Public Health: Tips and information on how to prepare for the epidemic, avoid illness and protect our communities.

Another review of studies, I won't summarize, that's in the abstract and conclusions of the article, but it's got me thinking about the cookies! I might just take a break from THC and let my brain go to mush for a spell. It would be nice to have some solid info, but ya go with what ya got, not with what ya want.
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Immunoregulatory Role of Cannabinoids during Infectious Disease

Abstract
Although the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in the regulation of several physiological processes, including sleep and the immune response, its role during infections has not been fully studied. It is well known that the use of this drug increases susceptibility to infections because of the impact on the modulation of the immune system. Concerning the medicinal or recreational use of marijuana, its influence on the course of an infection, whether this has been caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and to a lesser degree, fungi, has been reported. Furthermore, there is evidence suggesting the involvement of the ECS in the control and elimination of infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and some protozoa; in the case of fungi, few studies are available so far. The purpose of this review is to present the existing studies related to infections and the ECS, the microbicidal effects of compounds isolated from Cannabis sativa, and the association between marijuana use and the development of rare pathologies in specific diseases.

This is not a scientific conclusion, it's a PLOS blog post by an expert in the field and is based on animal trials, make of it what you will, but I found the comments on influenza interesting for mice and most likely man. I just wish scientists would use the proper name for the cannabis plant and not slang, if they don't know what cannabis is, they shouldn't read the article.

I also run a small compassion club grow and supply poor prescription holders and this stuff is starting to cause me some moral and ethical grief, and is provoking some of this poking around. Covid-19 changed things, this might be one of those changes, for older people at least and those on the narrow edge of survival.
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Diverse perspectives on science and medicine

Marijuana: More Than Just The High
Posted October 25, 2017 by Jason Organ in Public science communication
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Marijuana is a controversial subject–it is illegal according to federal law, even while 29 states (and Washington, DC) have legalized medical use in some form or another. Furthermore, the science behind marijuana use is ongoing, especially in the context of medicine. Today, we feature a piece by Dr. Barbara Kaplan, who studies the effects of marijuana on the immune system, and is working hard to educate the public about her science. We are thrilled to publish this work and hope you will find it enlightening. To keep up to date with SciCommPLOS, please follow us on Twitter. More information on medical marijuana published in PLOS journals and blogs can be found here. –Jason Organ

By Barbara LF Kaplan, PhD, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University

I have been experimenting with marijuana for over 15 years—but not in the way you think. I am a basic research scientist, and my job is to study the immune system—the body system that wards off infection and disease. I used to avoid telling people what I do for a living because I assumed that they weren’t interested, they might not understand, and that I’m not the right person to teach them about science. Several years ago, a colleague set me straight: people are interested, they understand more than scientists give them credit for, and that I absolutely should be the one to be talking about science because I AM A SCIENTIST.

My scientific area of expertise is called immunotoxicology. What that means is that I study how chemicals affect the immune system. We live in a world full of chemicals. Drugs, like antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, are chemicals, as are things like pesticides, paints, solvents, and even plants and foods. One of my areas of research involves studying how the natural chemicals in marijuana plants interact with the immune system.

Marijuana is a controversial subject with wide interest and appeal. In the United States, marijuana use has increased over the last several years as many states have voted to legalize it for medical use and/or decriminalize (or outright legalize) it for recreational use. At the federal level, marijuana is still illegal regardless of use—it is classified as a Schedule I drug (i.e., chemicals with no known medical use) by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, placing it in the same category as heroin and LSD, among others. There is, however, a synthetic form of the psychoactive chemical, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), marketed as Marinol®, which is used to help reduce nausea following chemotherapy, and as an appetite stimulant for those experiencing severe weight loss, such as AIDS and cancer patients. Currently, THC and other marijuana-derived chemicals are being studied in clinical trials to assess their potential for medical use, such as treatment for neuropathic pain, or to combat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn’s disease. One such chemical receiving a considerable amount of attention is CBD (cannabidiol), because many have reported it to also be very effective in treating seizures (1).

Whereas both CBD and THC are natural marijuana-derived chemicals, CBD does not produce the high associated with THC. Despite this difference, work in my laboratory and others demonstrates that THC and CBD both affect the immune system. For example, some cells of the immune system (white blood cells such as macrophages and T cells) detect foreign invaders of your body (e.g., viruses) and try to destroy them by producing defensive proteins. THC and CBD suppress the abilities of macrophages and T cells to make those proteins (2, 3). In other words, THC and CBD suppress the immune system’s ability to work properly, so the foreign invader has an advantage.

