Do Viruses that Kill the Elderly Affect Acetlycholine Receptors (Causing Muscle Weakness)?

I am tossing this out there as an idea for study. I have searched Google Scholar and I cannot find any studies that address the issue of muscle weakness during viral infections such as coronavirus infections which seem to be especially lethal for the elderly. However we know that acute influenza can cause myasthenia gravis crisis. And myasthenia gravis is a disorder of the acteylcholine receptors which are essential for the function of skeletal muscles.

Here is a quick wiki link about acetylcholine:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcholine

Respiratory viruses are known to affect certain acetylcholine receptors in the airway--that is how they cause us to cough, releasing millions of viral particles so that we can spread the virus to everyone around us. Here is a link about RSV, the infection that keeps toddlers coughing for weeks so that all their little friends at daycare can get infected too.

https://europepmc.org/article/med/10749375

So, here is my hypothesis. Respiratory infections such as influenza and coronavirus that are mild in the young and middle aged but lethal in the extreme elderly might kill because they cause a temporary affect on all the body's acteylcholine receptors. Or, the body's immune response to the virus could cause a global acetylcholine receptor blockade. In either case, a frail elderly who is already just barely getting by in terms of overall muscle strength might suddenly develop the equivalent of myasthenia gravis and have problems swallowing--which can lead to aspiration pneumonia a big killer of the elderly. Or problems getting out of bed with delayed bladder emptying, which can cause UTI and then urosepsis--another big problem for the elderly. Or loss of ability to cook, take meds and in general care for oneself which, in the elderly who take a lot of meds, can also be fatal.

What are the potential clinical applications if the lethality of certain respiratory viral infections in the elderly turns out to be due to acteylcholinesterase receptor inhibition causing generalized skeletal muscle weakness? One, we could develop screens that would check for those who have weak muscles who might be in need of specialized treatments in case of viral respiratory infection. Two, there are drugs that boost acteylcholine receptor function (including myasthenia gravis meds and my personal favorite natural adaptogen, Rhodiola Rosacea) which might restore muscle strength, allowing frail people to survive these viral infections.

Any Sane Candidate Beats Trump. That is Why Russia Wants Us to Think the Sanders Campaign is Insane

Based upon polls, I think Sanders has what it takes to win not only the popular vote but also the electoral vote. Same for Biden. Same for Warren. Hell, Bloomberg can probably do it, too.

Trump is incredibly weak. All he has going for him is a bunch of Russian stacking-doll trolls on Facebook, a bunch of Russian, Saudi and organized crime money, and a tiny group of voters who miss their "white privilege." And by white privilege I mean the ability to sit on their butts all day enjoying the fruits of some Latino, Asian or Black person's labor while smoking meth, diddling their daughters and beating their wives with impunity.

What does Trump have going against him? The horror of the majority of Americans who sat out the last election or cast a "protest" vote for a third party left wing-splitter figuring that an acknowledged pussy-grabbing, tax cheating, serial bankruptcy specialist with such bad hair could never ever be selected president through a combination of skillful electronic vote hacking and third party left wing splitting. I use the word selected not elected, because face it. Trump did not win shit. The vote was hacked.

Biden beats Trump. Sanders beats Trump. Warren beats Trump. Bloomberg beats Trump. Unless we allow Russia to brand our candidates as un-electable wackos.

Can I select all of the above Democrats in the DU primary poll? Sadly, no, so I will just cut and paste all their pictures.



Oh, if DU gets a category for "Yellow Dog" I would support that. Until they do, I reserve the right change my candidate selection weekly.

Question: What percentage of Democratic Primary votes will be cast electronically

without paper ballots? This is an important question. Karl Rove and the Bush family screwed this nation royally.

The Virtue of a Brokered Convention

This is really obvious, so pardon me for stating the obvious.

Russia and Trump have proven that they will do anything, even break the law, commit treason and place Trump and his associates in jeopardy of criminal prosecution/impeachment in order to kneecap the Democratic front runners. Given the characters of these guys, dead hookers planted in a Democratic candidate's hotel rooms are not off the table.

