Letter to the editor
Newsday
Editor: According to the Ministry of Health, Trinidad and Tobago has so far recorded 392 confirmed cases of dengue fever and four deaths.
Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, and 100 to 400 million people are infected each year, according to the WHO website.
Unfortunately, the website also states that there is no specific treatment for the infection, and the focus is on treating the painful symptoms. Pharmaceutical companies have yet to develop a drug that reliably kills the dengue virus.
Towards identifying effective antiviral agents, it has long been established that all illnesses, including viral infections, generate large amounts of free radicals in the patient. These free radicals are commonly the cause of disease and can lead to cell damage, organ failure and death.
Therefore, neutralization of excess and harmful free radicals should be the primary treatment option.
Antioxidants are substances that can neutralize free radicals. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties and plays a key role in repairing tissues damaged by free radicals. Vitamin C can also destroy invading organisms such as viruses and bacteria. Recent research has clearly elucidated the mechanisms by which this occurs.
Finally, vitamin C is crucial for the immune system to function effectively, especially during infection. Immune cells have vitamin C transporter molecules that deliver vitamin C into the cells during infection, increasing blood levels up to 100 times.
This is why sick patients have low levels of Vitamin C in their blood and need to increase their intake of this vitamin when they are sick. Increasing the levels of this vitamin in immune cells strengthens the overall response to infection.
In a study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research in 2024 (see https://www.jcdronline.org/admin/Uploads/Files/65a225c9bfa346.47444298.pdf ), researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial in three groups of 200 people with dengue fever and low platelet counts.
Results showed that vitamin C increased platelet counts by 35% over five days, while the placebo increased platelet counts by only 9% over the same period. The paper also showed that vitamin E had positive results.
The researchers used 200 mg of vitamin C daily in their study, which is a relatively low dose. Most people take a daily dose of 1000 mg in their daily lives, so an increased dose would likely produce better results.
The researchers concluded that vitamin C (and vitamin E) “demonstrated the ability to increase platelet counts, speed recovery, and reduce bleeding complications without a significant increase in adverse events.”
Given the incidence of illness and death from dengue and other viral infections in Trinidad and Tobago, and the lack of a specific treatment for dengue according to the WHO, I am proposing to the Ministry of Health to consider vitamin C as a standard of care for treating viral infections in hospitals, for the following reasons:
(i) Over the past 75 years, it has been proven effective against a number of viral diseases, including the common cold, avian virus H1N1, chikungunya, Zika and influenza.
(ii) its mechanism of action is well understood;
(iii) Possesses an excellent and unparalleled safety profile
(iv) They are relatively inexpensive and readily available.
(v) It is included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, 23rd Edition, 2023 (p. 58), which is a list of “the most effective, safe and cost-effective medicines for priority diseases.”
A comprehensive overview of the effectiveness of vitamin C in treating a variety of infections, including over 1,200 scientific references, can be found in Dr. Thomas Levy’s book, “Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins” (2011), which I highly recommend.
Stephen Gift
Former Pro Vice President,
Graduate Studies
England
Editor’s Note:
In a statement, the Ministry of Health advised anyone experiencing signs or symptoms of dengue fever to seek immediate treatment from their doctor or the nearest health centre.
