Michigan COVID-19 Update

The Department of Internal Medicine (my home) at the University of Michigan Medical Center devoted its weekly Grand Rounds to a discussion of the first 30 days of COVID-19 here.

Just last week, the hospital opened a new ward – the 32 bed RICU (Regional Infectious Containment Unit) – devoted to the care of COVID-19 patients, featuring negative pressure to keep materials from spreading beyond the unit.  The unit quickly filled and now encompasses 50 beds, devoted now only to the most serious cases.  The second patient ever encountered was a middle aged woman with lupus, Sjögren’s and preexisting lung disease who was already on Plaquenil plus some more potent immunosuppression.  In anticipation of compassionate use of the experimental antiviral remdesivir, she had her Plaquenil held, and she became rapidly worse, only to have the Plaquenil reinstated.  Despite continued Plaquenil, remdesivir, Actemra and steroids she remains on the ventilator at maximum support, still alive.

One huge leap forward was getting our own high throughput lab testing for coronavirus, not having to rely on sendouts or the low capacity CDC test.

Treatments pretty much follow the guidelines I’ve shared with you out of China on my blogs.  They do start Plaquenil a little higher, 600 mg twice daily vs. 400 mg, but otherwise dose it the same.  One new drug to creep onto the list of options is nitazoxanide (Alinia), approved by the FDA in 2004 for treatment of protozoal infections (cryptosporidiosis and giardia, both water borne buggers that can cause diarrhea, with crypto having become a particular problem in HIV patients).  It works by interfering with the pyruvate ferredoxin/flavodoxin oxidoreductase dependent electron transfer reaction, which is essential to anaerobic energy metabolism.  As such, it markedly modulates the survival, growth, and proliferation of a range of extracellular and intracellular protozoa, helminths, anaerobic and microaerophilic bacteria, in addition to viruses.  Nitazoxanide exhibited activity against the MERS coronavirus in the test tube, but there have been no reports of its clinical efficacy.

Three clinical trials are in progress at U of M.  Two employ remdesivir, one for moderate illness and one for severe illness.  Another employs sarlilumab (Kevzara), an anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody, very similar to tocilizumab (Actemra), which I’ve discussed before.

So we plug along at U of M, looking to face a flood of new cases over the next 2 weeks.  They haven’t yet begun trying to coax the retirees back into harness, at least yet.  Stay tuned.

drugs

actually, those 95 authors did provide a table of the drugs they’ve tested which show promise against coronavirus. Here it is. I fear the structure of the table has not survived the paste. I refer the interested reader back to the URL in my last blog post. Take it as a demonstration of the amazing array of stuff out that that may be able to corral our annoying little visitor.

Table 1a. Literature-deriveda drugs and reagents that modulate SARS-Cov-2 interactors.

Compound Name

Compound Structure

Human Gene

Viral Bait              Drug Status

Activity (nM)

Silmitasertib106,107

CSNK2A2             N

Approved (Cancer)

CK2 inhibitor IC50 = 1

TMCB108                                                           CSNK2A2            N

Pre-clinical

Multi-targeted protein kinase inhibitor

Ki  = 21

Apicidin109                                                            HDAC2            Nsp5             Pre-clinical            HDAC inhibitor IC50 = 120

Valproic Acid110,111                                                      HDAC2            Nsp5

Approved (CNS

diseases, Cancer)

HDAC2 inhibitor Ki = 5

Bafilomycin A1112                                                     ATP6AP1          Nsp6             Pre-clinical           ATPase inhibitor IC50 = 100

E-52862113                                                          SIGMAR1          Nsp6            Clinical Trial        Sigma 1 antagonist IC50 = 17

PD-144418114                                                       SIGMAR1          Nsp6             Pre-clinical         Sigma 1 antagonist Ki = 0.8

RS-PPCC115                                                        SIGMAR1          Nsp6             Pre-clinical           Sigma 1 agonist Ki = 1.5

PB28

SIGMAR1

116                                                                                           TMEM97

Nsp6             Pre-clinical Orf9c

Sigma 1/2 modulator IC50 = 15

117                                                                                   SIGMAR1

Nsp6

Approved

Sigma 1/2 modulator

Haloperidol

TMEM97

Orf9c

(CNS

diseases)

Ki = 2-12

Entacapone

118,119

COMT             Nsp7

Approved (Parkinson’s disease)

COMT inhibitor IC50 = 151

Indomethacin120                                                       PTGES2           Nsp7

Approved (Inflammation, Pain)

Prostaglandin E2 synthase inhibitor IC50 = 750

Metformin121                                                          NDUFs            Nsp7

Orf9c

Approved (Diabetes)

MRC 1 inhibitor (indirect)

Ponatinib122                                                            RIPK1           Nsp12             Approved (Cancer)

RIPK1 inhibitor IC50 = 12

H-89123                                                             PRKACA         Nsp13            Pre-clinical

Protein kinase A inhibitor

KD  = 48

Merimepodib124                                                       IMPDH2          Nsp14           Clinical Trial           IMPDH inhibitor Ki = 10

Migalastat

125

α-Gal inhibitor IC50 = 40

Mycophenolic acid

126

IMPDH inhibitor IC50 = 20

  GLA   Nsp14 Approved (Fabry     disease)   IMPDH2   Nsp14 Approved (Organ     rejection)    

Ribavirin127                                                           IMPDH2          Nsp14             Approved (Viral infection)

IMPDH inhibitor IC50 = 100-250

XL413128                                                             DNMT1            Orf8             Clinical Trial            CDC7 inhibitor IC50 = 3.4

CCT 365623129                                                           LOX               Orf8

Pre-clinical

LOXL2 inhibitor IC50 = 1500

Midostaurin130                                                       MARK2/3          Orf9b              Approved (Cancer)

Protein kinase inhibitor MARK1

KD = 100 MARK3 KD = 23

Ruxolitinib

131

MARK2/3          Orf9b

Approved (Myelofibrosis)

Protein kinase inhibitor MARK1

KD = 660 MARK3

KD > 10000

ZINC1775962367132                                                   DCTPP1          Orf9b             Pre-clinical

ZINC4326719133                                                      DCTPP1          Orf9b             Pre-clinical

ZINC4511851134                                                      DCTPP1          Orf9b             Pre-clinical

dCTPase inhibitor IC50 = 47

DCTPP1 inhibitor IC50 = 19

dCTPase inhibitor IC50 = 20

ZINC95559591

135                                                                                 MARK3

TBK1

Orf9b            Pre-clinical Nsp13

Protein kinase inhibitor MARK3 IC50 = 12

TBK1 IC50 = 6

AC-55541136                                                           F2RL1            Orf9c             Pre-clinical

