Spikeopathy - At the Centre of Long Covid
Long Covid (also known as Post-Acute Sequelae of infection of Sars-CoV-2 infection or PASC) refers to a range of symptoms that persist for weeks or months after Covid infection. It can occur in individuals who had mild, moderate or severe Covid infection. These symptoms can be diverse and affect various organ systems. The spike protein of Sars-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid) has been implicated in the medical literature as being a trigger for many of these symptoms, potentially causing long-term effects. The spike protein is a part of the Sars CoV-2 virus that helps it enter human cells. It is crucial for the virus to spread and cause illness. The term ‘Spikeopathy’ refers to the harmful effects that arise from the spike protein disrupting normal biological processes. This may well turn out to be the health crisis of our time.
Symptoms of Long Covid
There are over 200 documented symptoms of Long Covid. Per the medical literature, the most common symptoms of Long Covid are: fatigue, brain fog (difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly), shortness of breath, joint and muscle pain (aches and stiffness without other underlying causes), chest pain, headaches, heart palpitations, sleep disturbances, loss of taste or smell. People don’t need to have all of the above symptoms to fit the Long Covid profile.
In my clinic, I find the most useful diagnostic tool is a Time Line of events taken during an initial consultation. I look to see what a person’s health was like prior to the Covid years, whether they have had Covid infection, vaccinations and if they developed new symptoms or worsening of old symptoms days, weeks or months after either of these events. A major factor to bear in mind is that Covid can reactivate old sleeping infections that were contained by the immune system prior to contact with it.
The Spike Protein
The spike protein is a key part of the Sars-Cov-2 virus, responsible for enabling the virus to enter human cells by binding to something called the ACE2 receptor. In both the Covid-19 virus and vaccines, the spike protein plays a crucial role.
In the Sars-CoV-2 virus:
*The spike protein is present on the surface of the virus. The virus uses it to infect human cells by attaching to the ACE2 receptors (doorways on the surfaces of some cells) of the host’s cells, facilitating the virus’s entry and replication. This is like the mechanism of the famous Trojan Horse.In the Covid-19 vaccines (mRNA or viral vector vaccines):
The mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) use mRNA to instruct cells to produce the spike protein. The protein is then displayed on the cells’ surface, triggering an immune response.Viral vector vaccines (Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca) deliver DNA into cells that instructs them to produce the spike protein in a similar way. Again, the immune system learns to recognise this protein and prepare defences against it.
The Job of the Immune System
The major job of the immune system is to defend the host from outside invaders (viruses, bacteria, fungi, chemicals, poisons etc.). In doing this its major task is to distinguish between ‘self’ and ‘non-self.’ Your own cells have a signature that indicates to the immune system that they are part of you and should not be attacked. Anything foreign to your body like a virus or toxin is labelled ‘non-self’ and triggers a reaction from your immune system.
When foreign invaders enter or latch onto cells, e.g. mercury from dental amalgams getting into tissues, the immune system can find it impossible to distinguish between the ‘self’ and ‘non-self’ parts of the cells and will trigger an immune attack against both. Imagine a terrorist using a hostage as a human shield to avoid getting shot. However, a police sniper shoots and hits both terrorist and hostage. This is akin to your cells getting caught in the crossfire and is one of mechanisms of autoimmunity (your immune system attacking your own cells).
How the Body Reacts to the Spike Protein
The spike protein in both the virus and the vaccines is a foreign protein that is not natural to the body. When the body encounters the spike protein, either from natural infection or vaccination, the immune system responds by producing antibodies and activating T-cells to recognise and neutralise the protein. This is the basis of immune memory. However, the spike protein can trigger more complex unwanted immune reactions:
Inflammation:
*The spike protein has been shown to bind to cells and cause inflammatory responses, especially in the lining of blood vessels known as the endothelium. This can lead to vascular dysfunction, micro-clotting and organ damage.
