Helminthic therapy and COVID-19

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Someone who contracts SARS-CoV-2 and develops COVID-19 may recover from the illness more quickly and face a reduced risk of fatality if they are hosting helminthsAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths].

... we believe that chronic helminth infection provides infected people with an unexpected wealth of protective mechanisms against the Covid-19 disease and its lethal complications. [1]

The most severe symptoms (of COVID-19) are associated with overactive inflammatory immune responses, leading to a cytokine storm, tissue damage, and death, if not balanced and controlled… Soil transmitted helminthsAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths] stimulate the immunosuppressive and regulatory T-helper 2 (TH2) branch of the immune system, which decreases ACE2-receptor expression (i.e., receptors SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect host cells), balances the inflammatory TH1/TH17 branches of the immune system triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection, and reduces inflammation through the release of anti-inflammatory/regulatory cytokines.” [2]

The emerging science

• 2020 Oct 20 Old Friends Meet a New Foe – A potential role for immune-priming parasites in mitigating COVID-19 morbidity and mortality (Includes link to full text PDF.)

An evolutionary perspective is required to understand the global impact and various presentations of COVID-19. We consider how coinfection with soil-transmitted helminthsAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths] (common parasiticAn organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.) worms that coevolved with humans) may suppress inflammatory immune activity, thereby potentially reducing COVID-19 disease severity.

(Related media article: Cepon-Robins illustrates how immune responses to intestinal parasites could reduce severity of COVID-19 - Anna Squires, Communique.)

• 2020 Oct 15 Potential Influence of Helminth Molecules on COVID-19 Pathology -- Full text | PDF

Helminth parasitesAn organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.) could change the outcome of COVID-19 infections, in areas of the world where helminthic infections are still prevalent, by inducing a modified Th2 response with a controlled inflammatory component. Notably, in countries of Africa and Latin America, where helminth infections are still common, the numbers of reported COVID-19 deaths are substantially lower than those reported in high-income countries.

• 2020 Oct 8 COVID-19 Lethality in Sub-Saharan Africa and Helminth Immune Modulation -- Full text | PDF

… we argue that helminth coinfection… may be related to the low lethality of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• 2020 Aug 17 Helminth coinfection and COVID-19: An alternate hypothesis -- Full text | PDF

We believe… that any interaction between pre-existing helminth infection and the subsequent severity of COVID-19 need not necessarily be a negative one, and theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that helminthsAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths] may indeed have a mitigating effect.

• 2020 May 28 The global helminth belt and Covid-19: the new eosinophilic link

Our main hypothesis therefore is that chronic helminth infection, and the immune consequences thereof, is the main reason why the Covid-19 pandemic have a relatively much lower presence in the millenarian global helminth belt than in the modern urban "dewormed" world...

• 2020 May 18 Parasites and their protection against COVID-19- Ecology or Immunology? (PDF)

We report a consistent inverse correlation between the incidence of COVID-19 and parasiticAn organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.) infections observed across WHO regions. These preliminary findings from an ecological analysis, support our hypothesis of a possible immune-modulatory mechanism induced by parasiticAn organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.) infections, which is protective against COVID-19 and warrants further investigation.

• 2020 May 1 Will helminth co-infection modulate COVID-19 severity in endemic regions? -- Full text | PDF

We call on the research community to investigate the influence of helminth co-infection on COVID-19 outcomes as the pandemic spreads through the helminthAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths]-endemic regions of the word. Potential negative effects may influence recommendations on deworming.

• 2020 Apr 27 Asthma and COVID-19: The Eosinophilic Link

Finally, we could also speculate that the high prevalence of parasiticAn organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.) diseases and therefore the pervasiveness of (blood or tissue) eosinophilia and the relatively low incidence of the (COVID-19) pandemic in areas like Tropical Africa or the Indian subcontinent, could be somehow linked. Only time and further research will tell us if there is a relevant connection here.

COVID-19 experience among helminthic therapyThe reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat and prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immunological disorders including allergy. self-treaters

So far, there have been very few reports from members of the global community of helminthic therapyThe reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat and prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immunological disorders including allergy. self-treaters describing the experience of COVID-19. Most comments from those in this community have described how they began to show signs of what appeared to be a viral infection but which soon resolved, or followed a course very similar to that of a bout of influenza, leaving most of these individuals uncertain as to whether they had had COVID-19 or not. The marked absence from this community of over 60,000 members of reports of severe illness attributed to COVID-19 may, itself, be suggestive of a beneficial role for helminthsAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths].

I had a CONFIRMED case of Covid-19 and I am hosting about 15-20 NAthe human hookworm, Necator americanus. The virus came like a quick storm for me. Day 1, I had a fever of 101-2 degrees all day and severe body aches. Day 2, my fever completely subsided and I've been slowly recovering ever since. I'm not sure if my NAthe human hookworm, Necator americanus had any role to play. I'm 7 days from onset and still dealing with some fatigue and loss of smell/taste. [3]

I came down with COVID but I wouldn’t consider my aches more severe than I usually get when I’m ill. I’m generally all aches, no fever. I had a lingering odd feeling in my respiratory tract but nothing severe. Also a headache after the first two days, followed by total loss of smell that has still not completely returned. I was never super fatigued but the aches lingered a bit. I only host 5 NAthe human hookworm, Necator americanus and it’s time to redose. [4]

Treating COVID-19 while hosting helminthsAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths]

Anyone hosting helminthsAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths] who does develop this illness will want to use therapies that will not have any detrimental effect on their helminth colony. A comprehensive list of effective, helminthAn intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminths Wikipedia:Helminths]-friendly, natural antiviral therapies can be found here.