In view of no research done to show that viruses generate superoxide anion (SOA) in general and COVID-19 virus is unique in particular which generates SOA with high potency and hence causes extensive damage to the cells and tissues, there are few circumstantial facts to show that SOA is generated and emitted by viruses.

In human body each organ will synthesise taurine, a special amino acid derived from cysteine and methionine, which scavenges SOA instantly. The ingestion or injection of taurine in distilled water will scavenge the SOA. Thus taurine acts as a tool to expose the virus to patients’ immune system or anti-viral drug administered. Without disabling the virus with taurine, the virus cannot be killed.

The tragedy with COVID-19 is its SOA will convert ferrous iron of heme protein to ferric iron. This is by the formation of ferric superoxide. Thus transport of oxygen by ferrous iron to the tissues is hindered and the patient suffers hard breathing which may not help by oxygen treatment.

Plasma treatment is a boon as it contains 191 ppm taurine. But the bane aspect is, the damaged platelets will release platelet aggregating factor (PAF) which may cause comorbidity in the recovered patient later.

Media reports have indicated that recovered COVID-19 patients after a few days have blood clots in blood veins. Here it may be due to the metal ions conjugate with SOA and form respective superoxides. These superoxides ionise in the organs. But those organs lacking in taurine biosynthesis could not scavenge the ionised superoxides. These will damage the platelets resulting in release of PAF which aggregates platelets and blood clot is formed.

Though there were no symptoms, being a kidney malfunction patient I was asked to get tested for COVID-19 infection and upper respiratory swab test showed that I had infection. BBMP quarantined me on August 28, 2020 at St Martha’s Hospital in KG Road, Bengaluru. For being tested negative in COVID-19 infection both in blood and swab tests, I was discharged on September 6, 2020. Observing the severely infected patients, I felt that the haemoglobin (Hb) in blood is affected in them as they had difficulty in breathing and I think that COVID-19 virus do generate SOA for its survival in the infected person’s body and inflict extensive damage to the alveolus (tiny air sacs) of the lungs which are needed for rapid gaseous exchange leading to smooth breathing of a person.

No doubt , antibodies do kill the viruses and bacteria on entry in to the person’s body. First their strength to survive viz the SOA needs to be eliminated by taurine. Here taurine acts as an assistive tool to expose the virus to the antibody or the antiviral drug. In the absence of taurine, SOA which is a highly reactive oxygen free radical will conjugate with antiviral drug and alter its bio-active structure and the drug becomes inactive.

Similarly, SOA blocks the site on active chain of immunoglobulin (antibody). Taurine solution be administered orally or by injection to the patients of COVID-19 that will ease the hard breathing.

This is just the synopsis and this opens up the way for intensive research in the viral infections in humans based on the above informations gathered, which indicates that viruses do generate SOA and taurine, strong antioxidant produced in man, scavenges the same and exposes the virus to man’s antibody.

In fact I have not come across any reports or research papers about the generation of SOA by viruses. I wish the direction of viral research needs to be towards the destructive nature of the virus on the humans by emitting SOA and the disabling ability of taurine to expose the virus to the antibody for its destruction.

Dr NN Balasubramanya, Former Principal Scientist (Biochemistry), National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru