[puppypower (OP)]

In another topic, "Are Water and Organics Co-partners in life?", I developed the background needed to discussed how water contributes many things to life. In this discussion, I am going analyze the Virus and then, hopefully with the help of those more knowledgable of virus and the Corona Virus, use the Corona Virus as a practical application of a water side analysis.

In my previous discussion, about water and life, the most fundamental analogy for the relationship between water and the organics of life, is the system of water and oil. If we mix water and oil they will form an emulsion. If the emulsion is allowed to rest, it will phase separate back into two layers; water and oil. This system will spontaneously go from disorder to order. This ability to go from from disorder to order is critical to assembly of all organic life systems, including virus.

The reason this separation into order occurs is the emulsion creates surface tension between the water and oil. It creates lots of water-oil surface contact via small bubbles. The combining of bubbles and the separation of phases, is a way to lower the contact surface area, and thereby lower the potential due to the surface tension. This is driven by the water, since the hydrogen bonding of water is much stronger than the van der Waals forces of the oil. Water has the most to lose or gain and runs the show.

The water and oil analogy is in affect for all stages of a virus. The assembly of a virus is very similar to the smaller bubbles of oil combining, to form larger bubbles, to help lower the surface contact with water. Instead of a simple system like bubbles of oil, the virus is like a multicomponent bubble system, where the different bubbles combine, based on a free energy priority relative to the water. You could mess up virus packing by tweaking packing priority with spoilers. 

This packing priority can be seen on a smaller scale by looking at the packing of a single protein. Below is an energy landscape diagram for a simple stretched out protein. The peaks represent the side groups along the protein chain, with strong organic (oil) character. In the water-oil analogy they set the highest potential with the water; most surface tension. These will need to pack first to maximize the lowering of aqueous potential. They will form the core of a protein.

Proteins fold with exact folds, meaning there is no statistical variation when similar composition protein fold. Folding is very exact with a probability of 1.0. This is very repeatable because it is driven based on the energy priority relative to the water. The proteins that make up a virus are also packed in specific order by the water.



A virus demonstrates that packing is not a one was street. Rather a virus will reverse its packed configuration when once it enters the cell. In the water-oil analogy, it is like adding agitation to water-oil layer to form smaller and smaller bubbles. This agitation needs an energy supply.

The reason packing and unpacking can occur., i.e., forward and backwards, has to do with the water potential in a healthy host cell is different from the water potential of the infested cell. The healthy cells greets the packed virus with a water potential suitable for disassembly. While the virus, after infecting the cell, turns the cell into a different water potential environment, more suitable for assembly. After the virus takes over, it floods the infested cell with its own protein. These protein created a potential in the water, with the virus the best place for lowering the potential.

[Bored chemist]

the water potential in a healthy host cell is different from the water potential of the infested cell.

Do you have evidence for that claim?

[puppypower (OP)]

the water potential in a healthy host cell is different from the water potential of the infested cell.

Do you have evidence for that claim?

I can tell by the relative composition of materials. They are different for each situation. The virus changes the blend. One concept that could be used is called activity. The activity of water is defined as 1.0 for pure water. As we add things that bind with water, the activity decreases. When the water is saturated, in terms of interaction with other things, the activity is 0.

A virus is forcing the cell to make materials that are not a normal part of its steady state. The activity changes relative to its healthy state. I cannot give you a hard number, since I do not have access to a lab to run any experiments.

Activity is an important concept for the food industries, since by controlling water activity you can control spoiling of food for longer shelf life. This is about making the water in the manufactured food products less useful to the equilibrium needs of bacteria. Maybe the food industry can help since what they sell has to be safe even with modified activity. 

Let me continue with some additional background for the system of water and virus. If you look at the DNA of human cells, this DNA packs with packing protein. The water-oil analogy applies with the packing protein prioritized, based on the potential of the free packing protein in water and how much potential can be lowered when packed onto the DNA. DNA is at low potential relative to water. The DNA becomes sort of a tool for the water, to help lower the bulk water potential. The DNA benefits by this packing, so everyone is happy.

