In:
Hormone and Metabolic Research, Georg Thieme Verlag KG, Vol. 52, No. 07 ( 2020-07), p. 540-546
Abstract:
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic
affects people around the world. However, there have been striking differences in the number of infected individuals and deaths in different
countries. Particularly, within Central Europe in countries that are similar in ethnicity, age, and medical standards and have performed similar steps of
containment, such differences in mortality rates remain inexplicable. We suggest to consider and explore environmental factors to explain these
intriguing variations. Countries like Northern Italy, France, Spain, and UK have suffered from 5 times more deaths from the corona virus infection than
neighboring countries like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Denmark related to the size of their respective populations. There is a striking
correlation between the level of environmental pollutants including pesticides, dioxins, and air pollution such as NO2 known to
affect immune function and healthy metabolism with the rate of mortality in COVID-19 pandemic in these European countries. There is also a correlation
with the use of chlorination of drinking water in these regions. In addition to the improvement of environmental protective programs, there are
possibilities to lower the blood levels of these pollutants by therapeutic apheresis. Furthermore, therapeutic apheresis might be an effective method
to improve metabolic inflammation, altered vascular perfusion, and neurodegeneration observed as long-term complications of COVID-19
disease.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0018-5043
,
1439-4286
Language:
English
Publisher:
Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Publication Date:
2020
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2056576-8
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