With a disease like influenza, suppression of the immune system by THC or CBD may result in more severe symptoms or a longer duration until recovery. This is clear from studies performed with animals, although similar studies in human cells suggest this could also happen in people. In mice, infection with influenza leads to lethargy, anti-social behavior, and weight loss, but recovery usually happens within a week or two because high numbers of macrophages and T cells are able to fight off the virus in the lungs. When mice are treated with THC while infected with influenza, the number of macrophages and T cells traveling to the lungs to fight off the virus is reduced, and recovery takes longer (4).

In the context of autoimmune diseases, suppression of the immune system by THC and CBD would be a welcome outcome, and indeed is the current target of therapy. Autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s disease occur because the immune system is overactive and responds by attacking normal cells and organs instead of (or in addition to) foreign invaders. So in this case, use of THC or CBD to suppress the immune system might be beneficial. Like with influenza, the use of THC and CBD to suppress the immune system in the context of autoimmune disease is currently under investigation in humans (5), based on strong evidence in favor of this approach using mice (6).

In thinking about just these two examples, it is clear that THC and CBD have important roles in suppressing immune function, and that in some cases this suppression is not good (i.e., if you are fighting off influenza) and in others it may be beneficial (i.e., if you have autoimmune disease). And, this suppressive action of THC and CBD on the immune system is not unique to these chemicals. In fact, many important and widely-used drugs to treat autoimmune diseases suppress immune function, so are a benefit to those with disease, but potentially detrimental if taken by those without disease. So where does this leave me and my research now? My path forward is to continue to determine how these natural chemicals from marijuana act in the immune system. The studies in my lab and others will provide strong data for those who make decisions about which chemicals to formulate into drugs, and perhaps this will lead to development of another marijuana-based medicine in the coming years. But perhaps just as important, I hope my message will resonate with marijuana users who need to understand how this drug affects their body, for better or for worse.

Fogdog said:

lulz at the bold face font.
You began our "debate" with strawman arguments and are now shouting made-up definitions at me.

Click to expand...

Does this describe you?
Look in the mirror bro.

My definition of a troll:
A being without the intellectual power to respond in a rational manner.
But lonely enough that they still want to participate in the thread.

@DIY-HP-LED , I read what you posted and I don't see a concern. Or better put, I don't see a strong case. Yes, there is an immune-suppression response (possible) that one can argue is a reason why one shouldn't partake. Where I get lost is -- I see academic reports that justify a theory that cannabis reduces immunity when virtually no reports from the field show that healthy people who smoke cannabis are in fact sicker or contract flu or other diseases more often than non-pot heads. We (pot heads) are legion. I understand the theory but I don't see the theory justified by population data. We aren't any more susceptible to disease than anybody else. At least I've never seen any population studies that do show it.

shaggyballs said:

Does this describe you?
Look in the mirror bro.

My definition of a troll:
A being without the intellectual power to respond in a rational manner.
But lonely enough that they still want to participate in the thread.

Click to expand...

So, now you are going to try to turn your own statements around as if I said them?

Your definition of a troll is your own, BTW. Look in your own mirror.

shaggyballs said:

Does this describe you?
Look in the mirror bro.

My definition of a troll:
A being without the intellectual power to respond in a rational manner.
But lonely enough that they still want to participate in the thread.

Click to expand...

Cult logic, just make up new meanings for words if the reality doesn't 'feel' good.

There's been a bit of discussion about immunity and such on this thread and some eye watering papers presented! Here is a layman's explanation of immune function. This fellow has been explaining things in easily understood terms for awhile now and has been featured on TV for his efforts in public health education during this pandemic, he has a Phd in it.

Short review of immunity, antigens and antibodies
Dr. John Campbell

Interesting outlook from an md on the front lines..... Are we treating the correct disease?

Here is a good review of the human immune system and will aid in the lay person's in understanding of the subject, it a complex topic.
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IMMUNE SYSTEM MADE EASY- IMMUNOLOGY INNATE AND ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY SIMPLE ANIMATION

The immune system consists of various types of cells and different proteins that kill the harmful invading microorganisms and protect our body from disease. In this video we will discuss about the human immune system. What is the basic structure of the Human Immune system and how it functions

This applies to republicans as well.....

Starving, angry and cannibalistic: America's rats are getting desperate amid coronavirus pandemic
NBC: America's rats are being hit hard by the coronavirus.

