During the Covid-19 pandemic, more people were coping with its consequences by staying inside more, contributing to depression, anxiety and many other issues. Drug overdoses have skyrocketed at an alarming rate. This is a very complicated issue, with no apparent simple solution. I feel that our American culture is deeply broken, as so many people look to outside means to find mental stimulation and personal happiness. Abuse of drugs, alcohol, the internet and social media are determining factors in the health and well-being of our population. Fentanyl abuse is now more in the media and political spotlight as many see this as a major healthcare issue.
There has been a near 30% rise from the same period of time, a year earlier and a near-doubling over the past five years. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that from May 2020 to April 2021, more than 100,000 people have died from drug overdoses in the US. The CDC report another 107,375 deaths in 2022.
Fentanyl is synthetic opioid and accounted for the majority of those drug overdose deaths being about 64,000. Fentanyl is often used as a painkiller, being 50-100 times more potent than morphine. A mere 2 milligrams can be deadly. Often Fentanyl is cut in with counterfeit Oxycontin, Percocet or other drugs.
Fentanyl comes into the use as chemicals ingredients of the drug, coming in from China, India or Mexico for production by drug cartels in Mexico and then later smuggled into the US.
The current White House administration put $4 billion in funding from the Covid-19 relief package, toward reducing overdose deaths, including increasing services for substance use disorder and mental health. Hopefully, resources will be put towards addressing the root factors of drug abuse, and not just treating the symptoms.
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I think one of the most relative and current issue facing the American “sickcare” system, is the use of herbs and/or pharmaceuticals, and their relative efficacy of various products used as treatment for Covid-19. From my research, most of the available studies on Covid-19 treatments coming from the US are regarding vaccines and other pharmaceuticals and not so much for herbs or products with natural ingredients. However, I have found several studies from countries other than the US regarding the usage of herbs to prevent or treat Covid-19.
An article posted in June of 2021 from Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences G. Microbiolog, details research of invertebrates such as earthworms and many marine natural products (MNPs) and subcategories of mollusks and crustaceans all having various medicinal advantages for improving human health. Invertebrate-isolated MNPs have demonstrated therapeutic properties anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, immune modulator, antihypertensive, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and other health benefits. Other ancient herbs such as curcumin, licorice and Andrographis are antiviral agents used for prevention and treatment of viral infections including respiratory viral infections. Covid-19 management is based upon enhancement of the immune system to control viral replication or reduce the harmfulness (virulence) of the virus and reduce relative symptoms. This article reinforces the use of natural extracts as available options to produce new therapeutic drugs against COVID-19 (Abd El-Aziz et al., 2021).
Another article of July 2020 from the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine reviewed 43 papers through a PubMed search, relative to the use of herbs and natural compounds to treat or prevent SARS-COV and related viruses. Roughly more than 450 herbs and natural compounds reviewed demonstrated their activity as antiviral substances against SARS-CoV and related viruses with numerous ones showing the ability to inhibit the coronavirus-host protein pathways and disrupt the different stages of the coronavirus life cycle. Data encourages hope that these herbs and natural compounds may play a bigger role in potential therapeutic treatment options supporting future SARS-CoV treatment protocols (Fuzimoto & Isidoro, 2020)
Results from a 2021 study reported that here are numerous herbs used in the decoction of “Ma Xing Shi Gan” which include Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizome, Ephedrae herba, Armeniacae semen amarum, and Gypsum fibrosum, which demonstrated potential activity in every stage of the Covid-19 cycle (Ang et al., 2021).
Pfizer pharmaceuticals recently reported record profits from this 1st quarter of 2022 of $25.7 billion, an increase of 61% from past expectations (Pfizer, 2022) One might inquire as to why other less costly or controversial alternatives to Covid-19 prevention or treatment are not being researched? Or if relative data is available, being made accessible for public review? Is the US medical industry even looking into other options? It is fairly common knowledge that the profit from the pharmaceutical companies dwarfs that of herbal companies and are often bought out by big pharma companies. For example, German owned Bayer purchased Germany’s Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk in 2013, a privately held company specializing in herbal medicines (Ladda, 2013) and Australia’s Creso-pharma having bought out Colorado-based Sierra Sage Herbs in 2022 (Herbs, 2022).
While the global herbal medicine market looks to possibly become a $550 billion industry by 2030 (insightSLICE, 2021), my concern is that these herbs and other natural compounds will be researched, studied and promoted for use based upon profit forecasts of corporations rather than actual implementation of such herbs to help the world population. I have not heard much through mainstream media or other resources, regarding the use of herbs in the US over the last 2 years as preventative nor post-infection of Covid-19.
