Two Common Over-the-Counter Compounds Reduce COVID-19 Virus Replication by 99% in Early Testing

A pair of over-the-counter compounds has been found in preliminary tests to inhibit the virus that causes COVID-19, University of Florida Health researchers have found.

The combination includes diphenhydramine, an antihistamine used for allergy symptoms. When paired with lactoferrin, a protein found in cow and human milk, the compounds were found to hinder the SARS-CoV-2 virus during tests in monkey cells and human lung cells.

The findings by David A. Ostrov, Ph.D., an immunologist and associate professor in the UF College of Medicine’s department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine and his colleagues, are published in the journal Pathogens.

“We found out why certain drugs are active against the virus that causes COVID-19. Then, we found an antiviral combination that can be effective, economical, and has a long history of safety,” Ostrov said. Sigma Receptors

Molecular docking of sigma-2 receptor ligands that exhibit antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Credit: University of Florida

Due to his earlier research with colleagues at UF, Ostrov already knew diphenhydramine was potentially effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The latest discovery has its roots in a routine meeting of scientists with the Global Virus Network’s COVID-19 task force. One researcher presented unpublished data on federally approved compounds that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 activity, including lactoferrin.

Like diphenhydramine, lactoferrin is available without a prescription. Ostrov thought about pairing it with diphenhydramine and ran with the idea. In lab tests on human and monkey cells, the combination was particularly potent: Individually, the two compounds each inhibited SARS-CoV-2 virus replication by about 30%. Together, they reduced virus replication by 99%.

The findings, Ostrov said, are a first step in developing a formulation that could be used to accelerate COVID-19 recovery. It also raises the prospect of further study through an academic-corporate partnership for human clinical trials focused on COVID-19 prevention. Additional research into the compounds’ effectiveness for COVID-19 prevention is already underway in mouse models.

To establish their findings, the research team focused on proteins expressed in human cells known as sigma receptors. In COVID-19 cases, the virus “hijacks” stress-response machinery, including sigma receptors, in order to replicate in the body. Interfering with that signaling appears to be the key to inhibiting the virus’s potency. “We now know the detailed mechanism of how certain drugs inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection,” Ostrov said.

Data from the experiments show that a highly specific sigma receptor binding drug candidate (with pain relieving properties), and formulated combinations of over-the-counter products (such as diphenhydramine and lactoferrin) have the potential to inhibit virus infection and decrease recovery time from COVID-19, the researchers concluded.

While the findings are encouraging, Ostrov cautions against self-medicating with either diphenhydramine or lactoferrin as a COVID-19 prevention or treatment. The type of lactoferrin used in the research differs slightly from the type that is commonly available to consumers, he noted. Lactoferrin is commonly used as a supplement to treat stomach and intestinal ulcers, among other uses.

Reference: “Highly Specific Sigma Receptor Ligands Exhibit Anti-Viral Properties in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Cells” by David A. Ostrov, Andrew P. Bluhm, Danmeng Li, Juveriya Qamar Khan, Megha Rohamare, Karthic Rajamanickam, Kalpana K. Bhanumathy, Jocelyne Lew, Darryl Falzarano, Franco J. Vizeacoumar, Joyce A. Wilson, Marco Mottinelli, Siva Rama Raju Kanumuri, Abhisheak Sharma, Christopher R. McCurdy and Michael H. Norris, 20 November 2021, Pathogens. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111514

Scientists from UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute, College of Pharmacy and Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency collaborated on the research.

first, let me say this is an old tab I accidentally found while searching for recently disappeared tabs.

Not long ago, I began wondering if there was method in Fauci’s failure to develop an AIDS vaccine. It occured to me that an AIDS vaccine might only need to be used once a year or if like some other, only once every five or ten years or even a lifetime. Thus it would be much better for the drug industry (more $$$$$) to continue with multiple medicines that would be used every day for a lifetime.