AZ8838137                                                             F2RL1            Orf9c             Pre-clinical

PAR agonist pEC50 = 6.7

PAR antagonist IC50 = 344

Daunorubicin

138

ABCC1           Orf9c

Approved (Cancer)

Topoisomerase inhibitor

Ki  = 70

GB110139                                                              F2RL1            Orf9c             Pre-clinical              PAR2 agonist EC50 = 280

S-verapamil140

ABCC1           Orf9c

Approved (Hypertension)

Ca2+ channel inhibitor and drug efflux transporter inhibitor

Ki = 113

AZ3451137                                                             F2RL1            Orf9c             Pre-clinical

PAR2 negative allosteric modulator pKD = 15

  1. These drug-target associations are drawn from chemoinformatic searches of the literature, drawing on databases such as ChEMBL141, ZINC142 and IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology143

Table 1b. Expert-identifieda drugs and reagents that modulate SARS-CoV-2 interactors.

Compound Name

Compound Structure

Human Gene/ Process

Viral Bait

Drug Status

Activity (nM)

ABBV-74468                                                                                                           BRD2/4                E          Clinical Trial

  Degrades BRD BRD2/4 E Pre-clinical proteins       IC50 <       10000    

dBET6144

BRD

inhibitor KD = 2.1

MZ1145                                                                                                                 BRD2/4                E           Pre-clinical

  BRD2/4 inhibitor BRD2 BRD2/4 E Clinical Trial IC50 = 25       BRD4       IC50 = 18    

CPI-0610146

Degrades BRD

proteins KD = 120-

228

Sapanisertib87,147                                                                                                       LARP1                N          Clinical Trial

mTOR

inhibitor IC50 = 1

Rapamycin87,148

LARP1 FKBP15 FKBP7/10

N

Nsp2 Orf8

Approved (Organ rejection)

mTOR

inhibitor (with FKBP) IC50 = 2.0

149                                                                                                           EIF4E2/H            Nsp2        Clinical Trial          EIF4a

Zotatifin

inhibitor IC50 = 1.5

Verdinexor

NUPs

150                                                                                                            RAE1

Nsp4 Nsp9 Orf6

Clinical Trial

XPO1

nuclear export inhibitor IC50 = 960

Chloroquine151                                                                                                      SIGMAR1           Nsp6

Approved (Malaria)

Sigma 1 binder Ki = 100

Dabrafenib152                                                                                                            NEK9               Nsp9          Approved (Cancer)

NEK9

inhibitor IC50 = 1

 CEP250 inhibitor
(with
WDB002CEP250Nsp13Clinical TrialFKBP)
    Kd = 0.29
      PPIA-
    IMPDH2
    modulator
Sanglifehrin A153IMPDH2Nsp14Pre-clinicalPPIA KD =
    0.2
    IDPDH2
    Binding

EC50 =

11.5 (with PPIA)

FK-506

154                                                                                                              FKBP7              Orf8

FKBP10

Approved (Organ rejection)

FKBP

binder

Pevonedistat67                                                                                                           CUL2              Orf10       Clinical Trial

Ternatin 4155                                                                                                       Translation                           Pre-clinical

NEDD8-

activating enzyme inhibitor IC50 = 4.7

eEF1A

inhibitor IC50 = 71

4E2RCat

58                                                                                                         Translation                           Pre-clinical

eIF4E/G PPI

inhibitor IC50 = 13500

Tomivosertib156,157                                                                                                 Translation                          Clinical Trial

MNK1/2

inhibitor IC50 = 2.4

Viral

158

Pre-clinical

Cyclophilin inhibitor

Compound 2

Transcription

KD = 24

Compound 10159                                                                                                          Viral

Transcription

PS306130                                                                                                           ER protein

processing

Pre-clinical

Pre-clinical

PI4K-IIIβ

inhibitor IC50 = 3.4

Sec61 inhibitor IC50 = 20-

500

IHVR-19029160,161

ER protein                          Clinical Trial processing

Antiviral activity

IC50 = 1200

Captopril

162

Cell Entry

Approved (Hypertension)

ACE

inhibitor Ki = 3

Lisinopril163

Cell Entry

Approved (Hypertension)

ACE

inhibitor Ki = 0.27

Camostat164,165                                                                                                      Cell Entry                             Approved (Pancreatitis)

Nafamostat164,166                                                                                                    Cell Entry                             Approved (Anticoagulant)

Serine protease 1 inhibitor IC50 < 1000

Serine protease 1 inhibitor IC50 = 100

Chloram-

phenicol167                                                                                                       Mitochondrial

ribosome

Approved (Bacterial infection)

Mito- chondrial ribosome inhibitor IC50 = 7400

Tigecycline168                                                                                                    Mitochondrial

ribosome

Approved (Bacterial infection)

Mito- chondrial ribosome inhibitor IC50 = 3300

Linezolid169

Mitochondrial ribosome

Approved (Bacterial infection)

Mito- chondrial ribosome inhibitor IC50 = 16000

a. These molecules derive from expert analysis of human protein interactors of SARS-Co-V2 and reagents and drugs that modulate them; not readily available from the chemoinformatically-searchable literature.

Look out Mr. Corona, here comes Science

The latest piece of COVID-19 information circulating in my Division Monday was a pre-print of a manuscript submitted to Nature (perhaps the world’s most highly regarded scientific journal) regarding the results of a molecular tour de force investigation of COVID-19’s protein components and the human proteins with which they interact, examining properties of existing drugs which might disturb those interactions and thereby cripple the virus.  The paper has not finished going through the peer-review process, so the final “official” report could end up looking slightly different.

There are 95 authors listed in the masthead, almost all with various UCSF associations, but Paris, Seattle and New York City are also represented.

