Sunday, April 26, 2020

Princess Cruise ship COVID-19 Miracles:    
Frank and Magdalena: two miracles!! They both got COVID-19 at the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Both in their 80’s. Frank, around 2-6-2020  tested positive was then transferred to Japan local hospital so he got separated from Magdalena. He had bilateral pneumonia the next day after and developed respiratory failure. He was in respirator  for weeks. That was very tragic for Magdalena since she didn’t know if Frank had succumbed and died from SSRS Co-2.  5 days  later, Magdalena tested positive and had pneumonia. She was very fatigued. Around 3 weeks later, she had a stroke: she had a large-vessel occlusion stroke ( LVO), the more dangerous one. Significant number of LVO stroke cases were documented during  SARS 2 illness. ( there is flooding of inflammatory chemicals/ cytokines during SARS, clots can form). She had massive brain swelling, became comatose, and a neurosurgeon had to remove a medium -sized piece of skull ( craniectomy) to give room for brain swelling. Their course in the hospital was very protracted , critical, and was difficult for everyone professionally involved in the case and for friends and relatives who  were always eager to hear an update.          
Now, cleared by Japan 2-3 weeks ago, and after several travel delays, they are finally home enjoying the warmth of family and friends. Frank and Magdalena lived a lot of their adult life in New Jersey. They bought a house in Las Vegas and planned on retiring here. Magdalena was a prolific, productive OB-GYN physician, and Frank managed the business. Prayers, faith, hope, love and God brought home miracles! ❤️πŸ™πŸΌπŸ’ͺπŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‘Œ❤️❤️❤️ #covid19survivors #Sarscov2 #covidmiracles #lifeisbeautiful #diamondprincesscruise2020 #princesscruisecovid #japancruise #faith #love #godisgood

( I mentioned them in one of my posts in January. They’re very close friends of my friend Alicia Felicia, NP.. Alicia took this photo while they are having dinner. Magdalena is waving for me.)

Saturday, April 25, 2020

COVID -19 and the Immune System By Arlyn Valencia, MD ( Board Certified Neurologist)

SARS CoV 2’s mortality and morbidity is heavily influenced by an individual’s immune system integrity. It is a disease of immune system gone awry. An immune system that has been challenged by chronic diseases ( such as hypertension, obesity), unhealthy living conditions, high levels of daily stress,  inability to recover from illnesses or stressful situations because of the demands of job, and other responsibilities and limited access to health care and good food. And of course, genetics has a role because bad or good immune system and propensity to develop medical conditions have genetic basis. New information and data are coming out to the surface, AND old information and data are revisited. THIS COUNTRY , of course as well as others, need to reorganize its priorities. US has the capacity to spend so much on trivial things, projects that benefit only a few, bailing out top corporations, lavishing the lifestyle of politicians BUT it can’t afford to better the delivery of health care and and health education especially to people that need them so badly.

Those of us, who know something about this disease and its FACTS should disseminate useful information and help others about the value of a good immune system. Let’s all be equipped and ready for when another COVID storm hits us, our bodies may be able to weather it with the help of better treatment to kill the virus and prevent its catastrophic cascade of havoc in the body. So far, COVID -19 is THE Katrina of the coronas. -  Arlyn Valencia, M.D. Diplomate American Board Of Psychiatry And Neurology

( The following article is well written and very informative. I highly recommend it).

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/coronavirus-immune-response/610228/