As millions of Americans shelter indoors to combat the deadly virus, which has claimed over 21,000 U.S. lives, many businesses — including restaurants and grocery stores — have closed or limited operations, cutting off many rodents' main sources for food. On deserted streets across the country, rats are in dire survival mode, experts say.

"If you take rats that have been established in the area or somebody's property and they're doing well, the reason they're doing well is because they're eating well," Bobby Corrigan, an urban rodentologist, told NBC News. "Ever since coronavirus broke out, not a single thing has changed with them, because someone's doing their trash exactly the same in their yard as they've always done it — poorly."

But many other rats are not faring as well, said Corrigan, who works as a consultant for several city health departments and businesses, such as airports and shopping malls.

"A restaurant all of a sudden closes now, which has happened by the thousands in not just New York City but coast to coast and around the world, and those rats that were living by that restaurant, some place nearby, and perhaps for decades having generations of rats that depended on that restaurant food, well, life is no longer working for them, and they only have a couple of choices."

And those choices are grim. They include cannibalism, rat battles and infanticide.

"It's just like we've seen in the history of mankind, where people try to take over lands and they come in with militaries and armies and fight to the death, literally, for who's going to conquer that land. And that's what happens with rats," he said. "A new 'army' of rats come in, and whichever army has the strongest rats is going to conquer that area."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/starving-angry-cannibalistic-america-s-rats-are-getting-desperate-amid-n1180611

Reasonable, evidence based advice for maximizing your immunity.
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HOW TO BOOST IMMUNITY - How to boost Immune Power Naturally

The immune system is a collection of organs, cells, and tissues that work together to protect your body from disease caused mostly by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi). These cells are specifically designed for a certain kind of disease. All throughout the body, disease fighting cells are stored in the immune system waiting for the signal to go to battle. In this video we will discuss about some of the cool ways by which you can boost your immunity.

greg nr said:

This applies to republicans as well.....

Starving, angry and cannibalistic: America's rats are getting desperate amid coronavirus pandemic
NBC: America's rats are being hit hard by the coronavirus.

As millions of Americans shelter indoors to combat the deadly virus, which has claimed over 21,000 U.S. lives, many businesses — including restaurants and grocery stores — have closed or limited operations, cutting off many rodents' main sources for food. On deserted streets across the country, rats are in dire survival mode, experts say.

"If you take rats that have been established in the area or somebody's property and they're doing well, the reason they're doing well is because they're eating well," Bobby Corrigan, an urban rodentologist, told NBC News. "Ever since coronavirus broke out, not a single thing has changed with them, because someone's doing their trash exactly the same in their yard as they've always done it — poorly."

But many other rats are not faring as well, said Corrigan, who works as a consultant for several city health departments and businesses, such as airports and shopping malls.

"A restaurant all of a sudden closes now, which has happened by the thousands in not just New York City but coast to coast and around the world, and those rats that were living by that restaurant, some place nearby, and perhaps for decades having generations of rats that depended on that restaurant food, well, life is no longer working for them, and they only have a couple of choices."

And those choices are grim. They include cannibalism, rat battles and infanticide.

"It's just like we've seen in the history of mankind, where people try to take over lands and they come in with militaries and armies and fight to the death, literally, for who's going to conquer that land. And that's what happens with rats," he said. "A new 'army' of rats come in, and whichever army has the strongest rats is going to conquer that area."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/starving-angry-cannibalistic-america-s-rats-are-getting-desperate-amid-n1180611

Click to expand...

That is terrifying to think of. I am super happy I don't live in a big city now. This is the virus that keeps on hammering our cities it seems. Scary shit.

We forget the tragedy unfolding in less developed countries where the bulk of the world's population resides, we are completely absorbed by our own problems and that of other wealthy countries like our own.

It seems Iraq has been locked down for a month, they seem to have a better government than America, then again, most places do these days.

An international pandemic - Coronavirus

DIY-HP-LED said:

They are just Trumpers, until you look them in the eyes and find it impossible to hate when you know they will probably be dead in a week. He was a victim of fox news and a host of assholes who filled his poor old head with nonsense for their own selfish purposes. Suffering ain't hard to find, its all around us if we have eyes to see it, hospitals concentrate it. I hope the old guy makes it, let me know if ya can, I figure he's just a victim of the American civil war. Ignorance kills not just those who are ignorant, but others too.

I'm glad your hospital is not being hit too hard yet, but I suspect the day might be coming. Take care Amber and stay well.

