You're right. You could not be any clearer. You accused him of being a shill.
Most of your "mounting evidence" was made up by supplement salesmen. The list of them is short, and your hero the late Vladimir Zelenko is atop that list.
But give me another diatribe about zinc, please...
To spare my little fingers, here you go: From peer-reviewed medical journals, with cites and links for your reading pleasure.
The Role of Zinc in Antiviral ImmunityScott A Read,1,2 Stephanie Obeid,3 Chantelle Ahlenstiel,3 and Golo Ahlenstiel1,2
(Advances in Nutrition) Adv Nutr. 2019 Jul; 10(4): 696–710https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6628855/This one is fairly general, and not focused on respiratory viruses.
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Zinc and Respiratory Viral Infections: Important Trace Element in Anti-viral Response and Immune RegulationFatemeh Sadeghsoltani,1 Iraj Mohammadzadeh,2 Mir-Meghdad Safari,3 Parisa Hassanpour,1 Melika Izadpanah,4 Durdi Qujeq,5,6 Soheila Moein,7 and Mostafa Vaghari-Tabaricorresponding author1,8
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2022; 200(6): 2556–2571.
Published online 2021 Aug 9. doi: 10.1007/s12011-021-02859-z
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8349606/Abstract
Influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-COV2 are among the most dangerous respiratory viruses. Zinc is one of the essential micronutrients and is very important in the immune system. The aim of this narrative review is to review the most interesting findings about the importance of zinc in the anti-viral immune response in the respiratory tract and defense against influenza, RSV, and SARS-COV2 infections. The most interesting findings on the role of zinc in regulating immunity in the respiratory tract and the relationship between zinc and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are reviewed, as well. Besides, current findings regarding the relationship between zinc and the effectiveness of respiratory viruses’ vaccines are reviewed. The results of reviewed studies have shown that zinc and some zinc-dependent proteins are involved in anti-viral defense and immune regulation in the respiratory tract. It seems that zinc can reduce the viral titer following influenza infection. Zinc may reduce RSV burden in the lungs. Zinc can be effective in reducing the duration of viral pneumonia symptoms. Zinc may enhance the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in reducing mortality rate in COVID-19 patients. Besides, zinc has a positive effect in preventing ARDS and ventilator-induced lung damage. The relationship between zinc levels and the effectiveness of respiratory viruses’ vaccines, especially influenza vaccines, is still unclear, and the findings are somewhat contradictory. In conclusion, zinc has anti-viral properties and is important in defending against respiratory viral infections and regulating the immune response in the respiratory tract.
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Potential molecular mechanisms of zinc- and copper-mediated antiviral activity on COVID-19Isha Rani,a Anmol Goyal,b Mini Bhatnagar,c,1 Sunita Manhas,a,1 Parul Goel,a,1 Amit Pal,d,1 and Rajendra Prasada,
Nutr Res. 2021 Aug; 92: 109–128.
Published online 2021 Jun 13. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2021.05.008
PMCID: PMC8200255
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8200255/From the Abstract:
However, zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) have been shown to exert protective effects due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. Therefore, it is hypothesized that supplementation with Zn and Cu alone or as an adjuvant may be beneficial with promising efficacy and a favorable safety profile to mitigate symptoms, as well as halt progression of the severe form of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The objective of this review is to discuss the proposed underlying molecular mechanisms and their implications for combating SARS-CoV-2 infection in response to Zn and Cu administration. Several clinical trials have also included the use of Zn as an adjuvant therapy with dietary regimens/antiviral drugs against COVID-19 infection. Overall, this review summarizes that nutritional intervention with Zn and Cu may offer an alternative treatment strategy by eliciting their virucidal effects through several fundamental molecular cascades, such as, modulation of immune responses, redox signaling, autophagy, and obstruction of viral entry and genome replication during SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Zinc and respiratory tract infections: Perspectives for COVID‑19 (Review) Anatoly V. Skalny Lothar Rink Olga P. Ajsuvakova Michael Aschner Viktor A. Gritsenko Svetlana I. Alekseenko Andrey A. Svistunov Demetrios Petrakis Demetrios A. Spandidos Jan Aaseth Aristidis Tsatsakis Alexey A. Tinkov
International Journal of Molecular Medicine
Published online on: April 14, 2020
https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2020.4575 https://www.spandidos-publications.com/ijmm/46/1/17Abstract:
In view of the emerging COVID‑19 pandemic caused by SARS‑CoV‑2 virus, the search for potential protective and therapeutic antiviral strategies is of particular and urgent interest. Zinc is known to modulate antiviral and antibacterial immunity and regulate inflammatory response. Despite the lack of clinical data, certain indications suggest that modulation of zinc status may be beneficial in COVID‑19. In vitro experiments demonstrate that Zn2+ possesses antiviral activity through inhibition of SARS‑CoV RNA polymerase. This effect may underlie therapeutic efficiency of chloroquine known to act as zinc ionophore. Indirect evidence also indicates that Zn2+ may decrease the activity of angiotensin‑converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), known to be the receptor for SARS‑CoV‑2. Improved antiviral immunity by zinc may also occur through up‑regulation of interferon α production and increasing its antiviral activity. Zinc possesses anti‑inflammatory activity by inhibiting NF‑κB signaling and modulation of regulatory T‑cell functions that may limit the cytokine storm in COVID‑19. Improved Zn status may also reduce the risk of bacterial co‑infection by improving mucociliary clearance and barrier function of the respiratory epithelium, as well as direct antibacterial effects against S. pneumoniae. Zinc status is also tightly associated with risk factors for severe COVID‑19 including ageing, immune deficiency, obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, since these are known risk groups for zinc deficiency. Therefore, Zn may possess protective effect as preventive and adjuvant therapy of COVID‑19 through reducing inflammation, improvement of mucociliary clearance, prevention of ventilator‑induced lung injury, modulation of antiviral and antibacterial immunity.