They started by taking the virus apart.  That 30,000 base pair RNA genome has 14 ”open reading frames” you could call genes which direct synthesis  of 14 globs of protein which manage to self digest and reassemble themselves into 16 non-structural proteins (which direct the virus’ dirty work on the cell), 4 structural proteins (which the virus presents to the world in its “crown”) and 9 “accessory factors” which have a mysterious role.  They managed to clone all 29 of these into plasmids (DNA taken up by cells and expressed) and gotten cultured human cells to crank out good amounts of each one.  They could verify each product was the real deal  in 27 instances.  Then they mixed them up with proteins from human cells from 16 different organs coronavirus is known to infect.  The identified 332 interactions between different virus proteins and different cell materials.  Here is where the rubber was meeting the road when coronavirus sets up shop.  Interfere with those interactions and maybe you’ve got a chance.  To be more sure that the human proteins interacting in the test tube were relevant, they checked the evolutionary profiles of the proteins, judging that proteins more stable across evolution would more likely be real viral targets.  The 332 looked like they filled this bill.  They characterized the nature of the various interactions, finding interactions related to lipid modifications and vesicle trafficking (the virus moves in and out of intracellular vesicles and appropriates the cell’s lipids for its own coat), interactions with multiple innate immune pathways (the defenses our cells have at the ready regardless of identity of invader), interactions with a Cullin ubiquitin ligase complex (don’t ask me), and interaction with bromodomain proteins (important in regulating gene transcription).

Then came the “wow” part (if the molecular virology thusfar didn’t tickle you as much as it did this old virologist).  They sought to find molecules that would target human proteins in the SARS-CoV-2 “interactome” (a term I think they just coined, but a nice way to describe whatever two-backed beast that formed whenever bits of corona and human came together).  Drugs are no longer some sort of mystery potion drawn from the doctor’s bag.  Molecular structures are known, and at least putative mechanisms exist.  And they’re all catalogued.   Chemoinformatics, they call it.   They found 62 drugs that could conceivably modulate the virus-human interactions they’d characterized.  Some are still pre-clinical.  But some old war horses showed up, including Depekote (valproic acid), an anti-seizure drug, Haldol (haloperidol), an anti-psychotic (which we might all need if this goes on much longer), chloroquine (Aralen) of course, CellCept (mycophenolic acid, an immune suppressant and anti-transplant drug), ribavirin (already in the Chinese guideline), and even metformin (a common diabetes drug).  As I type this, I plan to make you a full table, which the 95 authors did not.  I’m going to save that for a later post so I can get this out.  There’s not a lot of room in Nature.  Not a problem here, but I have your attention span to consider.

Please don’t go asking your doctor for any of these drugs.   That’s happening badly enough with Plaquenil already.   But realize this sort of high-tech investigation is going on and could rapidly lead to new treatments for our current plague.  Trust that the nerds have their noses to the grindstone and good stuff is bound to turn up.

Hands off My Plaquenil?

My young friend Jason, research superstar and damn fine doctor to boot (see “shameless plugs” 2/22/20), is married to Sara, a science writer.  Sara has spent the last little while researching how the patients Jason and I look after see the new interest in one of their mainstay drugs – Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) – as a possible treatment for COVID-19.  Several of my recent posts have devoted space to that, but Sara examines the point of view of those who feel threatened by this interest.   I take the point of view that ramped up production should meet the needs of both rheumatology and coronavirus patients.  Until now, the market for hydroxychloroquine was pretty stagnant and manufacturers had no reason to produce more.

Her article appears in Undark, an interesting non-profit, editorially independent digital magazine exploring the intersection of science and society, based in Cambridge Mass, where there’s a lot of that about (M.I.T., Harvard and all that).  Here it is: https://undark.org/2020/03/22/hydroxychloroquine-lupus-covid19-coronavirus/

Treating COVID-19

On March 4th, in a 9 page (once translated) document, the Chinese Health and Public Health Ministry put out their 6th revision of its Guideline on Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Diagnosis and Treatment.  I put the full guidelines on my blog Thursday. 

Only 2 small sections mentioned anything about drug treatment.  But they have found some things that seem to work, at least for some cases.

First, lets look again at the treatment recommendations, then I’ll explain each drug to the best of my ability.

  1. Some recommended anti-viral treatments to try (there is currently no proven anti-viral for this virus.  The most promising one according to WHO officials is Remdesivir from Gilead):
  1. Alfa-interferon (5,000,000 U or similar dose, add 2ml sterile water) nebulized twice daily for adults, can be given in combination with any treatment below.
  • Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) 200mg/50mg 2 tablets twice daily for adults, for up to 10 days (monitor for GI side effect, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and elevated liver enzymes, QT prolongation – an electrocardiogram feature)
  • Ribavirin (recommended use in combination with Alpha-Interferon or Kaletra): 500mg IV twice daily-three times daily for adults, for up to 10 days
  • Chloroquine Phosphate 500mg twice daily for adults >50kg; 500mg twice daily for Day 1 and 2, then 500mg qd for Day 3-7 for adults<=50kg; up to 10 days
  • (Gilead’s remdesivir is currently under clinical study in China, so it’s not included in this guideline.)
  1. Close observation of side effect of each drug; do not recommend using >=3 antiviral treatments at one time.

Remsdesivir was developed by Gilead to treat Ebola, a filovirus that like COVID-19 has an RNA genome, but is smaller, both physically (80%) and by length of genome (2/3ds), plus its RNA is a negative strand so it must be duplicated before taking over the host cell.  And Ebola is not as hardy as the coronaviruses, as it must ride in the host’s bodily fluids to be transmitted.  ­­Remsdesivir works by acting as a nucleotide analog of adenosine (remember the 4 letters of the language of God: ATGC https://www.amazon.com/Language-God-Scientist-Presents-Evidence/dp/1416542744/ref=sr_1_1?crid=149QA07AXVVM1&keywords=the+language+of+god&qid=1584884234&sprefix=the+langua%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-1), taken up into the new RNA being made by the virus which can not then be translated and direct the manufacture of new virus proteins, a slick little chemical vascectomy for Mr. Corona.  In the lab, it’s been shown to suppress the replication of a number of RNA viruses, including the coronaviruses responsible for SARS and MERS.  In late January 2020, remdesivir was administered to the first US patient to be confirmed to be infected by SARS-CoV-2, in Snohomish County, Washington, for “compassionate use” after he progressed to pneumonia. While no broad conclusions were made based on the single treatment, the patient’s condition improved dramatically the next day, and he was eventually discharged https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2001191.  Clinical trials of the drug in active COVID-19 infection are underway in China and as a 50 site multicenter study coordinated out of the University of  Nebraska https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-clinical-trial-remdesivir-treat-covid-19-begins, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04280705.  In this trial, patients in the treatment arm will receive 200mg remsdesivir IV on day one then 100 mg IV daily to complete a 10 day course. Other trials are set to commence in Asia, and may be ongoing already.  Some will test a 5 days course.  Gilead and the investigators expect usable outcomes data in April.  Market analysists who study such things expect Gilead to price remsdesivir at $900-$1000 per course https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/coronavirus-remdesivir-gilead-antiviral-drug-covid-19/573261/.