Virus, which have a core of RNA or RNA, also using packing protein of sorts, but in a way that is different from the DNA packing within human cells. The packing of the DNA in humans cells is analogous to an interior skeleton for the DNA, whereas the packing onto the viral genetic material is more like an exa-skeleton. A virus is more like a bug. Antibodies work on the surface shell of the virus. It disorientates the viral equilibrium sensory systems as the virus DNA sleeps. The Virus runs on auto pilot as its DNA rests.

The exo-skeleton; protein, of the virus, protects the soft inner DNA from external stresses like the shell of a bug. The endo-skeleton of human DNA makes its surface softer and more sensitive and adds extra sensory; equilibrium, capability.

The DNA of humans cells is sensitive to the internal cellular environment via its surface water and the water that binds within the genes. The Virus is not sensitive on the surface, in terms of a direct link to the DNA. The DNA is more isolated and protected. The virus may also have analogous sensory protein structures, which allow it to sense the proper host environment. Once the virus enters the cells and its exo-skeleton is shed, like a soft shell crap, the viral genetic material awakens and begins to interact with the aqueous environment of the cell. 

[Bored chemist]

So, that's a "no" then.

When the water is saturated, in terms of interaction with other things, the activity is 0.

So, because, the water is saturated with collagen- a fairly common and low solubility protein, the activity of water in any human is zero.

Or you are wrong.

It disorientates the viral sensory systems as the virus DNA sleeps.

I'm reminded of a quote I saw on the web: "don't anthropomorphise the electrons; it annoys them."

The idea of sleeping DNA and viruses with sensory systems is bizarre.

A virus has no brain and no nerves.

[puppypower (OP)]

So, that's a "no" then.

When the water is saturated, in terms of interaction with other things, the activity is 0.

So, because, the water is saturated with collagen- a fairly common and low solubility protein, the activity of water in any human is zero.



Or you are wrong.

It disorientates the viral sensory systems as the virus DNA sleeps.

I'm reminded of a quote I saw on the web: "don't anthropomorphise the electrons; it annoys them."

The idea of sleeping DNA and viruses with sensory systems is bizarre.

A virus has no brain and no nerves.

The cell is about 70% water by weight and water molecules are tiny compared to proteins, with each water molecule able to form four hydrogen bonds. If there is enough collagen to tie up all the aqueous hydrogen bonding the answer is yes. But there is not that much collagen in living systems. Most of the water in living system is bonded to other water; still active.

I used the language disorientates the sensory system of the virus as a learning tool.  Virus, in general, don't inflect all cells. The Corona Virus, for example, is specific for respiratory cells. How does it know the difference? It has a type of surface sensory system, that is analogous to finger print recognition o clock and key. If we attach certain things we can make it read the finger print wrong.

The human eyes inputs photons. This goes to the brain to be processed.  Virus are much simpler. The sensory system and lock and key program function is all based on surface molecular hardware. It will form a lock and key arrangement if it reaches the correct host.  We can file the key, or add another projection, to make the key worthless.

By sleeping DNA, I was also be descriptive It makes learning easier. When cells undergo cell cycles the DNA is duplicated and then packed into chromosomes. At this point, the DNA is totally offline and not interacting. The protein grid is now running the show. This is based on auto pilot commands that are inherent in the grid. The virus also has an offline state, than last much longer , since it cannot do much for itself. Instead the protein shell and surface recognition molecules run the show looking for a host so the viral DNA can get back on-line.

In a human cell, after the DNA is taken off line, and is separated into two daughter cells, the DNA will gradually power up as it unpacks. The virus does not have the jam to do this. It  evolves an auto-pilot mechanism after it is duplicated.

[Bored chemist]

If there is enough collagen to tie up all the aqueous hydrogen bonding the answer is yes. But there is not that much collagen in living systems. Most of the water in living system is bonded to other water; still active.

There is clearly enough to saturate it.
Because, if the water in your body wasn't saturated with collagen then collagen would dissolve into it from, for example, blood vessel walls.

It's also pretty much saturated with calcium phosphate.

