Winning the Viral Battle With Covid
How Do RNA Virus Work
Covid is is catagoized as an RNA (ribonucleic acid) virus. In order to understand the significance of this we have to understand what RNA is and what it does. RNA is the transcription system for the DNA. The DNA is kept safely in the nucleous of the cell. It can’t talk to the other parts of the cell directly. In order to give the cell instructions for how to operate it “gives” this data by way of RNA. Think of the RNA as a detailed design spec of a specific protein. This is given in order to tell a cell how to make the specific proteins that it is SUPPOSED TO MAKE! All cells do not make the same proteins and all cells do not make all proteins.
After it is created, the RNA meets up with a Ribosome and the Ribosome reads the RNA and starts making the instructed proteins from amino acids. This is a very well guarded and protected process. The job of each cell is to make very specific proteins and only those specific proteins.
Viral Infestation
Without going into all of the cell biology which allows a virus to attache to the cell (primarily the Ace2 Receptor), lets just use the drawing below for understanding. The virus enters the body and makes its way to a cell where it attaches. It penetrates the cholesterol lining of the cell and begins to inject its own RNA into the cell. An unsuspecting (cellular anthropomorphism) ribosome sees the RNA and utilizes it to start to make viral proteins. The viral cell continues to pump its RNA into the cell creating more and more viral proteins until it can make the cell abandon creating its own DNA proteins and only make viral proteins therefore totally taking over the cell.
The Viral proteins are used to create more virus cells and they spread to other cells, this is how the infection starts and spreads.
Virus are not technically alive in that they can only replicate in a host cell.
The 4 levels of Immune Response
SIMPLE Overview of the Human Immune System
People have an incredible lack of understanding about how the immune system works. I believe we have become conditioned to believing that only people in Lab Coats can understand these deeply scientific and complex bit of magic. NOT TRUE. I think this is the perception many would like you to have because either they do not understand the biology of the Immune system so they don’t want to embarrass themselves or that your ignorance give them an advantage over you.
Let’s start by looking at the Immune system for a practical understanding:
Is it an invisible force field which protects us from everything?
NO! As a matter of fact the immune system generally does not keep us from being infected. It is more accurate to say it knows how to deal with viral invaders and sequesters them to keep us safe. Think of the police. The police do not eliminate crime, they fight it and capture and lock up the criminals. They cannot stop crime they can only deal with it when it occurs.
Most people think the immune system is like Superman where nothing can hurt him. Bullets bounce off Superman and he barely notices they are there. No, the immune system would be more aptly associated with Batman. The bad guys can really beat on Batman. They can bruise him, they can bloody him up, they can knock him out and they can even conceivable kill him. But, they are unlikely to beat him. He just keeps getting back up and fighting. If you loved the movie Rocky then you should love your Immune System.
The Technical Stuff:
What are the 5 levels of Immunity found in the Batman Utility Belt?
Denatured/Barrier
This is one of the most ill defined areas of the immune system. It is your first layer of defense. Basically, it is the Body Membranes and the Mucus Membranes of the body. Yup, it is that simple if you think of these membranes like a boat then if they are healthy and solid then water (virus) cannot get in. If your boat is full of holes then here comes the water and you are going to have to start bailing…This is where the rest of the immune system kicks in.
A pourous/cracked mucus membrane is one of the reasons smokers (vapers) have a significantly higher infection rate than non-smokers to all infections. Smoking drys out your mucus membranes & by the say so does dehydration…don’t smoke and stay hydrated my friends.
Innate Immune System
Now we are getting to the real biochemsitry of the Immune System. The Innate Immune System is focused on the T Cell. If you read my previous article on Cell Biology where I describe how a cell works in a analogy of a factory then this should be easy. If not look it up, it is a short and fun read.
As we know each cell is basically a Protein Making Factory. The proteins the factory make, as a rule of cellular biology, must be displayed on the cell surface as a Peptide held in a structure called an MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex ). The best way to understand this is to think of the MHC as a Billboard and the Peptide is a picture of the Proteins being made at the factory (cell).
This is where we need to discuss 2 types of T Cells which are also primary players in the other 3 Immune system layers. These are CD4 (Memory/Helper) & CD8 (Cytotoxic) T Cells.
CD4 Memory/Helper Cell
Think of the CD4 as your policeman on the beat. He is traveling around the city (your body) and checking all of the factories out. Specifically, he is looking at all of the signs (MHC) outside the factory. If the CD4 sees that what is on the sign is not what the factory is supposed to make then he puts in a call to SWAT. In this case SWAT is the CD8 cell. When CD8 (SWAT) is called in that cell is “going down”. The CD8 cell starts a process which causes the infected cell (factory) to go though an orderly process of self destruction (Apoptosis). The CD8 does not enter the cell and try to eliminate the Virus or the viral proteins in the cell. That cannot be done because when the cell is infected it is just a matter of time until it can only makes Viral Proteins and therefore starts to infect many more cells. NOTE: Important to note is that in this case since the CD4 has never seen this object on the sign before it could slow down the process of calling in CD8.
