

No large scale studies have been done on treatment for post-vaccine symptoms. Based on clinical observations, patient feedback, and extensive research, the FLCCC has released its updated treatment recommendations.

The FLCCC co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Paul Marik told The Epoch Times that recommendations are always subject to change based on patient feedback, as well as research on a new treatment option. However, to understand the treatment options, one first needs to understand on how spike protein is causing damage.

Pathology of Spike Proteins

Long COVID and post-vaccine syndrome share a high degree of overlap as the two conditions have both been linked to long-term spike protein presence, and the symptoms are often similar too.

“The core problem in post-vaccine syndrome is chronic ‘immune dysregulation,’” Marik shared at the FLCCC conference.

Spike proteins can cause chronic inflammation. Studies have shown that inflammation can lead to cell stress, damage, and even death.  Cells make up tissues, different tissues form organs, and organs are part of our own physiological systems. Therefore spike protein injuries are a systemic syndrome.

Spike proteins trigger chronic inflammation by causing immune dysregulation. Spike proteins enter immune cells, switch off normal immune responses, and trigger pro-inflammatory pathways instead.

The normal immune response for infected immune cells is to release type 1 interferons, this give signals to other immune cells to enhance defense against viral particles. But spike protein reduces this signaling in infected cells, and uninfected cells will also take in and become damaged by the spike protein as the infection goes out of control.

Marik said that a critical aspect of long-term spike protein damage is that it inhibits autophagy, your body’s way of recycling damaged cells. Usually, when cells have been infected with viral particles, the cells will try to break these particles down and remove them as waste. However, studies on SARS-CoV-2 viruses have shown that autophagy processes are reduced in infected patients, with spike proteins present many months after the initial exposure.

“The spike protein is a really wicked protein,” said Marik. “It switches off autophagy, that’s why the spike can stay in the cells for such a long time.”

Immune Cell Dysfunction

The immune dysfunction caused by spike protein not only causes inflammation, but also may also contribute to cancer proliferation, and autoimmunity.

Studies have shown that spike can reduce and exhaust the action of T and natural killer cells. These two cell types are responsible for killing infected cells and cancerous cells. Therefore a reduced cellular immunity from T and natural killer cells can contribute to an untimely clearance of spike-infected cells.

Damage from spike can lead to damaged DNA, and studies have shown that spike can also reduce DNA repair. Psychological and environmental stress such as ultraviolet light, pollutants, oxidants, and many other factors, can routinely damage DNA, requiring constant repair.

Damaged DNA puts cells at risk of becoming cancerous, and these cells should be killed to prevent cancer formations. However, with reduced T and natural killer cell activity, this may lead to unchecked proliferation of potentially cancerous cells.

Other dysfunctions that have been reported following vaccinations include autoimmune diseases. These diseases may be linked to the spike proteins having a high level of molecular mimicry, meaning spike proteins have many regions similar to other proteins in the human body.

So when the immune system attacks the spike protein, due to structural similarities, the antibodies produced against spike protein regions may also react against the body’s own proteins and tissues. Studies have shown that antibodies made against the spike protein can also bind to and attack self tissues.

Spike Protein Causes Fatigue

The spike is also linked with dysfunction in the mitochondria. Colloquially known as the powerhouse of the cell, mitochondria are responsible for harnessing energy from the sugar we ingest.

Human neural cells treated with spike protein have been shown to produce more reactive oxygen species, and this is an indication of mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting possible reduction in energy production.

People with long COVID and post-vaccine syndromes often experience chronic fatigue, brain fog, exercise intolerance, and muscle weakness. These symptoms are also often seen in people with mitochondrial dysfunction, indicating a possible link.

Spike Protein Damage to Blood Vessels and Organs

Spike proteins have shown to be particularly damaging to cells that line blood vessels. Spike proteins can bind to ACE2 and CD147 receptors and trigger inflammatory pathways.

These receptors are particularly abundant in cells of the blood vessels, heart, immune system, ovaries, and many other areas. Spike protein can therefore trigger inflammation and damage in blood vessels and its related organs, leading to systemic injury. Marik said that spike protein injury is closer to a systemic syndrome rather than a disease.

“It’s not a disease. It doesn’t fit the traditional model of a disease. This is a syndrome which affects every single organ … the spike goes everywhere … so this is a multi-systems disease and it doesn’t follow the traditional paradigm of a disease which is one symptom, one diagnosis.”

