A few years ago we described in a blog on www.malariaword.org the role zinc may have in diarrhea and tropical diseases. Zn2+ deficiency is a common comorbidity of many chronic diseases. In a recent weblog we describe the deleterious effect of zinc deficiency in elderly people on the development of pneumonia. Zinc deficiency has a detrimental effect on blood pressure and hypertension is one of the major causes of mortality in Covid infections. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials on the effects of zinc...

In an April 10 interview, American philanthropist Melinda Gates expressed her belief that the coronavirus pandemic will have the worst impact in the developing world. She said she foresees bodies lying around in the street of African countries. It is quite surprising to see that although there have been shocking reports of hospitals overwhelmed with patients in the US and in other Western countries, the billionaire philanthropist and others like her still choose to talk about dead bodies in Africa. Gates is not the only one to be...

LOW ZINC STATUS: A RISK FOR PNEUMONIA IN THE ELDERLY Plasma Zn decrease is strongly related to age and may be a predictor of all-cause mortality in elderly population. In a study in Italy plasma zinc levels were measured in individuals having an age range of 10–93 years. No significant differences in plasma zinc concentrations were found between males and females. Up to the age of 50 years, the mean plasma zinc of normal individuals remained relatively constant at 70 ± 32µg/100 ml after which the levels decreased. Chooi M.K. Todd...

Several authors have documented the efficacy of luteolin against pulmonary diseases. The highest concentration of luteolin is found in Artemisia afra at 1.9 mg/g. A. Dube, Thesis, Artemisia afra, University Western Cape, 2006. Mucus overproductionis one of the most important pathological features of chronic inflammatory airway diseases that contribute to morbidity and mortality. It reduces ciliar motility, damages local defensive functions and promotes bacterial colonization. As a natural flavonoid luteolin has multiple biological...

Malaria inhibits Covid. The role of immunoglobulines E In January 2020 we published together with 3 medical doctors from Africa: “Jérôme, Munyangi, Pascal Gisenya, Patrick Ogwang …Immunoglobulins in the skin lead to long-lasting prophylaxis. Pharm Pharmacol Int Journal, PPIJ, 2020, Issue1”, a paper which, if widely spread, could have had a dramatic impact on the way the present Covid-19 crisis is handled. One of the key findings of their work is that immunoglobulins are higher in malaria endemic areas. The total IgE level in a...