And your use of "sensory" is somewhere between unorthodox and wrong.
It's like describing velcro as sensory.
There is literally no "sense" involved.

[puppypower (OP)]

If there is enough collagen to tie up all the aqueous hydrogen bonding the answer is yes. But there is not that much collagen in living systems. Most of the water in living system is bonded to other water; still active.

There is clearly enough to saturate it.
Because, if the water in your body wasn't saturated with collagen then collagen would dissolve into it from, for example, blood vessel walls.

It's also pretty much saturated with calcium phosphate.

And your use of "sensory" is somewhere between unorthodox and wrong.
It's like describing velcro as sensory.
There is literally no "sense" involved.

We are talking two different things. By saturation I did not mean how much solute  can dissolve in water. It is more about tying up all hydrogen bonding with anything besides other water. For example, Mercury Sulfide is very insoluble in water. It will precipitate out at very low concentration. The activity of a water solution of HgS, remains very close to 1.0, since nearly all hydrogen bonds of water are still active since little HgS stays in solution.

If we added NaCl. both ions are very soluble and both will interact with water. Water will form hydration spheres around these ions. This will lower the activity, since many hydrogen bonds sites of water are occupied by something other than water. The same molar concentration of each scenario, will have a different impact on activity.

In the case of building a virus inside a host cell, the virus will use the cellular machinery to mass produce its needed protein. This causes the activity of the cellular water to lower since these new proteins, are not natural to the normal steady state of the cell These will tie up additional hydrogen bonding of water. The water can increase its activity, by lowering the surface area of these protein in contact with the water. It does this by causing these protein to cluster into the shell of the virus. If the water/cell can also boot the virus out of the cell, that will further increase the activity of the water, back closer to the native state of the host cell.

The host cell has many large fixed structures from the DNA and nucleus to the cellular membrane, and all in between. These are fixed in position by scaffolding protein. This material provides a baseline or global activity for the water in that cell. The dynamic movement of smaller things, among the large fixed things, tweaks the baseline locally.. The water potential, tries to restore the global baseline potential or activity. Information flow in water is very fast and global, with water taking care of business.

During cell cycles the mother cells undergoes rapid synthesis and manufactures and retains the most materials in her entire life. The activity of the water falls  due to double materials. This alters the global ir baseline water potential/activity. The different baseline water water now treats the organic in different ways; different equilibria geared toward forming two daughter cells instead of one huge cell with doubled DNA.

Virus

[puppypower (OP)]

Let me shows a few pictures of the Corona Virus.  I will discuss water-oil equilibria when I have more time. The first shows the virus. The second shows a spike on the surface. 

[puppypower (OP)]

I am back. If you look at the first image, one may notice the spikes on the surface of the virus. In terms of the water-oil analogy this spiky configuration tell me the spikes are more on the water side of the water-oil equilibrium. If they had been more reduced or on the oil side of equilibrium, they would be more balled up, instead of extended in terms of linear surface area. Or they would cluster closer to each, instead of separating across the surface, or they would bend and/or lay down toward the viral membrane, to help lower the aqueous surface area. Instead they appear to be designed with water in mind. However, they do show a little balling up at the tip, that looks like a crown, from which the name corona virus was born. I would guess the tip is use to anchor onto the membrane; oil-oil.

The second diagram bears this out. This was image was harder to find since I did not know that the spikes were called spikes. Luckily, I stumbled upon this image to verify my logic.

The magnified image of a spike shows some key proteins, as portrayed in color, having a very open in structure, allowing additional water surface area. This type of structure, which is favorable to water, is designed to allow water based structuring to build onto the protein spikes and extend outward radially, from the spikes. I would guess cooperative hydrogen bonding, where water and protein create an extended hydrogen bonding resonance structure onto and outward from the spikes. The sensory lock and key is more than likely based on the water cooperatives induced by the spikes.

The cooperative create structuring in the water attacked to the spikes. When the spike key finds the proper lock, free energy is released from the cooperative as the orderring become disrupted, The disruption results in an increase in water entropy; water becomes disordered. An increase in entropy absorbs energy, allowing the virus to gain activation energy to overcome host cell surface energy barriers. 

