A GLIMPSE INTO COVID-19 TREATMENT

Submitted by: Edwardo Nunez

I trained with Steven Smith's father, Dr Leon Smith,who was one of the truly great physicians in the Northeast. Steven, his brother and his 2 sisters are all Physicians.His other brother is a businessman.

The key to using Medications for COVID-19 seems to be similar to what we do for the Flu, where we institute Neuraminidase inhibitors EARLY within 2 days of the appearance of the first symptom.The problem is, the old-school, "I'll just tough it out for a week" patient gets no benefit from the Flu meds, but if he calls me like my patients are trained to do,within the first 2 days of the Flu, then those Drugs work GREAT!


 My experience in the war zone(Hospital with 250 COVID cases as we speak), has shown me that the patients who are treated early , are the ones doing very well.It is clear to me that once a patient is on a ventilator, the anti-viral drugs do very little.At that point we're dealing with overwhelming Inflammation and a Hypercoaguable state(as a result of the Overwhelming Hyperimmune reaction that this organism generates aka "Cytokine storm").

So, you have a patient in Cytokine Storm,Fever, Tremors,Hypercoaguable, and on a mechanical Ventilator,numerous blood clots in Veins, &sometimes with Arterial Thrombo-emboli as well, with Multi-System Organ Failure, Encephalopathy leading to Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome(ARDS)......at which point viral attack is history, as the problem has taken on a whole new configuration.

 So we have the patients on IV Heparin(blood thinner), IV Pressors(to maintain at least a life-sustaining Blood Pressure level , IVSteroids in some cases, and we started using "Biologic Agents(aka Monoclonal antibodies) that are potent inhibitors of the Immune system, in the hopes of calming the Cytokine storm,which we're using as a desperate measure.

Even the Ventilator seems almost ineffective in many of these cases due to the embolic Pneumonia,Respiratory failure, Pulmonary Edema,Congestive Heart Failure,Renal Failure with Uremic or Toxic/Metabolic Encephalopathy.

 The one Biologic agent we're using in Jersey is given Intravenously and it is one that has been used in severe cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis, generic name isTocilizumab( Actemra is thebrand name)note this class of Drugs ALL end in mab =monoclonal antibody .

So, my outpatient calls me and says Doc, I've been having this or that set of symptoms for 2 days, for example.I immediately start Baloxavir Marboxal which is a one dose only Flu treatment that works great in the 1 st 2 days for Flu(and maybe somewhat for the COVID-19, since it is being studied), I also give Azithromycin daily, and based-upon the symptom complex. I might also add Ivermectin,which was reported to inhibit the COVID-19, BY 5-FOLD In -Vitro, in a study dated April 7th,2020.

I won't prescribe HydroxychlorQ ttilCOVID 19 test is confirmed as a positive.At that point , I stop the Azithromycin and start Hydroxychloroquine. The two women ages 56 and 59, in whom I used the Ivermectin, both improved. Interestingly, the 59 yr old is an obese Diabetic with COPD and Hypertension.She was sick for 2 days,called me, she got tested the next day , I gave her Baloxavir,Azithromycin and Ivermectin.She couldn't find any Ivermectin for 24 hours, so she finally started it a day later.She was close to being rushed to the ER.Her husband called me 2 days later to report:"Doc, you saved her life. I was ready to call '911' that morning and by that same evening the Fever,Chills and Diarrhea stopped, and her breathing eased-up some".

 The other lady aged 56, with no co-morbid conditions, went to get tested after she noted Cough for 3 days plus Fever for 2 additional days.The test came back 3 days later.So I gave her the Hydroxychloroquine, since we confirmed covid upfront, no Flu medicine,and No Azithromycin because I am reluctant to use the two drugs together as they can prolong the QT Interval on the EKG, which can cause serious Cardiac Arrhythmia. I only use the two drugs together if I can have patient get a daily Cardiogram or have them in Hospital on a Heart monitor.I also gave her Ivermectin,after explaining that it hasn't been tested in Humans yet for COVID-19(But has been in use for Parasites, Mites and Lice in the USA since 1987.This is called an "off-label" use of Drug that happens to be relatively safe.She also had great difficulty finding this drug.She noted improvement in symptoms, by day #5 on the Hydroxychloroquine(the Ivermectin is usually only a one day dose, but used it for 3 days in patient#1 cause she was so sick.

 This is just my anecdotal report.Statistically, we can draw no conclusions from this because, obviously, we need clinical trials which will be commencing next week. But clearly there exist Medications that can help , as well as supplements that could also help(Zinc 50-150mg, Vitamin C, often used Intravenously in high doses, as well as Vitamin D. Waiting a year for a vaccine to be developed is asinine.

If there is something that MIGHT help my patient that I myself would take, I give the patient informed consent to either agree or decline various possible Meds. I also urge them to take Zinc Acetate 100mg daily, with 3 grams of Vitamin C(if they can tolerate it) and 10,000 IU's of Vitamin D3, FOR EXAMPLE.For those whom are unaware, Zinc can be incorporated into the Genome and has been shown to inhibit RNA Polymerase and thereby inhibit the replication of Coronaviruses.I hope this account has helped provide some insight into what transpires between Physican and COVID-19 patient.

 According to two of the world's leading immunologist and infectious experts, Dr. Didier Rauol from France and Dr. Steven Smith, Head of Smith Laboratories in NYC, report their treatment of COVID-19 patients using a 'combo of hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin yields a combined success rate between them of 98;7%. Neither has reported adding zinc, though many other physicians have added zinc.

 Meanwhile, there are maybe hundreds of physicians prescribing the combo (some with zincJ) who also are reporting great success in treating COVID-19 patients. I have found records showing that at least four (4) patients have claimed the combo saved their lives after being at death's door, with their physician in concurrence.. I will provide you their names, if you like. While hydroxychloroquine has been approved by the FDA, it was approved for use against malaria patients decades ago.

You may notice that in areas of the world where it was used used so prominently against malaria, the coronavirus is virtually non-existent. Dr. Fauci is refusing to endorse the 'çombo' while far too many people are dying. David Heckman