Mary (NY, NY) on 03/28/2020

Large doses of vitamin C are being administered to patients in intensive care at certain hospitals in New York, Newsweek has confirmed with a spokesperson for Northwell Health. They confirmed reports that patients testing positive with COVID-19 were in some cases being treated with large doses of vitamin C—among other drugs—at their clinics. The antioxidant is being administered intravenously in quantities far exceeding the daily recommended dose, which is 90 milligrams for men and 75 milligrams for women as recommended by the National Institutes of Health. 

The effectiveness of intravenous vitamin C as a treatment for—or buffer against—COVID-19 is not established with solid clinical evidence. Rumors spreading online about vitamin C's potential to treat the symptoms of coronavirus, or even prevent them from developing in the first place, have been debunked.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a certain amount of vitamin C is needed to perform various bodily functions, from forming blood vessels and other tissue to the absorption of iron. In high doses the antioxidant has the potential to cause adverse reactions, such as nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Researchers are looking at what benefit, if any, vitamin C might have on COVID-19 patients. Scientists at Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, China, have begun a clinical trial to determine just that, but no results have yet been published. The completion date is scheduled for the end of September, 2020, when they hope to have shown that vitamin C reduces the inflammatory effects of the disease in the lung.

https://www.newsweek.com/new-york-hospitals-vitamin-c-coronavirus-patients-1494407

Please be careful about dosages for any macronutrient, vitamin, mineral or supplement. Eg. for the average adult, no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day, the amount in about a teaspoon of ordinary iodized table salt. Lower consumption — no more than 1,500 mg per day, about two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt — is recommended for middle-aged and older adults, African Americans, and people with high blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat (eg. coconut oil). For example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat. That's about 13 grams of saturated fat per day.

Replied By Charles Pineda, Jr. (East Los Angeles/Sacto. California) on 03/31/2020

Mary: The only drug that the Chinese have reported that makes the cuvid 19 or coronavirus milder is the drug use for malaria. It doesn't cure the virus, but it allows the patient to deal with the virus more effectively. Would recommend that you see on U-tube, if you haven't already, Duc C. Young, surgeon, M.D. videos are really informative, and gives us an excellent perspective of how dangerous and deadly the coronavirus is. He does use some street language to insure everyone understands the seriousness of the virus, yes, including the "Homeboys." My best, Charles Pineda, Jr.