There has been a lot of scientific research done about viral infections and diseases for many decades. Even though each virus has its own unique pathogenesis, what has been found to stand out is their similarity in reaction to, and relationship with, pH levels in the body. Even though a lot more is yet to be researched and tested scientifically, more and more experts are, now, beginning to embrace this school of thought. In fact, some researchers, analysts, and medical professionals believe that pH sensitivity in relation to viral pathogenesis could very well be the basis of developing a universal vaccine.
So, now you are probably wondering, “why don’t they just do that?” Well, we are all creatures of habit (yes, scientists included); and old habits die hard. It’s not just that though. Vaccine research in the past has been done on a case by case basis. For the most part, this has worked. However, its biggest drawback is that it takes a lot of time. We are talking years, or sometimes even decades. If we are going to beat the coronavirus (Covid-19) and develop a vaccine sooner rather than later, we will have to start thinking outside the box and also be welcoming of scientifically plausible ideas that may not necessarily conform to what mainstream medicine or Big Pharma says.
Universal Vaccine?
Perhaps this may soon change. “Soon” is relative. You may be glad to hear that researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US have recently uncovered what could very well be the turning point of how we address viral infections. It was found that a protein known as AGO4 possesses unique antiviral effects in mammalian cells. Without this protein, said cells were found to be “hypersensitive” to common viral infections such as influenza. The task, however, is to figure out how to incorporate this protein into the human immune system. Kate Jeffrey, the lead author of the study, describes AGO4 as the “Achilles heel” of most viruses.
PH Sensitivity
The influenza virus, for instance, has been found to have certain similarities between how it releases its genome and how it is transmitted. The key is in the acid stability of the membrane protein known as hemagglutinin (HA) which facilitates viral transmission between avian and human hosts as was reported in a 2014 study carried out by researchers from Cornell University.
The case is not that different from Coronavirus. In fact, some strains of the coronavirus such as MHV-A59, is stable in acidic conditions – specifically, at pH 6.0. At a higher pH of 8.0, it becomes inactivated irreversibly.
The coronavirus strain A59 becomes quite ineffective at a pH of 6.0 compared to a pH of 7.0; whereas the strain 229E is completely ineffective at a pH of 6.0. According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of Virology, coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was found to have little or no fusion (read effectiveness) at higher pH levels. Victor Chu, the lead author of the study notes that “Fusion of the coronavirus IBV with host cells does not occur at neutral pH and that fusion activation is a low-pH-dependent process, with a half-maximal rate of fusion at pH 5.5. Little or no fusion occurred above a pH of 6.0”.
Other studies have found that viruses and some bacteria do not thrive under alkaline conditions. It decreases the ability of viruses and bacteria to spread. It is therefore recommended that you keep your pH in the slightly alkaline range of about 6.7 to 7.2. This can dramatically reduce the risk and severity of most viral infections including coronavirus. The idea of taking an 8.4% solution of bicarbonate to fight off viral (and bacterial) respiratory issues has been floated by many health and research experts such as El Badrawy M. K. and Elela M. A. from the Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt. Make an effort to look for safe ways to increase your body’s pH levels to help you keep the coronavirus and other common viral infections in check.
ALTERING PH LEVELS COUNTERACT THE CORONAVIRUS!
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REFERENCES
Dr. Mark Sircus AC., OMD, DM (P), Professor of Natural Oncology, Da Vinci Institute of Holistic Medicine (March 2020): “Viruses are pH-Sensitive”. Retrieved from https://drsircus.com/general/viruses-are-ph-sensitive/
Victor C. Chu, Lisa J. McElroy, Vicky Chu, Beverley E. Bauman, and Gary R. Whittaker, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University (2006): “The Avian Coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus Undergoes Direct Low-pH-Dependent Fusion Activation during Entry into Host Cells”. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1440383/
Deirdre A. Costello, Gary R. Whittaker, Susan Daniel, Journal of Virology (2014): “Variations in pH Sensitivity, Acid Stability, and Fusogenicity of Three Influenza Virus H3 Subtypes”. Retrieved from https://jvi.asm.org/content/89/1/350
Editorial Staff, Russia Today (February 2020): “Achilles’ heel of ALL viruses? Scientists discover holy grail which could lead to UNIVERSAL vaccine”. Retrieved from https://www.rt.com/news/480654-achilles-heel-defence-all-viruses/
Cavanagh D and Davis PJ, Division of Molecular Biology, Institute for Animal Health, Compton Laboratory, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire (1986): “Coronavirus IBV: removal of spike glycopolypeptide S1 by urea abolishes infectivity and haemagglutination but not attachment to cells”. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3014054
El Badrawy M. K., Elela M. A., Yousef A. M., Abou El-Khier N. T., Abdelgawad T. T., Abdalla D. A., Moawad A., Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt (2018): “Effect of sodium bicarbonate 8.4% on respiratory tract pathogens”. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Noha_Abou_El-Khier2/publication/300086871_Effect_of_Bronchoalveolar_Lavage_With_Sodium_Bicarbonate_on_Lower_Respiratory_Tract_Pathogens/links/5cbf07d392851c8d22ff070d/Effect-of-Bronchoalveolar-Lavage-With-Sodium-Bicarbonate-on-Lower-Respiratory-Tract-Pathogens.pdf
Anika Singanayagam, Maria Zambon, and Wendy S. Barclay, Journal of Virology (2019): “Influenza Virus with Increased pH of Hemagglutinin Activation Has Improved Replication in Cell Culture but at the Cost of Infectivity in Human Airway Epithelium”. Retrieved from https://jvi.asm.org/content/93/17/e00058-19
Hengjun Liu, Hisataka Maruyama, Taisuke Masuda, Ayae Honda, and Fumihito Arai, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan (2016): “The Influence of Virus Infection on the Extracellular pH of the Host Cell Detected on Cell Membrane”. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4987339/
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