FLCCC’s First Line Treatments

Since long COVID and post-vaccine symptoms are both associated with spike protein presence, the first line treatments recommended by the FLCCC therefore focus on two main steps.

The first step is to remove spike protein, the second step is to reduce its toxicity. The body will then heal itself, and this is “the primary treatment goal,” said Marik. Most of the first line treatments have focused on clearing out the spike protein by reactivating autophagy—a process that is downregulated by spike protein.

Lifestyle implementations can boost autophagy through intermittent fasting, and photobiomodulation. Photobiomodulation can be done by exposing oneself to the sun, since sunlight contains infrared rays that boost autophagy in cells.

Intermittent fasting can result in multiple health benefits including improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss, reduced inflammation and autoimmunity, and many more.

However it should be noted that intermittent fasting is not recommended for people younger than the age of 18, as it can prevent growth. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also not recommended to fast intermittently. People with diabetes and kidney disease are also recommended to check with their primary care physicians before considering intermittent fasting.

While intermittent fasting may not be suitable for everyone, there are other treatment options that can boost autophagy and reduce spike protein toxicity.

Ivermectin

Ivermectin has been highly recommended by the FLCCC and many doctors treating COVID, long COVID, and  post-vaccine syndrome, on the basis that it is inexpensive, highly accessible, has a high safety profile, and a high response rate.

The drug is highly dynamic and has also been documented with a variety of functions: antiviral, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, and also boosts autophagy. Ivermectin can help with the removal of spike protein. Studies have shown that ivermectin has a higher affinity for the spike protein and will bind to its regions, effectively neutralizing and immobilizing it for destruction.

Ivermectin also directly opposes the pro-inflammatory pathways that are triggered by the spike protein including NF-KB pathway that activates inflammatory cytokines and toll-like receptor 4.

FLCCC doctors reason that ivermectin and intermittent fasting can act “synergistically” to remove the body spike protein, and recommends taking ivermectin with or just after a meal.

Ivermectin is also able to bind to ACE2 and CD147, and therefore blocks spike protein from entering and triggering inflammation in cells that display these receptors. Studies have also shown that ivermectin can maintain the energy produced by mitochondria even under conditions of low oxygen.

Kory said that around 70 to 90 percent of his post-vaccine syndrome patients respond to the drug, generally within 10 days.

“Patients can be classified as ivermectin responders or non-responders … the non-responders—[are] actually a group of patients that are more difficult to treat,” said Marik.

Patients that are non-responsive—typically after four to six weeks of treatment—are recommended to go on a more aggressive treatment.

When overdosed, ivermectin can cause confusion, disorientation, and possibly even death. However, the drug has a high safety profile when used in reasonable doses. There is little literature on its use in pregnant women so the FLCCC cautions against the use of it in pregnancy.

“Ivermectin has continually proved to be astonishingly safe for human use,” wrote Dr. Satoshi Ohmura, the discoverer of ivermectin in his co-authored study. “Indeed, it is such a safe drug, with minimal side effects, that it can be administered by non-medical staff and even illiterate individuals in remote rural communities, provided that they have had some very basic, appropriate training.”

Low Dose Naltrexone

Low dose naltrexone (LDN) has recently made the news as an option for long COVID treatment.

“We’ve been using it for many, many months,” said Marik. “Low dose naltrexone is a very potent anti-inflammatory drug. It’s been used in many chronic inflammatory diseases.”

Clinically, FLCCC doctors have seen many of their patients’ symptoms improve following treatment with LDN, though it may take months for the benefits to be clearly visible.

Normal naltrexone is commonly used to prevent overdose in narcotic users. However, when reduced to around a 10th of its normal concentration, to 1 mg to 4.5 mg in LDN, the drug’s mechanism changes dramatically.

LDN has an anti-inflammatory effect; studies show that it is able to block inflammatory toll-like receptors, reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and block inflammatory cascades. LDN works to balance the activity between Th1 and Th2 type cytokines.

Th1 type cytokines tend to produce pro-inflammatory response to kill intracellular parasites and propel autoimmune activities. Th2 type cytokines typically have more of an anti-inflammatory activity and can counteract the activity of Th1 cytokines. LDN selectively modulates this balance by reducing Th1 activity and increasing Th2 cytokine activities.