References:
Abd El-Aziz, F. E.-Z. A., Mustafa Kasem, S., Ali, M. F., Mohamed, S. M., & El Shehaby, D. M. (2021). Rational of Invertebrates and Herbs Extracts for Protection and Management of Coronavirus (COVID 19). Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences, G, Microbiology, 13(1), 29–47. https://doi-org.northernvermont.idm.oclc.org/10.21608/EAJBSG.2021.172883
Fuzimoto, A. D., & Isidoro, C. (2020). The antiviral and coronavirus-host protein pathways inhibiting properties of herbs and natural compounds – Additional weapons in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic?. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 10(4), 405–419. https://doi-org.northernvermont.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2020.05.003
Our society seems to rely heavily upon interpretation of scientific data, when it comes to healthcare and guidance, relative pharmaceuticals, procedures, etc. However, it is ironic that the US healthcare system relies quite heavily on this perception that medical pharmaceuticals can fix many ailments. The power of suggestion can play a significant role in alleviating pain and suffering. Somewhere between 10-90% of the efficacy of prescriptions comes down to the placebo effect.
Factors such as trust in the doctor prescribing the medication, specific details regarding the medicine, like its brand, price, name, and place of origin can all affect the patient’s potential belief in the medicine improving their aliment. So, while we keep hearing “follow the science”, the science seems to show that the placebo effect is indeed real and part of the US healthcare system.
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Why do food companies seem to have more rights than consumers, when it comes to disclosing what ingredients are in particular foods? The FDA loosened food labeling requirements mid-2020, with the stated goal of providing regulatory flexibility, to lessen the impact of supply chain disruptions of product availability related to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Reports show that the FDA is actually partially funded by the same companies that they are tasked with regulating, raising concerns with conflicts of interest. It is almost always best to do the due diligence and find where this information is coming from and find reputable sources as there is so much information available to the public today that can and will support whatever ones beliefs and viewpoints tend to lean towards.
The US government at its relative public health agencies, save severely lost the trust of the American people. Medical experts that have an audience, can start to rebuild trust, by just putting themselves out there with some transparency, honesty, humility, and empathy regarding these topics at hand. For example, if a scientist is interviewed as an expert on a particular topic, have them tell their story of being a director for the FDA and now being a board member for Pfizer, instead of people Googling this fact, seeing it maybe as a conflict of interest and then formulating their own conspiracy theory from it. Similarly, if the FDA is going to report that they took 108 days to review documents for licensing of the Pfizer covid19 vaccine and will honor a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, don’t take 55 years to fully release the information to the group of scientists that made the request. Leaders and experts need to stop creating the perfect storm of events that will undoubtedly lead to conspiracy theories and consequently, more vaccine resistance.
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“Each year in the United States about 30,000 babies are born with cystic fibrosis, a disease that causes severe lung and breathing problems (Kaiser, 2012). This inherited (genetic) disease occurs because an affected child inherits a defective gene from each parent. Modern medical treatments enable babies born with cystic fibrosis to survive to about age 40. Despite the improved care and therapies, there still is no cure.
In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the health programs in Canada, the European Union, and other countries approved the drug Kalydeco (ivakator), which can restore lung function in a specific subtype of cystic fibrosis patients—about 4 of 100. Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the company that manufactures Kalydeco, charges $300,000 for a year’s supply of pills (taken twice daily). Most cystic fibrosis patients who respond to the drug will need to take it for decades to stay alive.
Many doctors, patients and their families, and insurers, including the U.S. government, which pays for the drug through Medicare Disability and Medicaid, object to the high cost. They point out that the scientific research that discovered the drug was paid for by taxpayers and that Vertex received considerable help from the Cystic Fibrosis Association and hence spent less than the typical $1 billion to $2 billion to develop the new drug. Without some adjustment in the price, as is being demanded by the U.S. and European governments, each patient receiving the drug will produce a multi-billion-dollar profit for Vertex. In the for-profit model of drug development and sale, Vertex is doing nothing illegal to price its product as it sees fit.
The cost of Kalydeco and other new drugs approved for serious diseases—especially cancer—which is almost always more than $100,000 per treatment or annually if the drug must be given continuously, is a pressing problem facing the healthcare system. With modern genetic technologies to help produce more drugs to treat small numbers of patients, industry and drug developers will be tempted to exploit their advantage financially. Detecting and treating genetic and other serious diseases are rife with ethical and economic concerns that will become critical in the coming years.”
References:
Edlin, G., & Golanty, E. (2019). Health & Wellness (13th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning
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