Thread by @DrJohnB2

(1/n) There are some interesting connections between Toxoplasmosis and #COVID19, #LongCovid as well as #COVIDvaccine–related adverse events.

- The symptoms of Toxoplasmosis and #COVID19/ #LongCovid are similar:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

(2/n) - The seropositivity of Toxoplasma gondii among adults is age dependent (nature.com/articles/srep2…). This age-depence is also seen in #COVID19 (link.springer.com/article/10.100…) and #LongCovid (medrxiv.org/content/10.110…)

(3/n) - Men have a higher chance of having toxoplasmosis (odds ratio 1.8, nature.com/articles/srep2…).
Men are more likely to die from #COVID19 (link.springer.com/article/10.100…).
And there are also more #CovidVaccine related deaths in men (openvaers.com/covid-data)

(4/n) - Latent toxoplasmosis is characterized by CD8 T cell exhaustion (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…). This has been also observed in #COVID19 patients with worse infections (nature.com/articles/s4142…, nature.com/articles/s4142…)

(5/n) - Ivermectin significantly inhibites the replication of Toxoplasma gondii (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…) - and it is effective for #Covid_19 early treatment and prophylaxis (ivmmeta.com)

(6/n) It would be interesting to study if people that have a more severe disease course of #COVID19, die from it or have #LongCovid have also a latent T. gondii infection.

(7/n) An infection with SARS-CoV-2 possibly leads to a reactivation of T- gondii in people with chronic toxoplasmosis – with effects on the acute disease course and chronic symptoms (#LongCovid)

(8/n) There might be a link also between latent toxoplasmosis & adverse events after #COVIDVaccination since the induced CD8 T response (
fiercebiotech.com/biotech/pfizer…) after vaccination may leads to CD8 T cells being primarely busy with the injected serum - to the delight of T-gondii

(9/n) There is a similarity between the global prevalence of latent toxoplasmosis (sciencedirect.com/science/articl…) and #COVID19 epidemological indices, e.g. the CRF:

(10/n) Concerning #COVID19 and toxoplasmosis, please also have a look at this excellent article by Kevin Roe: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

(11/n) Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide with many important physiological functions (e.g. detoxification, antioxidant, vital to mitochondrial function, ...).
People with latet toxoplasmosis have a low GSH value: journals.ekb.eg/article_131421…

(12/n) A low GSH value is also associated with #COVID19 pathogenesis & outcomes: pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.102…. GSH deficiency exacerbates the #COVID19 disease course.

(13/n) The GSH concentraton in the blood of #COVID19 patients correlates with the severity of the diease: sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

(14/n) A #SARS_CoV_2 infection seem to be able to directly impair the metabolism & redox function of cellular glutathione: sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

(15/n) I suspect that in #LongCovid & post-acute #COVID19 #vaccination syndrome (#PACVS), GSH depletion & oxidation of cellular glutathione to its disulphide form (GSSG) is happening.
Chronic GSH depletion due to latent toxoplasmosis is making this more likely.

(16/n) Could there be also a link to the importance of vitamin D in #Covid_19? (sciencedirect.com/science/articl…).
Some studies show that toxoplasmosis is not associated with a decreased vitamin D level: flegr.com/wp-content/upl… - some show the opposite (ijs.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/eijs…), e.g.:

(17/n) Artemisia annua (thanks for the hint, @FreeAwareness) is useful to control T. gondii infection: sciencedirect.com/science/articl….
And Artemisia is currently being investigated for #COVID19 treatment & prevention: link.springer.com/article/10.100…

(18/n) There is also a link to kynurenic acid (KA; a product of tryptophan metaolism): it may underlie sex-specific immune responses to #COVID19: stke.sciencemag.org/content/14/690… (=> poorer clinical outcomes in males).
KA is also involved in latent toxoplasmosis: academic.oup.com/schizophreniab…