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Those, and the references cited therein, should get you started learning about the wonders of Zinc and its antiviral properties.
I prefer to track claims of a scientific nature back to the medical (or other appropriate) journals, and not take the word of some second or third derivative of the actual research posted in some health letter. While those often do their best to break things down a bit for those who have not made science their life's work, I prefer to read the methodology, look for flaws in their conclusions, etc., and that cannot be done reading generalities about science on a fifth grade level.
That's the damned if you do and damned if you don't in all this, from a scientific perspective.
If someone breaks it down to a level most people can understand and offers or points to something helpful, they are supposedly a shill in a snake oil show, or some raving "antivaxxer".
If someone doesn't break things down, and just keeps in technical terms, then most people won't understand what they are talking about, their eyes will glaze over, and they are off to watch people kicking, bouncing, or throwing balls or some equally intellectual pursuit.
Full disclosure:
No, I did not get the shots, had COVID (confirmed case) took IVM/Doxycycline/Zinc with Vitamin C and D3, and recovered in a week, despite having three comorbidities.
I'm not selling anything and I'm not giving medical advice. I am a scientist, but not a medical doctor. I will say what worked for me. After that, people can do what I did, do something else, or go get a series of shots linked to a number of potentially life changing adverse effects, shots which do not prevent infection, do not prevent transmission, and do not prevent death from COVID. The choice is theirs.
A one person study group is just not enough to convince me that the mRNA shots have had no ill effects on the 5.5 Billion people who got the shots worldwide, especially in the face of mounting complaints of adverse reactions and upticks in 'sudden and unexpected deaths' noted by people in the insurance industry--because they have been running actuarial tables for as long as they have offered insurance and when reality no longer conforms with those statistical probabilities, it is a big thing for their bottom line.
Even expanding that scope to that one person's entire social circle is still far too small a fraction of the overall group to be a statistically significant study group in the face of some 5.5 billion who got the shot(s), and the some 7.6 billion people in the world.
So, here's one more little bit for your reading enjoyment:
Vaccine. 2022 Sep 22;40(40):5798-5805.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.08.036. Epub 2022 Aug 31.
Serious adverse events of special interest following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in randomized trials in adultsJoseph Fraiman 1 , Juan Erviti 2 , Mark Jones 3 , Sander Greenland 4 , Patrick Whelan 5 , Robert M Kaplan 6 , Peter Doshi 7
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36055877/ Abstract
Introduction: In 2020, prior to COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the Brighton Collaboration created a priority list, endorsed by the World Health Organization, of potential adverse events relevant to COVID-19 vaccines. We adapted the Brighton Collaboration list to evaluate serious adverse events of special interest observed in mRNA COVID-19 vaccine trials.
Methods: Secondary analysis of serious adverse events reported in the placebo-controlled, phase III randomized clinical trials of Pfizer and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in adults (NCT04368728 and NCT04470427), focusing analysis on Brighton Collaboration adverse events of special interest.
Results: Pfizer and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were associated with an excess risk of serious adverse events of special interest of 10.1 and 15.1 per 10,000 vaccinated over placebo baselines of 17.6 and 42.2 (95 % CI -0.4 to 20.6 and -3.6 to 33.8), respectively. Combined, the mRNA vaccines were associated with an excess risk of serious adverse events of special interest of 12.5 per 10,000 vaccinated (95 % CI 2.1 to 22.9); risk ratio 1.43 (95 % CI 1.07 to 1.92). The Pfizer trial exhibited a 36 % higher risk of serious adverse events in the vaccine group; risk difference 18.0 per 10,000 vaccinated (95 % CI 1.2 to 34.9); risk ratio 1.36 (95 % CI 1.02 to 1.83). The Moderna trial exhibited a 6 % higher risk of serious adverse events in the vaccine group: risk difference 7.1 per 10,000 (95 % CI -23.2 to 37.4); risk ratio 1.06 (95 % CI 0.84 to 1.33). Combined, there was a 16 % higher risk of serious adverse events in mRNA vaccine recipients: risk difference 13.2 (95 % CI -3.2 to 29.6); risk ratio 1.16 (95 % CI 0.97 to 1.39).
Discussion: The excess risk of serious adverse events found in our study points to the need for formal harm-benefit analyses, particularly those that are stratified according to risk of serious COVID-19 outcomes. These analyses will require public release of participant level datasets.
Enjoy, and become enlightened!