Alfa-interferon is a much older therapeutic agent.  Not really a “drug”, it is coaxed out of cultured E.coli and purified to look just like the human alfa-interferon produced in response to viral infections.  There are three different interferon protein classes, alpha, beta and gamma.  Alpha interferons are produced by fibroblasts and monocytes exposed to viruses and viral components, boosting the activity of immune cells around them.  Beta and gamma classes come out in response to other of the host’s immune signalling proteins (cytokines).  One of the reasons you don’t get sick again right after recovering from a viral infection is that your circulating interferon levels are sky high. Over 40 years ago rheumatologists in Finland administered interferon to 6 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, seeing encouraging results.  They were trying to mimic the effect seen after a measles infection where patients often transiently improved.  Larger controlled trials could not confirm the positive effects seen, and the agent never entered the anti-rheumatic armamentarium, except for some promising observations with Behçet’s disease.  However, its anti-proliferative and anti-viral properties have been directed at: hairy cell leukemia, malignant melanoma, AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma, follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and condyloma acuminate (all FDA approved) and also chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), renal cell carcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors (carcinoid syndrome; islet cell tumor), multiple myeloma, non-follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, desmoid tumor, polycythemia vera, essential thrombocytopenia, and idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura.  It was the first agent to have any success against hepatitis C, and when ribavirin came along, combination therapy of ribavirin with interferon alpha was standard of care.  During courses of treatment, some patients with presexisting autoimmune diseases saw them flare, and new autoimmune diseases emerged in others.  Flu-like symptoms are common after injection. The agent can now be given in nebulized form, although the vehicle used can sometimes cause cough, likely limiting its use in patients already having respiratory difficulties.

Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) 200mg/50mg was developed for treatment of HIV, approved by the FDA in 2000.  Both lopinavir and ritonavir inhibit HIV’s protease, an important molecule it makes the invaded cell synthesize early in infection.  The 9 genes of HIV direct manufacture of 15 different proteins.  The protease is responsible for modifying all the other HIV proteins being manufactured that will make up the virus’s coat, blast exit of new viruses from the cell, and mediate entry into new cells.  The two drugs are given in combination because ritonavir increase the concentration of lopinavir in the body.  Neither drug given alone can achieve effective levels with oral dosing.  There are several other drugs of this class, including ritonavir (Norvir), nelfinavir (Viracept) and saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase).  Together, these drugs have revolutionized the treatment of HIV-1, converting it from a dreaded killer to a manageable chronic long term disease.  Kaletra (and the rest of the protease inhibitors) are expensive, with AbbVie offering a savings program worth $400/month to eligible patients.

Ribavirin is an old drug, patented in 1971 and approved for medical use in 1986 to treat hepatitis C.  It interferes with viral nucleic acid synthesis through molecular mimicry.  Once phosphorylated in the cell, it mimics inosine 5′-monophosphate, which is critical in making one of those “language of God” letters: G (guanine), and inhibits the enzyme Inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH).  RNA synthesis slows, and ribivarin monophosphate can be incorporated into new viral RNA leading to defective genes.  Resistance can develop if the drug is given alone, so it is always given with interferon.  While effective, it has largely been supplanted by newer medications (elbasvir/grazoprevir (Zepatier) glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (Mavyret), sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (Harvoni), sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (Epclusa).

I have just put on my white coat, complete with stethoscope in pocket, so I will be writing the rest of this piece with all the medical authority and experience I can muster.

The remaining drug is this first discussion of drug treatments in the Chinese Guideline is chlororquine phosphate (Aralen).  Although considered a product of an intensive U.S. research effort to develop an antimalarial alternative to quinacrine (Atabrine) during World War II, German producers of Atabrine had produced chloroquine phosphate in 1934 but shelved it as too toxic.  GIs in the Pacific disliked that Atabrine turned their skin yellow, and especially didn’t like it when Tokyo Rose told them it would make them sterile (untrue).  Noncompliance was a problem and many GIs died of malaria because they had not taken their Atabrine.  Aralen was patented in 1941 and GIs were taking this non-yellowing but effective drug by 1943.  The Journal of the American Chemical Society describing details of synthesis of Aralen was kept by the Defense Research Council from being published till after the war.  The drug’s antirheumatic effects were noticed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus who happened to take the drug for malaria prophylaxis.  Aralen was highly effective for malaria for a while, but resistant strains of Plasmodium  began to emerge by the mid-late 50s.   Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) was approved for malaria in 1955, and was better tolerated but no more effective against malaria.  Plaquenil became the preferred antirheumatic antimalarial, and many practicing rheumatologists now worry that the push for use of Plaquenil for coronavirus treatment will deprive their patients of an important drug.  I have covered use of antimalarials for coronavirus already in my blog (“My Corona” 3/14/20, “Plaquenil for Corona” 3/19/20, and “How Plaquenil may work” 3/20/20).

But wait there’s more!  Later in the guideline, under “Treatment for Severe and Critical Disease”, is this section:

Immunotherapy: for patients with bilateral diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, or patients in severe to critical stages, if blood IL-6 level is elevated, can try tocilizumab.  Initial dosage of tocilizumab is at 4-8mg/kg.  Recommended initial dosage is at 400mg, diluted by 0.9%NS to 100ml, infused over >1hr.  Patients without significant improvement after the initial dose, can have a second dose after 12 hours.  Total dosage should not exceed twice total, and single dosage should not exceed 800mg.  Watch for allergic reaction.  Patients with TB or other active infection should not use tocilizumab.

Tocilizumab (Actemra) is a humanized (made in animal cells then having the animal traces chopped off) monoclonal antibody to the interleukin-6 receptor.  Interleukin-6 is one of the main cytokines pumped out of the liver in acute inflammation, produces a number of negative  downstream effects when it binds to its receptor, an interaction prevented by Actemra.  It is highly effective in rheumatoid arthritis, and was improved for use there in 2014. More recently, it has been shown be effective in giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) an inflammatory disease affecting larger arteries, primarily of the head and neck, in older people.  It has found some use in “cytokine storm” an inflammatory emergency that can be seen in cancer patients that can occur when chemotherapy is so effective that there is extensive death of the cancer and a huge inflammatory response mounted against it.  Something similar can occur in the lungs of patients infected with COVID-19.  Actually, it is very old news that severe lung damage in virus infections is mediated more by the body’s immune response to the infection and dying lung tissue than to the infection itself.  This was seen in the lungs of people dying of pneumonia during the influenza pandemic of 1918.   With IL-6 being a prime mediator of this response, the reasoning goes that blocking this response might minimize and even reverse the damage.  The dosing regimen described is different form that used for RA or GCA, where the agent is infused every four weeks.