Adaptive Immune System
The adaptive immune system is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It adapts the immune system to looking for previous known pathogens. The players in the game are the same. You have a cell, you have a virus, you have peptides, you have CD4 & CD8 cells. Yup, the gang is all here.
So what is the difference between Innate and Adaptive Immune Response. I am glad you asked. Let’s sum it up to VELOCITY OF RESPONSE.
Innate T Cell Response
Think of it this way. Our CD4 policeman is walking his beat. He sees a sign (MHC) with a picture of what the factory is making (Peptide). He is not sure what he is looking at. He hesitates and may walk by because the factory is supposed to be making coffee cups and what he sees may look like a handle for a coffee cup. He has never seen it before so he walks by. He may do this a few times before saying, “Hey, wait a darn minute, I think that is a detenator. That factory is making bombs!” The CD4 then calls in the CD8. But in the intervening time this cell could have infected many other cells in the city. Maybe so many that it will take a long time for our friend CD8 to destroy. Or, in the worse case it could be too many for the CD8 to deal with and now we have real trouble.
Moving into the real world; This delay in recognition of the Viral Peptide could be enough time for the virus to invade enough cells that you begin to show symptoms. This is called being Symtomatic. Or if you are metabolicly compromised, as 88% of Americans are, then it might put you into a very bad set circumstances. In this case your metabolic health will certainly determine your outcome.
The Adaptive Part of the Name
The important thing is that it is Adaptive. Once the CD4 sees and identifies a Viral Peptide if does not forget it. It remembers it forever and this leads us to our next section.
T Cell Prior Adapted Immunity
Ok same players but a key difference. The CD4 is on the look out for any Viral Peptides it has seen in the past. So it has the picture of this thing pasted right next to its “brain”. This allows for almost instantaneous response. As soon as the T Cell sees the virus it calls in CD8. This occurs very quickly and early in the infectous process. It you have good Metabolic Health then this will happen very effectively.
So, isn’t this a “novel” coronavirus. Well, yes and no.
Yes, in terms of being novel it seems to have some unique characteristics that lead to very poor outcomes for those among us who are the sickest.
No, in terms of being invisible to the immune system.
Important to understand is that we have had coronavirus around forever. Approximately 20% of all colds are caused by coronavirus. Also important to understand is that many of the proteins which produce Covid-19 are the same as the normalized coronavirus even down to the spike proteins.
Why is this important?
This is important because the CD4 T Cell has the ability to “infer” that something is similar. So, it seems, that the CD4 recognizes Covid-19 as a pathogen because of previous encounters with the Coronavirus which causes cold symptoms. THIS IS A BIG DEAL! This may be one of the reasons why so few people actually show symptoms, even if they test positive.
DON’T GET ME STARTED ON TESTING WHICH IS ABYSMAL AND INACCURRATE…FUTURE ARTICLE.
Wrap Up
Since the CD4 can quickly identify the covid-19 proteins from previous encounters with a much less harmful cold causing version your body can mount a defense prior to a large cellular viral outbreak and potentially saving your life.
T or B Cells Newly Adapted Immunity
Perhaps this is a little more nuanced but is vitally important to understand. At this phase of the immune response the T Cells come up to bat first and if they are successful the battle is over. If they are not then they work with the bodies B Cells to produce Antibodies to fight the infection. At this point we are pretty deep into the infection. So Antibodies are the Storm Troopers who are very powerful.
THE POINT
A metabolically healthy body has all kinds of ways to fight Covid-19. Only one pathway leads to Antibody production. This is SO IMPORTANT because so many in the public believe that if you do not show antibodies then you are a victim waiting to happen. NOT TRUE. Estimates are that ~ 80% of viral infections are beaten by the T Cell pathway therefore never is there a requirement to produce Antibodies. If you do not show antibodies you can still either have had or be capable of fighting against Covid-19.
How Covid is survivable by ~99+ % of the Population
You have to be quite metabolically ill to die from the effects of Covid-19. Many people have had it and their T Cell immunity has kicked in and beaten it therefore rendering them quite capable of fighting against a future attack. This is done, in most cases, without any symptoms and certainly without Antibodies produced or needed.
What causes you to be in the <1% vulnerable
This is all about your metabolic health. If you are metabolically unhealthy how would you know? Take the 3 Pillar Metabolic Health test and see:
How can you remove yourself from the 1% vulnerable
A few of the 100’s of metabolic illness based diseases.
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FINAL COMMENT
We as a nation are so worried about a virus that kills less than 1% of our population. We are willing to tank the economy, wear masks everywhere, stay away from family and friends, not attend funerals to bury our dead and finally to give up our basic American Liberties. But, everyday 8000 Americans die and 6400 of them die from a Metabolic illness which could be fixed with Zero Medicines. Yet no one will take a second and pay attention to what kills 80% of Americans. It is like we are walking through the Lion’s Den worried about a hangnail.
Wake up…worry about the lion, for it will surely kill you if you do not get out of its den.