Covid-19 and vitamin D

spicyayam

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2009
3,592
342
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The argument that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to more severe cases of Covid is gaining ground. It is now reaching the point where it is surprising that we are not hearing from leading medical officials and politicians that people should consider taking supplements to ensure they have sufficient vitamin D.

This is not the same as arguing that vitamin D is a magic bullet that will cure the disease. Vitamins are not medication, the taking of which will have positive effects on everybody. They are top-ups: things that hurt you when you don’t have enough of them in your system but do no extra good when you have enough. Indeed, with many vitamins, including D, taking too much can be toxic.

However, it is true that many people are deficient in vitamin D, especially at the end of winter. That is because, uniquely, vitamin D is a substance manufactured by ultraviolet light falling on your skin. You can get some from fish and other foods, but not usually enough. So most people’s vitamin D levels fall to a low point in February or March when the sun has been weak and its UV output especially so. Public health bodies have long advised people to supplement vitamin D in winter anyway.


The level falls especially low in people who stay indoors a lot, including the elderly, and in those who have darker skin. Whereas the safe level of vitamin D is generally agreed to be above 10 nanograms per millilitre, one recent study of South Asians living in Manchester found average levels of 5.8 in winter and 9 in summer: too low at all times of the year. Darker skin reduces the impact of sunlight; so does the cultural habit of veiling; and so does a reluctance among some Muslims to take supplements that might have pork-derived gelatin in them.


Vitamin D deficiency has long been known to coincide with a greater frequency or severity of upper-respiratory tract infections, or colds. That this is a causal effect is supported by some studies showing that vitamin D supplements do reduce the risk of such infections. These studies are not without their statistical flaws, so cannot yet be regarded as certain, but they are not quackery like a lot of the stuff coming out of the supplements industry: they come from reputable medical scientists.

 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
9,317
1,110
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Karangasem, Bali
It's already considered to be the main contributing factor to the 3 : 1 death rate of American blacks and may also be a good indicator why Bali has been largely passed over by the virus. (touch wood) Rate in other SE Asian countries/cities are not similar to Bali for a number of other environmental grounds - housing (Singaporeans all live inside in AC) and of course the Moslem hijab/veiling. I've actually noticed for the first time locals sunbathing !
 

yantiharun1

New Member
Jun 30, 2020
7
5
3
I would like to share something that I've read recently in Bali Sun:

BALI GOVERNOR CLAIMS ARAK STEAM THERAPY CAN SPEED UP COVID-19 RECOVERY

THE BALI SUNJULY 23, 2020


Indonesia has seen many suspect ‘traditional’ claims of Covid-19 cures since the pandemic began but now the Bali Governor has joined in with a new way to ‘speed up recovery from the virus’.


With no medical evidence to support it, the Bali Governor, Wayan Koster has made the claim that they have discovered a new healing method using traditional Balinese liquor (Arak) can speed up recovery for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

“We have a new traditional healing method that’s being used on positive patients. The infected [asymptomatic] patients who are quarantined are being treated with a traditional healing method using Balinese arak,” Koster said during a press conference in Denpasar yesterday.

“It’s very effective to speed up recovery. Two days of being confirmed positive and then the patient receives this treatment, on the third day they tested negative.”

According to reports, 19 asymptomatic patients have so far been given the treatment, and 15 of them are said to have recovered from COVID-19. Koster said that it takes about three days for asymptomatic patients to recover since the first treatment.

The governor reportedly has assigned a number of researchers to the treatment which involves Balinese Arak being steamed and inhaled using a vaporizer device.

Koster is optimistic that asymptomatic patients in the province, numbering around 400 in total, will recover much more quickly with the treatment.
 
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JohnnyCool

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2009
1,414
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Sanur
Well ain't that one for the books?
Shouldn't "they" be steaming the 400 positive asymptomatic patients first, or have I missed something here?

Some time ago, Russia's Putin suggested that people worried about the virus should drink more vodka and ride around on tractors.
Imagine that? Drunk Russians on tractors.
I wonder if being steamed with arak gets you drunk? What's the boiling point of arak? If it's around 100 Celsius, the alcohol would evaporate.
I've been told that arak is to be legalized in Bali.
Would it "work" on devout Moslems?

o_O
 

yantiharun1

New Member
Jun 30, 2020
7
5
3
Well ain't that one for the books?
Shouldn't "they" be steaming the 400 positive asymptomatic patients first, or have I missed something here?

Some time ago, Russia's Putin suggested that people worried about the virus should drink more vodka and ride around on tractors.
Imagine that? Drunk Russians on tractors.
I wonder if being steamed with arak gets you drunk? What's the boiling point of arak? If it's around 100 Celsius, the alcohol would evaporate.
I've been told that arak is to be legalized in Bali.
Would it "work" on devout Moslems?

o_O
I would think this is not for the moslems
 

Metter

Active Member
Oct 8, 2017
221
68
28
Sanur Kauh
The governor reportedly has assigned a number of researchers to the treatment which involves Balinese Arak being steamed and inhaled using a vaporizer device.

Wow, considering that the boiling point of alcohol is lower than water this could be effectively getting people to breath in 70 - 95% pure alcohol (depending on number of condenser - if any -used). Sound like a Donald Trump thing, bleach works on bench top so might work in the body.