The Guideline also mentions giving high doses of prednisone to patients in respiratory distress, which happens all the time in medicine anyway.

So those are the weapons the Chinese are employing in the fight against COVID-19.  With the already wide distribution of this Guideline, no doubt some combinations of these treatments are being used in American hospitals now.  The story that’s going to break first is the Plaquenil/Aralen thing.  The FDA is front burner on at least one of them.  The winner may be the one whose manufacturer can turn up the synthesis vats fastest.  

I hope you readers take away some optimism that help is not only on the way, it’s actually already here.  All of these drugs have some undesirable side effects long term, proving again it’s not nice to fool mother nature.  But all these are for a very short term course.  And let’s pray we can use that term to describe the remaining life of COVID-19

How Plaquenil May Work

I struggled for 36 years in Rheumatology to figure out how Plaquenil works in our diseases, and never did.  But I think I might understand, at least in part, how it’s working in its new role as our savior from Mr. coronavirus.

It’s just a matter of simple chemistry.  OHC (hydroxychloroquine: Plaquenil) accumulates in acidic intracellular organelles, including the Golgi where coronavirus replicate, and does its diprotic base thing to raise the ambient pH, thus dousing our unwelcome viral intruders with Drano.

from a 16 year old text:

HCQ and chloroquine are aromatic two-ringed 4-amino quinolone compounds; quinacrine has an additional aromatic ring with a methoxy group (Fig. 42.5 ). All three compounds are weak diprotic bases, a property that facilitates intracellular accumulation of the compounds in acidic organelles. At neutral pH of serum and interstitial fluids, antimalarials are uncharged and pass freely across cell membranes (295 ). Within the mildly acidic milieu of intracellular vesicles, the compounds become protonated and no longer freely diffuse across organelle membranes. The resulting partition gradient for uncharged drug may lead to over 100-fold excess concentration of drug within acidic vesicles (296 ). Increases in the pH of intracellular vesicles within malarial parasites resulting in impaired enzymatic breakdown of hemoglobin nutrients and impaired assembly and function of malarial proteins constitute proposed antiparasitic mechanisms of antimalarial efficacy.

From: Chatham WW.  Traditional Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs: Gold Compounds D-Penicillamine Sulfasalazine and Antimalarials, in Arthritis and Allied Conditions: A Textbook of Rheumatology, WJ Koopman and LW Moreland, Editors.  Fifteenth edition.  2004, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Baltimore.  pp 280-309

The Chinese COVID-19 Guidelines March 4th

The Chinese Health and Public Health Ministry Guideline on Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Diagnosis and Treatment (revision #6) was released in Beijing March 4th.  The guideline derives from experiences in treating over 80,000 Chinese patients.  The document has been translated from Mandarin and stealthily but broadly circulated for about a week. Dr. Ainlin Xu, an allergist in private practice in Silicon Valley who grew up in Shanghai, sent it to one of my colleagues – who emailed it to the rest of the Division on Saturday – and asked that anyone receiving it make the document available to  “as many health institutions/hospitals/doctors as you can reach”.   If you Google it, you won’t go anywhere near the actual document.  But I’m pasting the whole thing in right here.  Much of it is stuff we already know, but there are some pretty interesting bits, particularly as regards treatment.  I’ll be commenting on that in my next post.  So here ya go, all 9 pages of it:

The 3/4/2020  Chinese Health and Public Health Ministry Guideline on Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Diagnosis and Treatment (Revision #6)

(I only summarized the clinically relevant information for US Healthcare System/Hospitals/Clinics)

  1. Characteristics of Pathogen

The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) belongs to the family of beta Coronavirus family.  It has significant genetic differences from SARSr-CoV, and MERSr-CoV.  Current research indicates that it has 85% genetic similarity with bat-SL-CoVZ45, isolated from bats.  When cultured outside the human body, 2019-nCoV can be detected in human respiratory epithelial cell within 96 hours, and after 6 days in Vero E6 and Huh-7 cells.

The virus is sensitive to UV light and heat.  Heat for 56C for 30min, Diethyl Ether, 75% Ethanol, disinfectant with chloride, H2O2, and other chlorinated disinfectant can effectively deactivate virus.

  • Characteristic of Infectibility
  1. Origin of Infection

Currently the main source of Infections are patients infected with the virus.  Patients without any clinical symptoms can also infect others.

  • Route of Transmission

Droplet and close contact are the main route of transmission.  Within enclosed environment, long time exposure in high viral load situation, transmission through aerosol is possible.  The Novel Coronavirus can be isolated in feces and urine.  It can be transmitted through contact or aerosolized droplets through the infected patient’s feces or urine.

  • Susceptible population

The general population (a supplemental guideline from the front line hospitals says most patients infected are adults 30 years or older)

  • Clinical Characteristics
  1. Clinical Presentation

Incubation Period is 1-14 days, most 3-7 days. 

Fever, dry cough, fatigue are the primary symptoms.  Some patients have nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, sore throat, muscle pain and diarrhea.  Severe patients usually develop difficulty breathing and hypoxia 1 week after onset of symptoms.  Critical patients may develop rapid progression into ARDS, sepsis, uncorrectable metabolic abnormality, DIC, and multi-organ failure.  Notably, severe and critical patients can have low grade fever, or no fever at all.

Some children and newborns present with atypical symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or just malaise or shortness of breath.  Children generally have milder symptoms. 

Mild patients present with low grade fever, mild fatigue, etc., without any signs of pneumonia.

From current cases, majority of patients can recover well.  Minority of patients become critical.  Elderly patients and patients with baseline diseases have poorer recovery.  Pregnant patients with COVID-19 have similar clinical courses as their non-pregnant peers.

(a supplemental guideline from the frontline hospitals says that it appears male have more severe diseases than female, and have a higher mortality rate)

  • Labs

In early stages of the disease, peripheral WBC number decreases, so is absolute lymphocytes.  (A supplemental guideline from the frontline hospitals also says that absolute lymphocyte/absolute neutrophil ratio seems to have some value in determining the severity of a patient’s disease, and help to indicate trend in a patient’s condition.  The lower the ratio, the more severe the patient is.) 

Some patients have elevated liver enzymes, LDH, and Myoglobulin; some have elevated Troponin.  Most patients have elevated CRP and ESR.  Severe patients have elevated D-Dimer, suppressed peripheral lymphocytes.  Severe and critical patients showed signs of elevated inflammatory mediators (cytokines, such as IL-6). 