I wonder if fauci thought of this or if, as more successful medications were found, the drug industry told Fauci to shut the F up about vaccines. I wounder what a serious criminal investigation might find on this possibility.

In a year and 1/2 we have discovered new Covid worries. It appears that a part of the immune system called IgG may be critical to Covid vaccines and their effect on long term health. There are 4 types of IgG. IgG in unvaccinated has a specific ratio. IgG3 shows a 50-fold stronger ability to neutralize viruses than the other 3 classes. After the third Covid jab, IgG3 level soon drops to ZERO. IgG4 on the other hand rises after each vaccine dose from below 1, to an average close to 20%. and in a fourth of subjects in the same small study to around 50%. These 3 also had “breakthrough” Covid infections after the third shot.

Most of the concern I have seen has suggested the mRNA vaccines and their focus on spike proteins was the source of problems. On the other hand I had 2 J & J shots in 2021 and then refused to take more. J & J does not have an mRNA base. However I think it probably also focused on the spike protein. Based on my personal history with illness, I am not sure which of these two factors may be the more important.

My partner had 4 shots, the 4th against my strong advice. My brother with cancer also had a 4th before I could warn him. I had a flu shot (but wonder now if Kaiser Permanente could possibly have given me a combined shot) or perhaps ignored my request for flu only and gave me a Covid shot, although it was in a different room than where my partner was given his. At any rate around New Year 2023 my partner came home from babysitting his sick toddler grandson and soon had a respiratory illness. A few days later I had it too. We were both slow in recovery and 1 and 1/2 months later my partner brought another illness home from babysitting his sick grandson. Playschools are serious germ factories.

This time he felt severe chills and went to bed but did not seem to have much if any fever. A few days later I had chills and fever, 101.5 the second day, 100.5 the 3rd, and 99.5 the 4th. I am normally 97.8. Here is a quote from Igor Chudov’s Dec. 22, 2022 article. “Rintrah explains that immunology study shows depletion of all-important, virus-fighting IgG3 antibodies and their replacement (class switch) with useless IgG4 antibodies. Those turn (cause?) Covid infection to be needlessly “mild” but fail to clear the virus promptly.” Says Igor Chudov, We have fevers for a reason!

Regarding “class switch” this was explained earlier in the article I am quoting. IgG4 has the opposite effect compared to all other types of antibodies and make our immune system ignore the particular antigen they are trained to detect. Thus when a person is given multiple shots to induce non reaction to pollen or some other allergies increased amounts of IgG4 will not cause a reaction to them. However, if you get multiple shots of a virus related substance, you do not want your IgG system ignoring a replicating virus.

The end result for my partner (age 78) and me (84) was we continued with coughing for over 3 months. I had bronchitis for most of that period. I have not been remotely sick like that this century. After the cough was gone early April my respiratory system still felt “off” for a few more weeks and my partner still was coughing which has stopped 2 weeks ago (early May). So was this “long Covid” although I think it might have been something like RSV instead. No nausea or vomiting for us. Or is this the way we will react to future illness because vaccines have messed up our IgG ratios.

More research on the whole IgG ratio change issue, and also whether it is mRNA or focus on a single factor like spike protein that causes that problem. Also, does frequency of other vaccines cause similar issues? Babies and toddlers are often now given 5 or 6 vaccines at one time. Does this have some impact on the Autism issue?? Links for this and related articles below. Happy digging.

Booster-Caused IgG4 Immune Tolerance Explains Excess Mortality and “Chronic Covid”, Igor Chudov, dec 26, 2022 [I was unable to turn this into an https link when I found the article at Igor’s web site.]

OK, I think this is it. https://igorchudov.substack.com/p/booster-caused-immune-tolerance-explains

Igor then lists the article by Rintrah Radagast I quoted above.
https://www.rintrah.nl/the-trainwreck-of-all-trainwrecks-billions-of-people-stuck-with-a-broken-immune-response/

Igor also lists this study from the journal Science Immunology.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.ade2798

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