I wrote a podcast episode about clinical trials, and look forward to recording it. In the meantime, a new idea.
Bacterial communities on surfaces create biofilms with capsule, produced in varying amounts by different species under different conditions. The nature of the capsule produced may also vary. What if one could predict the infectivity of COVID-19 by looking at which lung mucosal communities produce which and how much capsule? Capsule, for nonspecialists, is jellylike gooey polymer produced by many bacteria, and bacteria vary in when and what kind and how much is produced.
It is not far-fetched to assume that gut communities, which impact or are affected by a lot of risk factors for severe COVID-19 symptoms, affect lung communities or vice versa (gut-lung axis) and that these in turn will impact the amount and composition of capsule produced. Which in turn may affect viral infectivity and symptom development. Is anyone looking at this? Would administering a probiotic to the lungs actually help prevent severe symptoms? Which strain to use?
Things to consider.