Microbial Load, Why It Matters

Virology Comparison of Upper Respiratory Viral Load Distributions in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Children Diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pediatric Hospital Testing Programs

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Oct. 2020  -  Evaluating the distribution of upper respiratory viral loads (VL) in asymptomatic children vs symptomatic children infected with Covid19.

Getting sophisticated: evaluating patient viral load in moderate to severe Covid19 cases

If our lives and children and futures are important to us, we will go to the extra effort to understand  this pandemic and the virus family causing it at the sophistication depth that requires. It's not enough to just say to a patient, 'you are infected." To really manage their disease progress, they need to understand - and doctors or health teams must help them manage - the basic concept of 'viral load' and a clean, healthy, nurturing healing environment. 

The more concentrated the viral load exposure the more overwhelming to our immune system - studies show repeatedly that it is not just 'any' exposure, but quality and quantity of the viral load replication into our systems that impacts our ability to fight off Covid19 and remain asymptomatic. Those who live alone, or in luxury apartments, with clean, isolated air, fare much better in avoiding infection and in recovering quickly if infected, than those living in sub-standard conditions. Or staying in a hotel. Or exposed during a convention when the microbials were just blasted into them. 

AIR QUALITY IS HUGE  
In China, one of the original aggravating factors spreading Covid19 was the extremely poor air quality. China ranks as one of the top air pollutant nations worldwide, and just breathing many days is a challenge there. So adding Covid19 to the lung burden was too much for many Chinese and they succombed faster. In the EU and UK, studies show a direct correlation between smoking - second-hand as well as direct - and Covid19 mortalities. Because any lung aggravation - mold, dust, smoke, radon, cement or drywall dust from construction - means the lungs are already inflammed and have less surplus capacity to be able to manage  the immediate, aggressive Covid19 cytokine response.

LIMITING EXPOSURE AFTER INFECTION 
A second high risk factor for Covid19 patients is the 'viral load' addition concept. Remember, Covid19's agenda is to enter a human host and reproduce. Then exist to infect another host. And another. But the virus reproduces at varying rates in different individuals - based in part on their health condition, and in part on the environment the virus catches them in. 

Studies with children and adults suggest a strong correlation between total viral load in the air - because Covid19 lives in vapor, as well as on surfaces; and air volume used up with Covid19 is air volume not used by O2 - and recovery. When air is 'saturated' with Covid19 microbials, that is felt to be a very dangerous environment for any human, even if the human host is already infected. Particularly as we start to see 're-infections' with Covid19 appear more frequently, including here in the Washington DC metro area; and as the vaccines are rolled out. 
 
Because studies out of Wuhan, India, and US labs indicate that the Covid19 vaccines may suppress the Innate Immunity that has kept 99% of us safe all year (without antibodies); and that with hepatitis, a close Covid19 cousin, as well as bacterial or viral infections transmitted via syringe; a 'rebound' effect is seen, in which after a few weeks, patient susceptibility to the virus being targeted by the vaccine actually increases, up to 100 x what the susceptibility was otherwise. So it will become even more important to assure that Covid19 patients with asthma, heart disease, cancer or other high-risk factors have the cleanest air and most isolated from contaminants environments to recover in. 

Once their immune systems are down, due to Covid19 - it's like being around an aids patient: they are the ones more vulnerable, not vice versa. We catch Covid19 most often from the air - smoke, hvac.

How Many Microbials?

Beating Covid19 is a lot like an athletic competition. The harder you train, and prepare - nutrition, exercise, eliminating disease conditions that you can (sugar, smoking, crowding) - gives you the best shot. 

But even the best advantage changes, with the concentration and duration of viral load exposure: at the start of a marathon for ex, we feel strong and excited; but as the miles wear on, because there is no rest, we weaken and what was once easy becomes almost impossible. The same is true for our immune systems. Our initial strong Innate Immunity, we see worldwide, is strong enough to deflect 'most' Covid19 sporadic exposure, but not concentrated strong exposure. Especially if we are tried, stressed, elderly or ill.

How Clean the Air?

Covid19 spreads like wildfire through nursing homes and hotels not just because of touch, or direct droplets; but more often than not, due to SHARED AIR. SHARED HVAC. CLEANSE THE AIR. 

MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO OTHER CONTAMINANTS - MOLD, DUST, SMOKE - FURTHER AGGRAVATING LUNGS AND CAUSING INFLAMMATION. IT COULD KILL A COVID-19 PATIENT.

How Many Strangers In and Out?

Covid19 infection results from duration, strength, and repetition of exposure to viral microbials. If we traverse a crowd and are only briefly exposed to a few sniffs of covid19 on an afternoon of shopping or strolling in the park - most of us with strong Innate (natural) Immune systems will deflect the virus and not get sick. 

But if we are trapped in a hotel room, sharing hvac and air intimately with a sick person hacking his lungs out in the next room - we likely will get very sick.

If you hear of  contamination - report it. And don't stop reporting it until someone shuts down the property or forces it to be cleaned. 

In every major nation - including the US - every single Covid19 urban surge started at a hotel, or event. The majority arose from hotels: Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, Sydney, London, Paris, etc. Hotels should care about keeping us safe but often do not. Because that means they will lose money, takes rooms out of service, and spend on expensive sanitizing and hvac controls. Not every property is this honest. At this property in Rockville, MD - affiliated with the same hotel group that runs Marriott and Hilton hotels nationwide - the hotel did not even stop illegal pandemic construction - not even after   a sick Covid19 guest's doctor asked them to. Thick layers of building cement dust coat the floors and walls and permeate hvac, making it difficult to breath and spreading the Covid19 microbials.
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