Clinically, LDN has been shown to be effective against post-COVID and post-vaccine neurological symptoms. It has been listed by the FLCCC to be effective against neuropathic pain, brain fog, fatigue, bell’s palsy, and facial paresthesia.

This is because LDN also reduces neuroinflammation. It is neuroprotective and is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and reduce inflammatory actions of the microglia, which function as immune cells in the brain.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a nutraceutical commonly found in fruits. It can be found in peanuts, pistachios, grapes, red and white wine, blueberries, cranberries, and even cocoa and dark chocolate.

It can also be obtained through vitamins, though there is generally a low bioavailability of resveratrol, and therefore the FLCCC recommends it to be taken with quercetin. Resveratrol is anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidizing. Studies have shown it to be selective in killing cancer cells. It activates DNA repair pathways and therefore can reduce cellular stress and prevent the formation of cancerous cells.

In stressed cells, resveratrol can reduce reactive oxygen species produced by the mitochondria and promote autophagy. In animal studies on fruit flies and nematodes, the use of resveratrol increased their lifespan, indicating the molecule’s anti-aging and life-extending properties.

Low Dose Aspirin

Similar to ivermectin, aspirin is another drug that has been found to be multifaceted in its effects for health.

Aspirin is anti-inflammatory and an anticoagulant. The drug therefore reduces the chance of micro-clot formation in the blood vessels. Studies have shown that it can also reduce pro-inflammatory pathways, oxidative stress, and is also neuroprotective.

Neurocognitive impairment has been a major complaint of many people suffering from post-COVID vaccine syndromes. This includes brain fog and peripheral neuropathic pain.

Studies on Alzheimer’s disease patients have shown that taking aspirin was associated with slower cognitive decline, though results have been conflicting across different studies.

Animal studies showed that rats that were given aspirin had lower cognitive decline. Studies in rats with damaged nerves suggested that aspirin may also be neuroprotective due to its anti-inflammatory nature. The use of aspirin may cause side effects in pregnancy and such as bleeding.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland to promote a restful sleep. It has both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidizing properties. In cells, melatonin promotes mitochondrial health by reducing active oxygen species. Because the mitochondria uses a lot of oxygen, when it is stressed through environmental toxins such as radiation or spike protein exposure, it may produce reactive oxygen species.

Melatonin, an antioxidant, can therefore prevent oxidative damage. Studies show that it also prevents leakage of electrons from mitochondria and therefore maximizes energy production. It also promotes autophagy by unblocking the autophagy pathway, helping the cell to break down spike proteins and boost the removal of these toxic proteins.

Due to its anti-oxidizing property, melatonin repairs DNA damaged by free radicals. Melatonin and its metabolites also activate genes that promote DNA repair, and suppress gene activity that may lead to damaged DNA.

Melatonin also has anti-cancerous properties. Animal studies on melatonin have shown that animals that were administered melatonin had a lower rate of tumor generation.

Melatonin has also been recommended by the FLCCC in treating tinnitus, a symptom of post-vaccine and long COVID. The symptom is a ringing in the ears, and can disturb sleep if severe. Melatonin can help reduce the ringing and help people to get a good night’s sleep.

Differences Between Long COVID and Post-Vaccine Syndrome

Both long COVID and post-vaccine syndrome are driven by spike protein load and damage from spike exposure, and therefore share a high degree of overlap in treatment.

However, doctors notice slight differences in certain clinical presentations between the two conditions, and therefore the FLCCC have prioritized different treatments.

“It seems that with the vaccine injured, the predominant symptom and the predominant organ is neurological,” said Marik. In his observation, roughly “more than 80 percent of patients with vaccine injury have some degree of neurological impairment.”

Marik said post-vaccine symptoms can also be harder to treat than long COVID, and are more persistent, with some patients presenting with debilitating symptoms for almost two years. Therefore treatment for people with post-vaccine symptoms are “more aggressive and more brain targeted,” said Marik.

“It seems like long COVID gets better with time. While some patients persist, it seems to be somewhat self resolving to a degree,” said Marik. “The problem with the vaccine-injured is that it can persist. We have patients who were vaccinated in December of 2020 … [who] are still severely, severely injured.”

“The two are similar, but we’ve put much more emphasis on the vaccine-injury because it’s a much more difficult disease to treat.”