Nanocraft
“There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks …
Lars 
November 13, 2020 “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.”
If 2020 could be described in one sentence, there’s none better. It has indeed been a year of tumultuous changes. What started out with plans of resolutions and progress ended up with us working from home in our pajamas and stocking up on toilet paper.
What makes COVID-19 a menace is the absence of antiviral drugs, vaccinations, and its mortality rate. While statistics may indicate it doesn’t pose fatal risks unless you’re older than 50, or have underlying comorbidity, it is a novel disease, and hence very little is known about its impact on a longer time frame. There have been numerous cases of young, healthy individuals contracting the coronavirus and suffering a range of serious health ailments. It is not a disease that can be taken lightly.
So while we wait for an efficient vaccine to come through, we do have to go on with our lives. We can’t be locked up in our apartments for god knows how long this pandemic may last.
This is why alternative treatments are being discussed for preventing/managing COVID-19. One such idea gaining traction among the scientific community is the use of CBD in fighting the symptoms caused by the virus.
People across the world are looking for natural ways of boosting the immune system which is the main target of “novel coronavirus”. With studies indicating CBD could improve one’s immunity, it is being considered as an alternate option seeing it is well-tolerated and doesn’t have any side effects (especially in comparison to traditional medication).
Coronavirus causes extensive lung damage in patients with severe symptoms. CBD boosts the immune system through its anti-inflammatory properties. The immune system, which is a group of cells and organs across the body helps the body in fighting infections caused by viruses, bacteria, etc.
Endocannabinoid system controls/regulates the immune functions. ECS maintains homeostasis by utilizing cannabinoids and receptors found throughout the immune system.
Studies found out that coronavirus, directly and indirectly, affects the immune system. The immune system which is affected by coronavirus tries to respond via a cytokine storm and hyper inflammation, which further leads to multi-organ failure and even death.
ARDS is a life-threatening lung injury that is caused by coronavirus in critically ill patients. It allows fluids to leak into the lungs and makes breathing difficult. One of the main traits of ARDS is a cytokine storm.
In response to the infection caused by external agents like viruses, the immune system deploys cytokines. These cytokines trigger inflammation at the site of infection. However, in the case of COVID 19, the immune system becomes hyperactive and releases cytokines in a larger number which in turn causes hyper inflammation.
Cytokine storm causes lungs to become inefficient at supplying oxygen to cells. This leads to multiple organ failure and also impacts brain functioning.
A study that has been published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular medicine, found out that CBD may help in reducing the symptoms of ARDS(Acute respiratory distress syndrome).
The study stated that CBD reversed lung damage caused by ARDS, improved the levels of oxygen, and reduced inflammation.
Apelin is a peptide that is expressed in various organs such as the heart, lung, kidney, liver. It is responsible for maintaining blood pressure and reduces inflammation. Apelin should ideally increase in the lungs with a condition like ARDS, to improve blood and oxygen flow.
According to the study, apelin levels decreased in lung tissue until they gave CBD. CBD reduced inflammation, improved lung functions, and thereby reversing some of the lung damage that happened with ARDS.
There are various studies that suggest CBD helps with ARDS conditions and reduces inflammation. The same scientists that conducted these studies also say, further research is required to confirm these findings. But, these findings give us hope that CBD may eventually help in fighting COVID-19 induced ARDS.
The current pharmaceutical treatments for Covid-19 usually leave patients with a range of side effects and often leave them in worse shape than before. However, CBD doesn’t pose any side effects and is completely safe. Hence, there’s no downside to giving CBD a chance in treating COVID-19 induced symptoms.
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