Exercise and Covid-19 by Jerry Brainum 12/24

 

 

Although many people have discarded their previously mandatory protective masks, COVID-19 remains. The notion expressed by certain politicians that the disease would naturally die out was wrong, as was the idea that if enough people contracted Covid, "herd immunity" would lead to protection against infection. What hasn't been considered in these initial projections was that the virus that causes COVID-19,  the SARs-COV2-virus, would mutate innumerable times. COVID-19 is said to have infected over 65 million people worldwide, and the virus affects multiple organs and tissues, including the lungs, heart, kidneys, digestive tract, sensory organs, such as eyes and ears, and muscles. Covid can increase the risk of forming internal blood clots by damaging blood vessel linings, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Indeed, those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) were considered at high risk for severe Covid complications.

That pre-existing risk in those with CVD caused much confusion. Conspiracy theories emerged in social media and elsewhere that the vaccines touted to help prevent COVID infection were causing severe heart problems. This didn't make sense to anyone familiar with how the vaccines worked since the vaccines promoted an immune defense against COVID-19 but didn't interact or enter into cells. The vaccine itself was degraded in the body about two weeks following injection. All it did was prime the immune system to prepare for an infection by the COVID-19 virus.  A tiny percentage of young men in their early 20s,  less than 1%, did develop a type of fleeting heart inflammation called myocarditis following a COVID-19 vaccination. But it was always temporary and mild, not causing permanent heart damage. That was in contrast to being infected with the COVID-19 virus, which could easily cause permanent heart damage.

Indeed, having existing CVD and then becoming infected with COVID-19 could prove fatal. This is what occurred with champion bodybuilder Doug Brignole. Doug began training at about age 14 and won several prestigious bodybuilding titles, including his height class in the Mr.America contest. However, Doug's most significant contribution to bodybuilding and fitness came later as he developed expertise in biomechanics. He wrote a book and posted many videos exposing commonly believed myths about exercise. Doug stayed in great shape into his 50s and beyond and planned to compete in a final bodybuilding contest at age 62 when he became infected with Covid. About a year earlier, Doug had posted on Facebook that he had been vaccinated against Covid and joked," If I die soon, you will know that the vaccine is dangerous." That was  Doug's humorous response to "anti-vaxxers" who claimed that Covid vaccines were toxic. When he died a year later, the Anti-vaxxers said he had predicted his death caused by the vaccine.

The problem was that the vaccine stayed in the body for about two weeks and . . .