[puppypower (OP)]

Let me add some additional water side detail connected to the impact of ions, on the Corona  virus. Ions have an impact on the hydrogen bonding of water. In terms of water, ions are defined as chaotropes if they bind to water weaker than water will bind to other water via hydrogen bonding. They are called kosmotropes, if they bind to water stronger than water can bind to other water via hydrogen bonding.

Below is a diagram of the relative binding strength of a range ions. Notice, sodium and potassium ions are in the middle and each have opposite affects on water, even though they both have a single positive charge. Membrane potential does not tell the whole story of the ion pumps. Cells will pump and exchange these cations creating different water environments on each side of the membrane. This is expected since each side of the membrane is more specialized for different equilibrium functions; needs of input and output. 

In terms of the Corona virus, when they leave or enter the membrane of the host cell, they encounter between different water environments, since cells accumulate potassium ions inside and accumulate sodium ions outside. The membrane  is another place to mess with the Corona virus through equilibrium affects. This applies to all virus.



In the diagram above, there is a mention of low density water. The hydrogen bonding of water has both partial polar and partial covalent bonding characteristics. Low density water is connected to covalent bonding, since covalent bonds need to stretch out for proper magnetic overlap of the covalent bonding orbitals. In polar bonding, the closer the charges get, the stronger the polar bond. This forms high density water domaines.

In terms of a Corona Virus, its surface spikes strongly suggest cooperative hydrogen bonds. This is connected to the covalent side hydrogen of hydrogen bonding and therefore low density water. Relative to the sodium and potassium ions, potassium ions will accumulate in low density water. Since they bind weaker to water than water binds to itself they will be disruptive to cooperative hydrogen bonding. Potassium ions will help to skinny down the virus, so the virus can leave easier.

On the other hand, sodium ions are excluded from low density water.  An entering virus, because of its cooperative structure, can sort of ignore the sodium ions and maintain the cooperative hydrogen bonding. When the lock finds the key, there is free energy released outside the cell for entry. Once they enter, the potassium ions, inside, prevents the cooperative from reforming. The host can then disassemble it easier, to its own demise.

[puppypower (OP)]

Now I would like to look at the inside of the Corona Virus.

The Corona Virus is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and a nucleocapsid of helical symmetry. The genome size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 27 to 34 kilo bases, the largest among known RNA viruses. Helical symmetry is somewhat unusual for a positive sense single strand RNA. It is much more common for negative sense single strand RNA.

Positive sense RNA means the RNA of the Corona Virus can act as messenger RNA or mRNA . It can attach itself to ribosomes and can be used to directly translate protein on the ribosomes. A negative sense RNA virus, has to be used first as a template to form mRNA, which are then used to make protein of ribosomes. Corona Virus cuts out the middleman step. That can give it a selective advantage.

As I was discussed elsewhere (Are Water and Organics Copartners in Life) the DNA is an extremely large hydrated molecule. In terms of the water-oil analogy, the DNA is on the water side of the equilibrium. If we go from DNA, to mRNA to protein translation, we are heading in the direction of the oil side of the potential. This means the positive sense nature of Corona Virus RNA by be closer to the ribosomes; positive sense, would result in it having more "oil" affect than negative sense virus RNA.

The record setting length of the Corona Virus RNA appears to satisfy the needs of a paradox. RNA is more on the water side, while positive sense RNA pushes it slightly toward the oil side. Large RNA that is also positive sense, averages out the RNA to look similar to a smaller negative sense  RNA, in terms of overall potential.

The Corona Virus is a nucleocapsid of helical symmetry. A nucleocapsid reflects the RNA of the virus plus its packing protein. The helical symmetry of Corona RNA is unusual for positive sense viral RNA. However it is not unusual for a negative sense viral DNA. The logical explanation has to due with configurational equilibrium. As mentioned above, the large size and positive sense of the Corona Virus RNA, add up to smaller negative sense RNA  in terms of equilibrium. The averaging  affect would be expected to allow helical symmetry.