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Yeah, it’s so hard because he was struggling for air and he was not complaining. When I saw his lungs it was horrifying. One of his Lungs was completely filled with fluid and the other one had a huge mass of Cancer. But he he was cheery and energized more then I could imagine in his condition walked in and bounced right one out the door. He wasn’t that old , in his upper 50’s. One thing I admire about the ignorant Okies is that they are some of the toughest son of bitches I ever seen. Hard working simple folk that can take a licking and keep on tickin.
Our hospital is still at zero positives and empty going bankrupt quickly.

Dr.Amber Trichome said:

Yeah, it’s so hard because he was struggling for air and he was not complaining. When I saw his lungs it was horrifying. One of his Lungs was completely filled with fluid and the other one had a huge mass of Cancer. But he he was cheery and energized more then I could imagine in his condition walked in and bounced right one out the door. He wasn’t that old , in his upper 50’s. One thing I admire about the ignorant Okies is that they are some of the toughest son of bitches I ever seen. Hard working simple folk that can take a licking and keep on tickin.
Our hospital is still at zero positives and empty going bankrupt quickly.

Click to expand...

That's good news Amber, I doubt they will go broke after this, no one's gonna let a hospital close in America for awhile. Stay safe and I hope you never encounter covid-19 there. Sorry to hear about that fellow, none of us gets out of this life alive, antibiotics should help him for awhile.

DIY-HP-LED said:

That's good news Amber, I doubt they will go broke after this, no one's gonna let a hospital close in America for awhile. Stay safe and I hope you never encounter covid-19 there. Sorry to hear about that fellow, none of us gets out of this life alive, antibiotics should help him for awhile.

Click to expand...

That’s not whaT the supervisor told me. She told me that other hospitals in the area are shutting down and that’s why we had to let off a bunch of workers and why she asked me to start doing more admin work that I don’t want to do. Either I do the extra work I go home early with no pay. I’m flexible to a point but not liking the situation at all and will walk away if she pushes me and she knows it. Fuckin nerve. Go fuck with other people’s work loads not mine . I have one of the most stressful jobs at the place . Everyone else there has a helper but I have no one.

Dr.Amber Trichome said:

That’s not whaT the supervisor told me. She told me that other hospitals in the area are shutting down and that’s why we had to let off a bunch of workers and why she asked me to start doing more admin work that I don’t want to do. Either I do the extra work I go home early with no pay. I’m flexible to a point but not liking the situation at all and will walk away if she pushes me and she knows it. Fuckin nerve. Go fuck with other people’s work loads not mine . I have one of the most stressful jobs at the place . Everyone else there has a helper but I have no one.

Click to expand...

You have a contract? Look through it and see what it says. This must be more red state idiocy closing hospitals in the face of a deadly epidemic and national emergency, they must be looking to hit the feds up for aid money or something, it makes no sense at all otherwise.

Fortunately work in your field ain't hard to find at all these days and if your husband is out of work right now your free to go where ya want. Find another job make your plans and then tell them they are violating your contract, record everything in a notebook as it happens cause ya might wanna sue them.

Just an idea, I figure your good at dealing with your boss and have no problem telling her to go fuck herself, if required!

Coronavirus Pandemic Update 54: COVID-19 Antibody vs. PCR Testing; When to Relax Social Distancing?

Production of COVID-19 antibody test kits are ramping up - there are over 70 companies producing them. Antibody tests could be one of the keys to eventually easing social distancing restrictions and allowing schools and businesses to re-open. Unfortunately, only one antibody test is FDA approved at this time, and the approval of each company will take some time. Dr. Seheult illustrates how antibody tests and PCR-RT tests for COVID-19 work on the cellular level, and he discusses potential coronavirus vaccine challenges.

Hydrotherapy for COVID-19
Protocol for treating COVID-19
Three steps:
Step 1: Prophylactic (preventive) regime
For boosting the immune system, enabling you to fight any infection effectively. Anyone can do this.

Step 2: Early COVID regime
Use this as soon as the symptoms of a respiratory infection occur. Continue to use after diagnosis of COVID-19 if symptoms are mild, and are relieved by the regime.

Step 3: Late COVID regime
Use if Step 2 does not relieve symptoms, especially when `breathlessness and coughing, are becoming severe.

I got a team update today about anti-body testing. The Governor announced that 1,000 citizens will be randomly chosen for blood serum test to determine anti-bodies to the Covid-19 virus . We haven’t been notified how this random testing will be conducted yet, but will receive additional information soon.
I hope I am one of the lucky chosen but what are the chances of that in a state population of 4 million people. Lol