Autoimmunity:
In some individuals, the immune system can begin to misidentify normal body tissues as threats, mistakenly attacking these as threats (friendly fire). This could happen because of:
*Molecular mimicry: The spike protein has structural similarities to certain human proteins. The immune system can mistake these proteins for the virus, leading to attacks on healthy tissues such as the blood vessel walls or the heart. This is a well-known mechanism in autoimmune diseases.
*Antiphospholipid syndrome: The immune system may also produce antibodies that attack phospholipids (molecules found in cell membranes), particularly those involved in blood clotting. These antibodies lead to an increased risk of abnormal blood clotting (thrombosis) in arteries and veins. There can be neurological manifestations transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs), cognitive issues such as brain fog, memory difficulties, skin rashes or lesions, cardiovascular complications such as heart valve problems or endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart), chronic kidney damage or fatigue.
*Chronic immune activation: In some cases, the immune system remains activated long after the initial exposure to the spike protein, leading to chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation. This persistent immune response can contribute to the symptoms of Long Covid such as fatigue, brain fog, and muscle pain for months.
*Vascular/neurological effects: The spike protein has been shown to interact with ACE2 receptors in various tissues, including the brain and blood vessels. This interaction can lead to persistent brain inflammation in the brain triggering brain fog and cognitive impairment) and micro clotting (blood clotting in small vessels leading to fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, rashes).
Lab Tests used to detect Long Covid
Due to my training of the last few years, as well as observation and experience gleaned from several hundred patients, I use a collection of fully accredited laboratory tests that can throw a spotlight on a suspected Long Covid condition. Tests can include the following:
*CD3/57 NK + cells - Helps detect chronic immune dysfunction and impaired immune surveillance to effectively combat lingering infections.
*Anticardiolipin antibodies - In Long Covid, autoimmune-like reactions are common. Anticardiolipin antibodies can be one of the markers that indicate such autoimmune processes.
*Sars-Cov-2 ELISA IgG/IgA Antibodies - This test will show if there is an ongoing or active Covid infection as opposed to just past exposure. For an explanation of the relevance of IgA antibodies in determining active infection, please see my blog Falling Through The Cracks With Standard NHS Tests on the Good Health Clinic, Plymouth website.
*Spike Protein Tests - This series of tests will show whether the spike protein is still active in various parts of the body.
*Reactivated infections - Covid can act like a retrovirus (causes chronic infections) by disrupting the immune system to then reactivate dormant infections (like Epstein-Barr Virus, Coxsackie, herpes and step etc.) that were previously under control. This leads to flare-ups and illness.
*Other tests - This includes any other test relevant to the patient’s unique biology as suggested by their case history.
The Solution to Long Covid
The right lab tests (as above).
Address the 3 ‘I’s - Immune Dysregulation, Inflammation and Infections.
Detoxify the Spike Protein.
Remove the unique factors on the case which prevent recovery. In my experience, a substantial percentage of Long Covid sufferers have asymptomatic dental pathology blocking recovery.
Excellent nutrition to support healing.
If you wish to do more research on’Spikeopathy,’ please see the online PubMed paper ‘Spikeopathy: COVID-19 Spike Protein Is Pathogenic, from Both Virus and Vaccine mRNA (Parry et al., 2023), Biomedicines.
If you feel you may have Long Covid and would like to do the detective work as outlined above, please get in touch with the Good Health Clinic on goodhealthclinic@outlook.com to request a free 30 minute Enquiry Call or book an appointment. Please note that an Enquiry call is not a consultation but an exploratory call to see if this is a clinical approach you wish to pursue.
To your very good health,
Suzanne Jeffery (Nutritional Medicine Consultant)
M.A.(Oxon), BSc.(NMed), PGCE, MNNA, CNHC
The Good Health Clinic at The Business Centre, 2, Cattedown Road, Plymouth PL4 0EG
Tel no: 07836 552936/ Answer phone: 01752 774755
Disclaimer:
All advice given out by Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic is for general guidance and informational purposes only. All advice relating to other health professionals’ advice is for general guidance and information purposes only. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information provided with other sources. Patients and consumers should review the information carefully with their professional health care provider. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by other practitioners and physicians. Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.