The analogy is say we need warm water to make tea. If we have lots of cold water and lots of hot water, and mx them, we have plenty of warm water. Or we can use warm water without having to use the extremes.

[Bored chemist]

In terms of the water-oil analogy this spiky configuration tell me the spikes are more on the water side of the water-oil equilibrium. If they had been more reduced or on the oil side of equilibrium, they would be more balled up, instead of extended in terms of linear surface area

Did it occur to you that they might just be stiff?

[puppypower (OP)]

In terms of the water-oil analogy this spiky configuration tell me the spikes are more on the water side of the water-oil equilibrium. If they had been more reduced or on the oil side of equilibrium, they would be more balled up, instead of extended in terms of linear surface area

Did it occur to you that they might just be stiff?

Dehydrated materials will become stiff. Once you hydrate, materials become more fluid. DNA is a crystal when dehydrated and then becomes more fluid when hydrated. Within water and oil based systems, are also surface tension considerations.. Water will try to lower surface tension, which means minimize the organic and water surface area.

Large stretched out structures with lots of surface area imply low surface tension. While stiffness implies something more lije water based cooperative hydrogen bonding. If the surface tension was higher, the surface area would lower.

After studying the corona virus, in some detail, I have concluded that the existing organic approach is very advanced and any water side approach I can provide, only helps around the seams. There are already thousands of people working the organic side.  It would be an uphill battle, seeing I lack resources. A logical analysi alone, does not satisfy any science based on empirical data.

A better use of my time would be to discuss a novel viral prevention approach, that is water based instead of organic based. The logical simplicity should help even an empiricist see possible merit. In a previous discussion, I mentioned Sodium and Potassium ions and how Sodium is kosmotropic; creates order, and Potassium is chaotropic; creates disorder. relative to water.

Sodium ions, which are kosmotropic are excluded from low density water. This reflects the covalent aspect of hydrogen bonding. While Potassium ions, which are chaotropic accumulates in low density water. 

Relative to a virus, like Corona, the spike configuration, to me, suggests cooperative hydrogen bonding. So when a virus approaches a host cell, the Sodium ions on the outside surface of the host cell, avoid the viral cooperative, allowing the free energy contained within the cooperative to help the virus enter. Once the virus enters, the Potassium ions disrupt and/or prevent the cooperative from reforming, so the virus can be dismantled easier.

What comes to mind is the impact of the local nerve tissue. Nerve tissue and neurons deal in sodium and potassium ions fluxes. If a local nerve, near a cell was to fire, sensory trigger, it would give off potassium ions. This can theoretically, mess up the viral cooperative hydrogen bonding, outside the host cells, so the virus lacks the free energy needed to enter. It may still attach, but lacks activation energy. The host may treat it differently; food.

This version of the Corona virus is very new, which means nobody should have much in the way of organic based immune factors. So why are many people less vulnerable, while some are more vulnerable? Differences in local nerve firing could explain this.

A placebo viral infection would be a viral disease that has organic potential; tangible virus, but which disengages a full nervous system potassium ion response, so it can enter, easier.

A cellular viral infection should change the equilibrium in the water, outside the infested cells, near the local nerve endings. The sensory nerve ending will sense non equilibrium, and fire to send a signal to the brain; warning! If these signals become a chain reaction, the infested cell would become isolated. This may also signal a beacon for a targeted immune response.
 

[puppypower (OP)]

I would like to look at the drug called Chloroquine that is being tested on the corona virus. This drug is currently used for Malaria and Lupus, with millions of doses prescribed and used since the 1950's when this drug was approved by the FDA. The side affects have been very minimum with negligible deaths over the past 70 years, It shows signs of working on the Corona Virus. We should up and running, since it has been proven safe for 70 years on wide range of population, The delays makes no sense, other than possible solutions may not benefit bureaucracies until they can gain control and credit.

