| Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
by Jim English and Ward Dean, MD
The recent appearance of a new lethal infectious
respiratory disease is naturally a cause for concern and apprehension.
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is continuing its global
spread as we prepare to send our newsletter off to the printer.
To date, since emerging from an agricultural community in China,
SARS quickly spread across the globe, infecting at least 3,235 people
in 22 countries and killing 161 people worldwide, mostly in Asia.
New medical updates — seemingly released
every few hours — are helping researchers better understand
the epidemic, but often one announcement simply contradicts the
details of a previous finding. One day the outbreak in China is
under control, the next brings a batch of fresh cases and newfound
fears of 'super spreaders.' A prime example is that shortly after
declaring the outbreak under control, Hong Kong authorities were
hit with forty new cases and nine deaths in a single day.
In response to the epidemic, people in affected
regions are rarely seen without a surgical mask, and those outside
affected areas are staying away. Airlines have cancelled flights
to and from Asia, schools have been closed, and residents of apartment
complexes that housed infected patients are being moved to quarantine
camps — all in a desperate bid to halt the spread of SARS.
In hard-hit Canada, health authorities have taken the extraordinary
step of closing hospitals while isolating anyone showing signs of
infection.
Given the seriousness of the situation and the
rapidly changing stream of information, our purpose in this article
is to focus on the current known facts concerning SARS and to suggest
potentially preventative and therapeutic options
Since emerging from mainland China a month ago, SARS has been identified
as a new form of coronavirus, so named for the halo of blobby protein
spurs surrounding the viral envelope (Fig. 1).
Coronaviruses are not new, as other types of this
virus are known to cause colds and respiratory illnesses that may
develop into bronchitis and pneumonia. What makes SARS unique is
that this species has not been seen before — a fact that complicated
early attempts to find a treatment for the disease.
Researchers in Canada have just announced the
sequencing of the viral genome, which will greatly aid development
of diagnostic test kits for rapid identification of the illness.
Additionally, researchers in the Netherlands have confirmed that
monkeys infected with the coronavirus develop the same symptoms
as humans do — an important finding required to verify that
this virus is the actual causative agent.
According to the CDC, SARS begins with a high fever (greater than
100.4¡ F [38.0¡ C]) and flu-like symptoms that can include
headache, an overall feeling of discomfort, and body aches. Some
people also experience mild respiratory symptoms. After two to seven
days, SARS patients may develop a dry cough and have trouble breathing.
Symptoms often progress to a severe form of pneumonia.
SARS appears to be spread primarily by close person-to-person contact.
Most cases of SARS involved people who cared for or lived with someone
with SARS, or had direct contact with infectious material (for example,
respiratory secretions) from a person who has SARS. Potential ways
in which SARS can be spread include touching the skin of other people
or objects that are contaminated with infectious droplets and then
touching your eye(s), nose, or mouth. This can happen when someone
who is sick with SARS coughs or sneezes, spreading the virus to
other people or to nearby surfaces. It also is possible that SARS
can be spread more broadly through the air, by fecal material, or
by other means that are currently not known .
Cases of SARS continue to be reported mainly among people who have
had direct close contact with an infected person, such as those
sharing a household with a SARS patient and health-care workers
who did not use infection control procedures while taking care of
a SARS patient. One troubling aspect of SARS is that, unlike influenza
and other viral diseases that mostly threaten the very young and
the elderly, SARS is also infecting young adults (under 45 years)
who have relatively healthy immune systems. And recent reports from
Hong Kong indicate that the virus is mutating, and researchers fear
that the changes are making the disease more severe.
Currently there is no clear treatment for SARS. Antibiotics are
ineffective, and patients are reportedly not being helped with standard
antiviral drugs. Aside from putting patients on respirators to assist
lung functions, the only response left is to make the patients comfortable
while isolating them to contain and control the epidemic.
Since SARS is caused by a virulent virus that is unresponsive to
available treatments it seems reasonable to use a combination of
antivirals and immune enhancers to protect those at risk, or even
to treat those who may be infected.
Consequently, the first thing we recommend is
to use a cool mist humidifier, filled with a solution of one bottle
of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, and two bottles of water. This provides
a one percent aerosolized mist of hydrogen peroxide. Just fire up
the humidifier and run it in the bedroom at night, and in the home
or office during the day. Usually, one or two days may be all that
is required to alleviate a number of pulmonary infections, ranging
from the common cold to pneumonia. Hydrogen peroxide is a very effective
anti-microbial, and virtually kills the bugs on contact. Overuse
(more than a few days of continuous use) may result in bleaching
of the hair, although this would be a minor inconvenience compared
to the potential adverse consequences of SARS.
Second, we suggest Mild Silver Protein 400 ppm.
MSP is also a powerful virucidal substance. Based on reports from
physicians who have treated patients suspected to have SARS, high
doses of MSP are required, i.e., one tablespoon per hour until symptoms
begin to resolve. This usually requires several days. UniBiotic
» is also designed specifically for pulmonary infections, and may
provide added protection — especially in terms of preventing
secondary bacterial infections. Other antiviral nutrients like Olive
Leaf Extract and Garlic may also be helpful.
The other side of the preventive-therapeutic coin
is to maintain the integrity of the immune system. We believe the
most powerful immune enhancer is Thymic Protein A. Although the
recommended dose is three envelopes daily, many of the benefits
of this remarkable substance can be obtained by doses as low as
one or two envelopes per week. Thymic Protein A can be augmented
with other immune enhancers like Colostrum, ImmunoMax , or Lactoferrin.
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) and Calcium AEP (Ca-AEP) might also be useful,
for general lung health.
Medical scientists and health care researchers are working around
the clock to contain and understand this new disease. And one has
to be impressed with the speed with which researchers and epidemiologists
have identified and begun to take measures to halt the spread of
this virulent disease. In the span of three weeks researchers have
been able to identify SARS as a new form of coronavirus, zero in
on its probable source (animal) and successfully unravel its genome.
This is especially impressive when one considers the years it once
took to isolate and identify a single viral agent such as HIV.
Yet despite the high-tech successes in response
to the SARS outbreak, there is currently no cure or effective treatment,
aside from mechanical breathing support while the body defends itself
against the infection.
Naturally, all of these recommendations are guesswork
— but hopefully it is 'educated guesswork.' We think the preventive
and therapeutic recommendations above are likely to be more effective
than typical government recommendations like surgical masks, plastic
sheeting and duct tape .
References
1. Lee, N., Hui, D., Wu, ., et al. A Major Outbreak of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome in Hong Kong. NEJM. Published online April
7, 2003. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/NEJMoa030685v1.
2. T.G. Ksiazek and Others. A Novel Coronavirus Associated with
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/NEJMoa030781v1 .
3. C. Drosten and Others. Identification of a Novel Coronavirus
in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/NEJMoa030747v1
.
4. World Health Organization.Cumulative number of reported cases
(SARS)
http://www.who.int/csr/sarscountry .
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) updated interim case definition.
http://www.cdc.gov .
|
