On COVID-19 and membrane lipids and public health

Coronavirus has a lipid membrane. Whist replication requires hijacking the RNA tools of the host to synthesize virion protein, that then has to be wrapped in a lipid membrane to enable the budding off which extends the infection. Recent studies implicate certain essential fatty acids with replication suppression properties. The lipid membrane is commonly thought of as a fatty barrier to water solubles. It is however highly ordered and compositionally specific to cellular and sub cellular functions. There will likely also be an optimum specificity for the viral coat. Whist DNA, RNA and protein compositions are not affected by diet, the lipid membrane is. Moreover, the greater sensitivity of males over females to inadequacy of these essential fatty acids and membrane integrity has been known since the 1960s. With evidence that arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids exhibiting anti-viral, immune, anti-inflammatory, blood pressure control and resolvin activity, their status needs to be urgently examined in relation to the prevention and therapy for Covid-19. It would also be advisable to re-assess food policy. The lipid requirements for the membrane rich systems as in the brain, nervous, vascular and immune systems have not been considered. There is little doubt these were significant in shaping the human genome over several million years. Departure from such conditions would be predicted to put populations at risk to disorder and infection, with males being more at risk than females