In terms of the water side approach to life, let us look at chloroquine phosphate, as shown below. The chloroquine aspect is the long organic chain with three nitrogen atoms; N.  The Nitrogen has extra elections and it can share these elections. The two bottom nitrogen will participate in the resonance of the bottom automatic group. The top nitrogen does not participate in resonance, so its sharable  electrons are more available for sharing other ways. The single chlorine atom is election withdrawing and helps induce the resonance nitrogen to share.

The two phosphate groups are strong acids and weak bases and will give off a hydrogen proton that can share with the electrons of the nitrogen, The top nitrogen, by not participating in resonance holds these protons longer, (nanoscale), compared to the resonance nitrogen which cycle back and forth; now they have it and now they don't.



In terms of the corona virus, the long organic structure of chloroquine has the virus membrane in mind. Chlorine is oil in terms of the water-oil analogy. It will go past the spikes, and the surface protein, and be induced into the membrane, by the water. This will lower local water potential.

The Phosphate groups are chaotropic which is similar to the impact of potassium. These will disrupt the cooperative hydrogen bonding on the spikes and diminish their activation energy affect needed for entry. It will make it harder of the virus to enter cells. The Chloroquine foundation appears to be an organic  "mule" which carries the phosphate, toward the viral membrane, with the phosphate messing with the cooperative hydrogen bonding on the spikes.

[puppypower (OP)]

With the Corona virus pandemic on the other side of the peak, in many places, this is a good time to look at water side of anti-bodies. Antibodies are protein structures composed of two heavy chains and two light polypeptide chains. These typically form the shape of a Y as shown below.

The light blue and light pink areas are the variable regions of the antibody, while the darker blue and darker pink areas are the constant regions. The constant regions are similar to each other and have structural properties for the antibody.  The variable region is where the antibody attaches to an antigen. This variable region, composed of 110-130 amino acids, give the antibody its specificity for binding antigen.



Again, water is the majority component of life and the shape and merging of the four protein reflects minimizing the potential of these four protein chains in water; oil beads. The fixed tail is linear while the top and variable component splits into a Y. This tells me the bottom is more on the oil side, while the top is more on the water side of the water-oil analogy. If the Y side was more toward the oil side, it would flatten out and merge like the stump, to lower surface tension. Instead, it stays open to allow water to hydrogen bond to the antibody, on more sides of the Y. The business end of the antibody has hydrogen bonding and even cooperative water in mind. Like the virus, the antibody it carries it own activation energy;  free energy, in the cooperative.

Hydrogen bonds stabilize the antibody-antigen interaction. In addition to hydrogen bonds, other weak interactions such as van der Waals forces, hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic forces improve the binding specificity between antibody and antigen. These interactions occur over large and sometimes discontinuous regions of the molecules, improving binding affinity. The variety of binding is from both the water and the oil side.

The water merges the antibody and the virus to maximize water potential. The water is trying to build a larger protein structure; larger oil drop, to lower bulk surface tension. The organic stump of the antibody creates most of the surface tension in the bulk water. By merging the antibody and antigen this helps the water and helps life.

The antibody and antigen need to form a lock and key arrangement binding if the binding is to persist, and so the equilibrium can change, even further, to the determent of the virus. This is accomplished on the water centric or variable side of the anti-body; Y. It has to be able to deal wth the cooperative water that builds up on the surface of the virus.

Below is a magnified image of an antibody bound to an antigen, such as a virus. The left side is the anti-body. One may notice the light blue balls at the interface between the antibody and virus. These are water molecules that help to bind the composite together with considerable binding energy. These water probably come from the cooperative hydrogen bonding that original surrounded the variable region of the antibody and the spikes of the virus. My guess is the cooperative initially builds between the two, as the bulk water forces the two things to merge. As more organic binding  forms in the lock and key, this disrupts the initial merger cooperative. There is a release free energy as water entropy increase.

In the case of the virus, the antibody disrupts its cooperative hydrogen bonding surface spikes, thereby increasing the activation energy needed to enter cells. The antibodies also act as flag and extended water based finger print, of an object, that needs to be eliminated.