Virus can be detected through RC-PCR in patient’s nasopharyngeal swab, sputum, other lower airway secretions, blood, and feces.  Lower airway specimen provides a more accurate yield.  Recommend sending specimen for testing as soon as possible.

IgM to the Novel Coronavirus becomes positive 3-5 days after onset of symptoms.  During the recovery period, IgG to the Novel Coronavirus increase by 4 folds or higher than in the acute phase.

  • Chest Radiograph

Early stages usually present with small infiltrates and interstitial changes, more apparent in the peripheral of the lungs.  Later on, radiographic evidence can progress to bilateral ground glass appearance, and diffuse infiltrates.  Severe patients can develop significant consolidation in the lungs.  (A supplemental guideline from frontline hospitals indicated that some critical patients develop “white lungs”).  Pleural effusion is unusual.

  • Diagnostic Criteria:
  1. Suspected cases

Clinical suspicion can be made by the combination of contact history with clinical presentation.

  1.  close contact with known infected individual within the past 14 days, traveled from or live in endemic areas within past 14 days, and patient is a member of a cluster appearance of infected individuals (2 or more cases within a small group such as family, office, classroom) within 14 days.
    1. Clinical presentation of fever and/or respiratory symptoms; or radiographic evidence that is consistent with 3(c); or in early stages of the disease with lower peripheral leukocytes and lymphocytes.

If a patient meets 1 criteria in i), and 2 criteria in ii); or all three criteria in ii), the patient is a highly suspected case.

  • Confirmed cases

If a suspected case meets one of the criteria of 1) RT-PCR positive for 2019-nCoV, or 2) genetic sequence highly consistent with 2019-nCoV, 3) Positive IgM or IgG to the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

  • Clinical Types
  1. Mild:

Mild clinical disease, no evidence of pneumonia on radiography.

  • Regular (Moderate):

Fever, respiratory symptoms, and pneumonia on radiography.

  • Severe:

Any one of the three below in an adult:

  1. Tachypnea, RR>30
    1. SatO2 <=93% on RA
    1. PaO2/FiO2 <=300mHg (adjust for altitude)
    1. Chest radiography (XR or CT) showed >50% progression within 24-48 hours.

Any one of the 5 in children:

  • Shortness of breath (<2mo, RR>=60/min; 2-12mo, RR>=50/min; 1-5yo, RR>=40/min; >5yo, RR>=30/min), without the effect of fever or agitation
    • SatO2<=92%
    • Breathing with accessory muscles, cyanosis, episodic apnea
    • Excessive drowsiness, convulsion
    • Refuse or difficulty feeding, dehydration
  • Critical:

Any of the three below:

  1. Respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation
    1. Syncope
    1. Other end organ damage requiring ICU care.
  • Warning Signs of a Patient may Progress into Severe or Critical Types:
  1. Adults:
  2. Progressive decrease in peripheral lymphocytes
  3. Progressive increase in IL-6, CRP
  4. Progressive increase in LDH
  • Children:
  • Increase in RR
  • Malaise, sleepiness
  • Progressive increase in LDH
  • Rapid progression in radiographic findings of bilateral or multilobar infiltrates, pleural effusion, or progressive worsening of symptoms in a short period of time
  • <=3mo of age, chronic baseline diseases, primary or secondary immune deficiency

Need to rule other respiratory or systemic diseases that could mimic COVID19 (I am omitting that part.  We all know)

(….  Other things about reporting, I am skipping here because it’s only relevant to the Chinese CDC)

8.   Treatment

  1. Treatment locations:  Suspected and confirmed cases should be treated in special hospitals which can carry out effective isolation and protection.  Suspected cases should be in single isolation.  Confirmed cases can be treated in shared rooms (with other confirmed cases).  Critical cases should be treated in ICU. 
  • Treatment for Mild to Moderate diseases:
  • Rest, supportive care, supply sufficient nutrition and fluid.  Pay close attention to electrolyte balance.  Close monitoring of vitals and SatO2.
  • Monitor routine blood and urine labs, including CBC and diff, liver function, kidney function, CRP, CPK, coagulation, PaO2, and chest radiography.  In indicated patients, can monitor inflammatory cytokines (such as IL-6).
  • Ensure sufficient oxygen supply, with NC, face mask, or high flow O2 treatment.  Can consider Hydrogen/Oxygen mixture (H/O2: 66.6%/33.3%).
  • Some recommended anti-viral treatments to try (there is currently no proven anti-viral for this virus.  The most promising one according to WHO officials is Remdisivir from Gilead):
    • Alfa-interferon (5,000,000 U or similar dose, add 2ml sterile water) nebulized bid for adults, can be given in combination with any treatment below.
    • Kaletra (Lopinavir/ritonavir) 200mg/50mg 2 tab bid for adults, for up to 10 days (monitor for GI side effect, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and elevated liver enzymes, QT prolongation)
    • Ribavirin (recommended use in combination with Alpha-Interferon or Kaletra): 500mg IV bid-tid for adults, for up to 10 days
    • Chloroquine Phosphate 500mg bid for adults >50kg; 500mg bid for Day 1 and 2, then 500mg qd for Day 3-7 for adults<=50kg; up to 10 days.
    • (Gilead’s Remdisivir is currently under clinical study in China, so it’s not included in this guideline.)
  • Close observation of side effect of each drug; do not recommend using >=3 antiviral treatments at one time.
  • Take into consideration of gestational age of pregnant women.  Choose medications with the least side effect during pregnancy.
  • Avoid inappropriate usage of antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics.
  • Treatment for Severe and Critical Diseases

Principle of approach:  On top of anti-viral treatment, actively prevent and treat complications, baseline chronic diseases, prevent secondary infection, and support vital organ function.

  1. Continue with treatment of Mild to Moderate diseases as above.
  2. Respiratory support:
    1. O2 through NC
    1. O2 through face mask or high flow O2, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation if the patient is de-sating.  If high flow O2, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation is not sufficient to alleviating symptoms or low SatO2 after 1-2 hours, or patient is deteriorating, start intubation and mechanical ventilation.
  3. Invasive Ventilation:
    1. Use pulmonary protective protocol (this part is too technical, so I am translating the paragraph verbatim): use low volume ventilation approach (6-8ml/kg ideal body weight); and low pressure (airway plateau pressure <=30cm H2O), to decrease ventilator related pulmonary trauma.  While maintaining airway plateau pressure<=35cm H2O, consider using high PEEP.  Maintain warmth and moisture of airway.  Try to avoid prolonged sedation, wake patient up and start pulmonary rehab as soon as appropriate.  Majority of patients have asynchrony with mechanical ventilation, recommend sedation and muscle relaxant (paralytics?) when indicated.  If patient has high amount of airway secretion, choose frequent airway suctioning under air-tight condition.  Use bronchoscopy to remove lower airway secretion as indicated.  (This recommendation is probably due to recent autopsy results showing significant airway obstruction with unusually thick and viscus mucus and mucus plugs)
    1. In severe ARDS patients, recommend pulmonary re-ventilation, when allowed, should have 12hr/day prone position ventilation.  If still deteriorates, consider ECMO as soon as indicated: 1) When FiO2>90%, Oxygen Index is lower than 80mmHg, continuous for 3-4 hours, 2) Airway plateau pressure>=35mmH2O.  Isolated ARDS patients should use WV-ECMO.  ARDS patient needing cardiocirculatory support, use VA-ECMO.  When cardiopulmonary function improves and baseline diseases are controlled, consider withdrawal of ECMO.
    1. Circulatory support:  Improve microcirculation, use anticoagulants as indicated.  Watch closely the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and urinary output.  Watch Arterial Blood Gas closely, and arterial pH.  Monitor with Echocardiogram, Doppler, PiCO.  Keep patient at volume neutral.  If the patient shows signs of increase HR>20% of baseline, or BP decrease by 20% baseline, or decrease urinary output, and peripheral circulatory insufficiency, consider workup for sepsis, GI bleeding or CHF. 
    1. For patients with acute renal insufficiency, rule out low blood volume or medication side effect.  Patients with severe renal insufficiency should go on continuous renal replacement therapy.
    1. Recovering patient’s plasma transfusion, consider in rapidly progressing patients, or patient in severe and critical stages (I don’t think it pertains to the US patient population now since the epidemic in US is just starting.  Even in China, it’s a very limited resource).
    1. Plasmapheresis: consider in treatment in early to mid-stage Cytokine Storm patients, and patients in severe to critical stages of the disease.
    1. Immunotherapy: for patients with bilateral diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, or patients in severe to critical stages, if blood IL-6 level is elevated, can try Tocilizumab.  Initial dosage of Tocilizumab is at 4-8mg/kg.  Recommended initial dosage is at 400mg, diluted by 0.9%NS to 100ml, infused over >1hr.  Patients without significant improvement after the initial dose, can have a second dose after 12 hours.  Total dosage should not exceed twice total, and single dosage should not exceed 800mg.  Watch for allergic reaction.  Patients with TB or other active infection should not use Tocilizumab.
    1. Other treatment:  for rapidly deteriorating pulmonary or cytokine storm patients, consider glucocorticoids 1-2mg/kg.  Be judicious in using glucocorticoids as it can suppress the body’s immune system and slow the clearance of the virus.  Use probiotics to prevent secondary infection through GI tract. Children with severe or critical disease can consider IVIG.  Pregnant patients with severe or critical disease should consider active delivery, through C-Section when appropriate. 
    1. Patients usually have significant anxiety.  Pay attention to patient’s psychological health.  Sedation may be indicated.

(….  Then a section regarding Chinese herbal medicine, which doesn’t pertain to us.  I skipped)

9.   Discharge Criteria and Post-Discharge Care

            The patient can be discharged if they satisfy all below:

  1. Normal body temperature for >3 days.
    1. Significant improvement in respiratory symptoms.
    1. Radiographic improvement.
    1. Consecutive 2 negative RT-PCR for 2019-noCoV test on nasopharyngeal or sputum samples, at least 24 hours apart.

Discharge care:

  1. Monitor patient for another 14 days (basically stay at home after discharge, wear a mask at home if living with others, avoid close contact with family members, and avoid going to public areas for another 14 days after discharge). 
    1. Return visit in 2-4 weeks.

10.  Pathological Changes (This entire section is new)

The pathological findings are based on limited biopsy and autopsy reports:

  1. Lung

Different degrees of consolidation.  Alveoli are filled with serous exudate, fibrinous exudate, and hyaline membrane formation.  Monocyte, macrophage infiltrate, and Langhans cells are seen.  Significant hyperplasia of type II alveolar epithelial cells.  Some desquamation is present.  Inclusion bodies can be seen within macrophages and type II alveolar epithelial cells. 

Alveolar congestion and edema can be seen.  Infiltration of monocytes, lymphocytes and formation of hyaline thrombus in blood vessels are seen.  Pulmonary hemorrhage and necrosis, and hemorrhagic infarct are seen.  Some alveoli exudate and interstitial fibrosis can be seen. 

Some desquamation of bronchial mucosal epithelium.  Mucus plugs are seen in bronchioles.  Some alveoli suffer from over-inflation, fracture of septal walls, and cyst formation.

Coronavirus particles can be seen in bronchial epithelial cells and type II alveolar epithelial cells under electromicroscope.  RT-PCR positive for 2019-nCoV.

  • Spleen, Hilar Lymph nodes and Bone Marrow

Spleen is significantly smaller.  Lymphocyte count is significantly reduced.  Focal hemorrhage and necrosis is present.  Macrophage hyperplasia and phagocytosis is present in spleen.  Reduction of lymphocyte and necrosis are seen in hilar lymph nodes.  CD4+ and CD8+ are both reduced in spleen and lymph nodes.  In the bone marrow, hematopoietic cells of all three lineage are reduced.

  • Heart and Blood Vessels

Cardiomyocytes showed degeneration and necrosis.  Small amount of interstitial infiltrate of monocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils can be seen.  Desquamation, endothelial inflammation, and thrombosis are seen in some vessels.

  • Liver and gallbladder

The liver is enlarged, and dark red in color.  Hepatocyte degeneration and focal necrosis are seen with neutrophilic infiltrate.  hepatic sinusoidal congestion, infiltrate with lymphocyte and monocyte and microthrombi are seen in hepatic portal system.  The gallbladder appears highly filled.

  • Kidney

Proteinaceous exudate is seen in glomeruli.  Degeneration and desquamation of renal tubular epithelium.  Hyaline casts can be seen.  Interstitial congestion, microthrombi, and focal fibrosis can be seen.

  • Other Organs

Cerebral edema, hyperemia, and neuron degeneration are seen.  Focal necrosis of adrenal glands is seen.  Esophageal, gastric, and intestinal mucosal epithelial degeneration, necrosis and desquamation is seen in various degrees.

