Part I: Managed Reality
There continues to be a misconception that there is nothing available currently to “treat” coronavirus infections, and that only effective intervention we as individuals can participate in is social distancing and good handwashing.
To clarify a bit, curative therapy in this case refers only to government-sanctioned, FDA approved medical treatments. The two main therapeutic options in this arena are (1) vaccines, or (2) new or repurposed drugs that have antiviral effects. (Recently plasma taken from recovered COVID19 patients is also being studied as an immunological approach in treating severely ill patients.) All good stuff, but we continue to miss a third, very important therapeutic option.
Empowering individuals to participate in their own health by restoring a healthier microbiome and boosting innate immunity is apparently NOT a therapeutic option to be brought to the table. Not scientific. Snake-oil. Not part of “managed” care.
A few select figures to keep in mind, however:
(1) A New Drug Application (NDA) with the FDA can cost over a million dollars (and that’s just the application). Tens to hundreds of millions of dollars are then spent by pharmaceutical companies on clinical trials. The odds of a new drug making it to market have been noted to be as low as 1:5000. We are all going broke trying to afford our medications as a result.
(2) There are at least 50 clinical trials on new or repurposed antiviral drugs for COVID19 currently underway. It is logical to assume many of these drugs will be on a fast-track pathway to get to market sooner, but possibly with a little less oversight, but with a much greater chance of receiving FDA approval. And a huge potential for profit.
(3) Three companies are developing the COVID19 vaccines, and all are vying for a market that will result in billions of dollars of profit (and carry indemnification to boot!) Future vaccines will need to be developed every few years as well.
So why on earth would anyone want to consider (or even acknowledge) a therapeutic approach that was simple, safe, inexpensive, and readily available that people might try now while practicing social distancing, getting tested or, most importantly, at the first sign of becoming ill? What a radical idea.
And what if 90% of those trying this simple regimen DID improve within 6 hours, or at least were able to have a less morbid subsequent illness? Would it not also seem a little more practical to first try a more generic treatment for any acute viral infections, and then reserve the more costly antiviral treatments for persistent or more severe infections?
Would that be such a terrible thing to consider?
Peace and Health to us all.