So, Democrats must not give them a stationary target. Split that electoral vote. Keep Russia guessing. Hell, at this point I think our best chance is to hold the primary--and then draft someone like Al Gore (or some other long time Democrat) who didn't even run. I can just picture the chaos in Moscow when the moles find themselves with no talking points, no strategy, nothing but a fresh, new unsullied candidate.

Biden/Bloomberg 2020! My dream.

I have this dream. In my dream, Biden does not have to raise money, because his VP will have all the money they ever need. In this dream, Bloomberg, who originally chose not to run out of respect for Biden---has now chosen to run out of respect for Biden. In my dream, Joe and Mike will be cordial tonight. Their attacks will all be leveled at Trump. In my dream , Biden will hit the campaign trail after the convention full of hope and optimism while Mike's job will be to get low down and dirty. In my dream, Obama's supporters turn out to vote for their favorite candidate's VP, while Republicans who are secretly horrified by the mafioso in the White House will cross over to vote for the non-criminal rich man. After the election, Mike can resign and go back to be rich and Joe can pick a successor.

Yes, it is a long shot. But it would work.

Just a Thought---Mike Bloomberg would make a great VP nominee.

1) he is rich as sin and if he is on the ticket he can spend as much of his own money as he wants in the general

and

2) The VP is supposed to be the one who is out there trying to kneecap the GOP nominee (Trump) while the person at the top of the ticket is supposed to be all sweetness and light. Mike is a great kneecapper.

Dems, Don't Run a "Purity" Candidate Against Giuliani and the Russian Mob

Obama got lucky in 2008 when he ran as a 'purity" candidate, because GOP nominee John McCain was also a "purity" candidate, meaning neither side would fling mud.

That was then and this is now.

TGP---Trump/Giuliani/Putin---have proven that they will break the law in ways that even Dick Nixon could not imagine in order to trash their opponent's character---meaning that if the Democrat's strength is their POE--"Purity of Essence" (nod to Dr Strangelove)--that candidate will go down in the general election like George "Acid, Amnesty. Abortion" McGovern (nod to Robert Novak may he burn in Hell for all eternity) in 1972.

Yes, I know how Democrats like to fall in love with their nominee--but get real here. We are not nominating a prom queen. We are attempting to take back control of our country from Russia. This is very literally a matter of life and death in ways that no election has been before, because we have never had a president so obviously in the employee of a major political rival nation. Russia will consider Trump's job "well done" if, he leaves office in 2024 with the nation plunged into another Great Depression with gun toting fascist vigilantes on ever corner and maybe with a couple of Chernobyls thrown in for fun.

To all the Susan Sarandons of the world who think that your white privilege will keep you safe no matter who you help get elected this time around--don't. Just don't.

Yes, I know that Democrats are supposed to run campaigns based upon positivism and not upon fear. But how can any sane person look at the shit show in DC and not be scared shitless? This really is an election too big to F up, and if it takes a brokered convention to get the Russia Mob out of the White House, then lets start brokering.

My Heart Belongs to Beto, But I am Giving my Vote to Bloomberg

Because in a Citizens United United States, only the independently wealthy can be independent. Call it the Kennedy effect.

Oh, lest we forget how we got into this mess, here is what I wrote in 2010 about Citizens United. Please, tell me my crystal ball was wrong. Please. And what the fuck? Why is this blog of mine saved on Pravda of all things????

http://pravda-constitution.blogspot.com/2010/02/mccamy-taylors-journal-democracy-in.html

Corporate “citizens” are more equal than union “citizens.” No wonder Congress failed to vote on the Employee Free Choice Act, even when they had a clear 60 vote majority in the Senate. Now, they will blame that woman from Massachusetts for their failure to follow through on their promises to labor, the same way they will blame her for their failure to do fuck about health care.

Bought and sold, that describes our Congress, our president, our Supreme Court. Welcome to the New Federalist United States. If it seems strangely familiar, that might be because it resembles Mussolini’s Italy, a land where corporations ruled and everyone else paid.

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini ...