No doubt – it’s been a year since…

However, with every miserable thing that happens in life – is an opportunity to learn.

I will always ask (gently and diplomatically!) a chronically ill person, “How did you know?” Looking back, were there any signs that we might have shed stress, age, or something else?

How do these covid variants occur?

First let’s get a crash course in virology. Viruses are perhaps the best example of our “to infinity and beyond” concept. It is the most abundant form of “life” on Earth, and possibly anywhere else! Exponential growth is an understatement. Literally, trillions to the power of a few trillion more.

A virus has an envelope, a capsid, that keeps its viral material, or genome, secure. Some particularly resilient viruses such as hepatitis C virus, coronavirus, herpes, and HIV have an extra protective layer referred to as envelopes.

Viral envelopes hate soap, and soap is their kryptonite, which is why washing with soap is critical to destroying the virus.

Every time the coronavirus passes between people, it picks up microscopic changes in its genetic code. The result is coronavirus variants, and researchers are noticing patterns of how the virus mutates. Covid-19 appears to be the star of the viruses’ main pathway – redefining the speed at which a virus can mutate. Bottom line, we don’t know how many variants there are now, or perhaps how many variants there will be in the future.

Being vigilant about preventing transmission is no less important now – it is even more important now to help stop the possibility of mutations.

Hand washing with soap, masks, distancing, testing for COVID-19, adhering to lockdown…all are vital to harnessing this virus from further mutations. A vaccine is not getting out of jail to get a free card!!!

We hope our vaccines will be able to keep up with these mutations. We know our flu vaccines need to be updated every year (less in fact). Coronavirus Vaccines Will Require Constant Updates – More Than Any Software We Complain About Updating!

Evolution in Action… Survival of the Fittest: In most pathogenic viruses and bacteria, the use of treatments and vaccines challenges the development of ways to escape them so they can continue to thrive… These viruses certainly seem to have an evolutionary advantage.

What can we do to proactively strengthen us against these multiple coronaviruses?

Yes, we must all abide by the rules to prevent transmission. But how can we strengthen ourselves, so that if we come into contact with these viruses, we reduce our risk of a fatal reaction?

I have many articles here about the role of chronic inflammation in each of our chronic diseases from heart disease, diabetes, vascular disease, arthritis, depression, cancer… chronic inflammation is the underlying cause of poor body ability. To get rid of any bad deeds that befall us. AKA – defenses are down.

In patients with a severe reaction to the virus, the lungs are damaged and patients need supplemental oxygen. The risk of death in these cases is more than 40%.

March 2021 Immunology Journal: Donna Farber, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Chair of the Department of Surgical Sciences at Columbia University: “Although individuals have received vaccination, severe COVID-19 still poses a significant risk to certain individuals and we need to find ways Treating people who become very ill.”

“People refer to patients who have had a cytokine storm in the blood, but what we’re seeing in the lungs is on another level. The immune cells in the lung have released these cytokines.”

Very complex science. Bottom line – lowering our levels of chronic inflammation, is probably our best defense against a severe reaction to the virus. This explains why people who already suffer from chronic diseases are at greater risk.

Please read the many articles I have here about chronic inflammation, and how we can reduce our risks, not just for the virus, but for all of our chronic diseases. Research continues to support this necessity. My goal in chronic care management is to keep chronic inflammation at the top of my health “to-do” list. All of our other “healthy lifestyle” habits fall under the inflammation-reducing umbrella. However, please be careful not to “pave the way to hell with good intentions”. In other words, get the real science on reducing inflammation, not the pop science.

in health.