THERE is now a scientifically and clinically proven natural approach to treat Covid-19 infection.

A randomised, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) to test high dose intravenous vitamin C for treatment of advanced stage Covid-19 patients has reduced the mortality rate almost by half. In clinical research jargon the RCT result is the proof.

The multicentre study by Zhang et al (2020), high-dose vitamin C infusion for the treatment of critically ill Covid-19, Pulmonary (preprint), started in February was conducted in Wuhan, the epicentre of coronavirus outbreak.

The study was double-blinded and a RCT, which is considered the gold standard in evidence-based medicine. Neither the doctors nor the patients knew what was given in the infusion – 12g of vitamin C every 12 hours for seven days to the treatment arm, or sterile water as placebo in the same manner to the control arm.

In addition, all the critically ill subjects were given the guideline Covid-19 medications.

Out of the total 56 patients, five out of 26 (19%) died in the vitamin C group, while 10 out of 28 (36%) died in the placebo group.

In terms of mortality the result showed statistical significance. The primary outcome of the study was to investigate the number of days patients had to rely on ventilators during the 28-day period. The vitamin C group was slightly better with 26 days without ventilator compared to 22 days for the placebo group.

Although this did not achieve statistical significance, it was clinically significant.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is the pro-inflammatory cytokine that is believed to cause immune dysregulation and respiratory failure in Covid-19. During the 7-day period, IL-6 in the vitamin C group reduced from 22.6pg/ml (picogramme per millimetre) to 19.4pg/ml, while it increased from 54.7pg/ml to 158pg/ml in the placebo group. This corroborates to explain the positive outcome in mortality for the vitamin C group.

A spike in IL-6 indicates the patient being overwhelmed by cytokine storm, a potentially fatal immune condition leading to vascular leakage, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and subsequent death.

One of the limitations mentioned in this study was the gap of knowledge pertaining to whether vitamin C had a direct effect on the virus, or the mechanism explaining how vitamin C works.

The answer has already been provided in several research studies carried out by my associates in the Dr Rath Research Institute. The latest study published, and the most relevant, is in Ivanov et al (2020), Effective and safe global public health strategy to fight the Covid-19 pandemic: specific micronutrients composition inhibits coronavirus cell-entry receptor (ACE2) expression.

These studies show that vitamin C inhibits several key mechanisms of coronavirus infection, including down-regulating the viral door-opener (receptors) on the surface of human cells. Combined with other micronutrients, vitamin C enhances antiviral effects, including inhibiting the binding of coronavirus to the surface receptors of cells.

Zhang and colleagues’ latest RCT contribution to scientific knowledge is much welcomed and laudable. From now on, no government, health authorities, or anyone with an interest in scientific and therapeutic aspects of coronavirus can ignore this latest scientific proof.

In fact, the results should encourage intellectual curiosity to conduct more similar studies.

High dose vitamin C now presents itself as an additional approach to the suppression and preventive health strategy against Covid-19. The basics in human biology is that any natural substance that can successfully treat disease by correcting cellular malfunction must also be able to prevent such malfunction.

Governments and politicians should not be fixated on vaccines as the only means of suppression.

Other than China’s Sinovac, which uses the conventional method, currently all vaccines for Covid-19 embrace synthetic biology to shortcut the process of production. The conventional method uses the protein of attenuated virus, which is grown in eggs and then refined into sufficient quantities, to be injected into human bodies. This process is lengthy and slow.   

The synthetic biology process uses genetically based materials that contain synthetic strands of RNA or DNA to be transported into the nucleus of human cells, hoping the human cells will churn out viral protein.

The idea is that the body would see the viral protein as foreign and therefore produces antibodies. As such, not only are the vaccines, but also the entire technology based on modifying genetic information inside the human cells is highly experimental.

Such a method systematically interferes with DNA, the molecules of inheritance. It also interferes with the regulation of RNA, the synthesis of protein.

Several clinical trials conducted in different countries with experimental vaccines for Covid-19 had to be stopped because of severe side effects. Even if any of these studies show some effect in the short term, the long-term consequences are unknown. There is a possibility of irreversible alteration to the genome of millions of people.

Whatever decision made today by our politicians and the health authorities, it will determine the fate and health of our people tomorrow, along with the incalculable loss to our economy if the decision is unwise. The burden is on them. – October 27, 2020.

* Captain Dr Wong Ang Peng is a researcher with an interest in economics, politics, and health issues. He has a burning desire to do anything within his means to promote national harmony. Captain Wong is also a member of the National Patriots Association.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.