Plaquenil for corona

My Saturday post mentioned initial findings that the old anti-rheumatic drug Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) may have some significant activity against coronavirus. The Chinese Health Ministry guidelines on coronavirus have been stealthily and widely distributed. I saw both versions (translated and Mandarin) the same Saturday I made my post. The guidelines even made it to a GP friend of Mrs. Pharriss in Menlo Park, who today offered to prescribe a course of Plaquenil to her and her husband to have on hand. She asked for my comment.

Even President Trump mentioned hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) (and pronounced it correctly) at his news conference today.  So the stuff is definitely front burner.  Remember you heard it here first.  You take it for an established infection, not for prevention.  We’ve gone through stretches in the past several years when Plaquenil has been hard to get, and the price has more than tripled since 2015.  It’s an old drug, first approved for medical use in the U.S. in 1955.  One thing the Trump administration is trying to do is to get industries to ramp up their efforts to meet medical needs.  So cue the Plaquenil vats.  I’m not sure Fox has things entirely right here, when it says the FDA has approved “chloroquine” for immediate release https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-fda-experimental-drugs-coronavirus.  Rarely, a rheumatoid or lupus patient will respond better to chloroquine phosphate (Aralen), an older drug much less widely used but still prescribed for malaria prophylaxis and ameba infections. Both Plaquenil and Aralen were derived from the first synthetic antimalarial quinacrine (Atabrine), which was developed in 1931 by Germany’s Bayer, and also is occasionally prescribed for lupus or RA.  Atabrine was handed out by the buckets full to GIs in the Pacific during WWII to prevent malaria.  But so little Atabrine and Aralen is manufactured these days, patients have to get it from a compounding pharmacy.  Atabrine turns your skin a golden yellow (as the ironic GIs couldn’t help but notice as they yellowed taking a drug to prevent yellow jaundice) and your nails blue over time, but the 5 day courses for corona shouldn’t do that.  Also, all the antimalarials can sometimes trigger mania.  I’ve seen it happen in one of my own patients.  I thought she was just happy at how much better my drug was making her feel, till she went over the top and landed on the psych ward.  Also not likely with a short course.  My money’s on Plaquenil, especially since that’s what Mr. President said.

How about some pictures of the stars of this show?

from

Chatham WW.  Traditional Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs: Gold Compounds D-Penicillamine Sulfasalazine and Antimalarials, in Arthritis and Allied Conditions: A Textbook of Rheumatology, WJ Koopman and LW Moreland, Editors.  Fifteenth edition.  2004, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Baltimore.  pp 280-309

 

smokin’ corona

On my walk home from Kathy’s office this morning, I ran into 3 old girlfriends from work standing in front of the bus stop across from the hospital.  They weren’t waiting for a bus.  None had a job you could do from home (medical assistant X 2, check-in clerk) and yes plenty of patients were still showing up to see their doctors, although efforts were underway to convert many to “virtual” visits.   Talk naturally turned to Mr. coronavirus and I directed them to my blog.  I may have bragged too much about the sufficiencies on Harbal, but none of them followed me through the woods when I finally left and headed home.  We talked about the positive aspects of their current activity.   The lowly smoker is a pariah in the eyes of the U.  Indeed, smoking is illegal everywhere on campus.   Maybe bus stops are havens for which the Ann Arbor city government is responsible and hence provide sanctuary.  But look what these girls gain by their activity: a clean break from work with no screens in sight or job duties creeping in, fresh air, sunshine, social interaction, even laughter.  No wonder the smoker comes back into work with a smile on his/her face.  I wondered aloud whether flooding one’s lungs periodically might even keep Mr. corona from settling there, and vowed I’d check into it once I got home.

Despite my lighthearted comments above, smoking is never a good idea.  With the major morbitity and mortality from COVID-19 being pulmonary, it stands to reason that those who enter into a relationship with the virus will do worse if they’re already starting out with damaged lungs.  But there is surprisingly little addressing this issue in the scientific literature.  

Smoking was a risk factor for development of MERS in Saudis during their 2014 epidemic (as was direct exposure to dromedary camels)(1).  The receptor for the MERS coronavirus was denser in the lungs of smokers than non-smokers, increasing chances the virus would set up shop there (2).  HIV-1 infected smokers have twice the mortality rate as non-smokers, with HIV-1 replication directly promoted by tobacco components (3).  Realize HIV is a much different virus than corona.  So is herpes simplex.  But tobacco seems to inhibit its replication (4).

Big tobacco is in the corona game using the well studied tobacco mosaic virus as a means to  grow in tobacco plants large amounts of certain coronavirus proteins that could serve as a vaccine https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/15/could-tobacco-cure-coronavirus-115329.  So maybe tobacco will save us after all.  But those cancer sticks aren’t going to do it and now there’s yet another reason to put them away, especially if it’s a Camel.  Sorry, Holly.

But to my friends the smokers, I’ll have to admit they’re drinking up some pretty therapeutic stuff at that bus stop https://medium.com/@ra.hobday/coronavirus-and-the-sun-a-lesson-from-the-1918-influenza-pandemic-509151dc8065

references


1.         Alraddadi BMWatson JTAlmarashi AAbedi GRTurkistani ASadran MHousa AAlmazroa MAAlraihan NBanjar AAlbalawi EAlhindi HChoudhry AJMeiman JGPaczkowski MCurns AMounts AFeikin DRMarano NSwerdlow DLGerber SIHajjeh RMadani TA.  Risk Factors for Primary Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Illness in Humans, Saudi Arabia, 2014.  Emerg Infect Dis. 2016 Jan;22(1):49-55. doi: 10.3201/eid2201.151340.

2.         Seys LJM, Widagdo W, Verhamme FM, Kleinjan A, Janssens W, Joos GF, Bracke KR, Haagmans BL, Brusselle GG.  DPP4, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Receptor, is Upregulated in Lungs of Smokers and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients.  Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Jan 6;66(1):45-53. doi: 10.1093/cid/cix741

3. Ande AMcArthur CKumar AKumar S.  Tobacco smoking effect on HIV-1 pathogenesis: role of cytochrome P450 isozymes.  Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2013 Nov;9(11):1453-64. doi: 10.1517/17425255.2013.816285.

4. Larsson PA1Hirsch JMGronowitz JSVahlne A. Inhibition of herpes simplex virus replication and protein synthesis by non-smoked tobacco, tobacco alkaloids and nitrosamines. Arch Oral Biol. 1992 Nov;37(11):969-78.