During my basic studying of antibodies, I learned that B-cells which make antibodies each contain a single antibody. Each B-cell is a one trick pony. During the formation of B-cells, a section of their DNA shuffles and rearranges, to form billions of variations. These shuffled genes will form the protein in the variable regions of the antibodies. Each B-cell is given a single antibody. If we multiply this by  billions of B cells, we get billions of different antibodies. If any one B-cell is able to bind properly to an antigen; lock and key, this triggers that B-cell to mass produce its antibody, which then floods the blood supply; perfect binding alters the B-cell equilibrium.

This process on shuffling genes so each B-cell gets a different set-up, is similar to mutations on steroids. This is not so much being done randomly, as it is about being thorough. It is anticipating all contingencies in advance. If I was trying to do this, in the lab, the most efficient way would be to increase or decrease the aqueous hydrogen bonding potential around these genes. The genes will need to form a dynamic equilibrium, which involves attaching protein and rearranging the furniture, for each step up or down the gradient. This cannot be easily done via the organic side. You need to be able to move base pairs quickly and efficiently in a continuous way.

 

[Bored chemist]

The Phosphate groups are chaotropic which is similar to the impact of potassium. These will disrupt the cooperative hydrogen bonding on the spikes and diminish their activation energy affect needed for entry. It will make it harder of the virus to enter cells.

Great news.
I will continue to drink cola which will provide a lot more phosphate than chloroquine pills ever would.

Did it not occur to you that you are focussing on utterly the wrong thing?

BTW, the mechanism of action of chloroquine is already known. Has been for years.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8361993

And there's a credible mechanism for it working in the case of coronavirus.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1232869/

Whereas your bizarre view is that the stuff miraculously holds onto the phosphate ions in solution, but then magically gives them up inside the virus where they do something- which is odd because viruses already contain lots of phosphate.

[puppypower (OP)]

The Phosphate groups are chaotropic which is similar to the impact of potassium. These will disrupt the cooperative hydrogen bonding on the spikes and diminish their activation energy affect needed for entry. It will make it harder of the virus to enter cells.

Great news.
I will continue to drink cola which will provide a lot more phosphate than chloroquine pills ever would.

Did it not occur to you that you are focussing on utterly the wrong thing?

BTW, the mechanism of action of chloroquine is already known. Has been for years.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8361993

And there's a credible mechanism for it working in the case of coronavirus.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1232869/

Whereas your bizarre view is that the stuff miraculously holds onto the phosphate ions in solution, but then magically gives them up inside the virus where they do something- which is odd because viruses already contain lots of phosphate.

You must have misunderstood. The phosphate groups impact the surface of the corona virus. The surface is how the virus gets inside the cell. I was not concerned with the inside of the virus. The surface spikes on the virus will help form extended water structuring; cooperative hydrogen bonding. This helps to lower the local water potential. The chloroquine, while heading into the host cell membrane, pulls along the phosphate groups, like a mule, to assist with a surface affect before it enters the virus. 

Phosphate is chaotropic and will disrupt the aqueous cooperative hydrogen bonding on the virus surface, as it passes by the spikes. This takes away the activation energy ,within the cooperative, that is needed for the virus to enter the host cell. It only slows the virus down, temporarily. The chloroquine also gets inside the virus and impacts the inside of virus; it is two for one. I am focussing on the surface water outside and not the organic inside. To me, if we make it harder to enter the cells, the immune system can catch up and develop natural immunity.

Data from New York City is showing that the highest levels of mortality, due to the Corona Virus had three or four basic things in common. The most common was hypertension or high blood pressure. This was followed by diabetes and obesity. Being elderly also had an impact. These are all consistent with a water side, virus surface analysis.

Hydrogen bonding shows both polar and covalent bonding characteristics. The polar bonding sides tries to get the two charges as close as possible, since their EM potential is distance dependent. This makes the hydrogen bonding more compressed. Covalent hydrogen bonding will expand the hydrogen bonds, so the covalent bonding orbitals can overlap properly in space for the sharing of electrons, via the cooperative. Cooperative hydrogen bonding is on the covalent side allowing elections to delocalize among the expanded hydrogen bonding cooperative.

Hypertension or high blood pressure causes higher blood pressure. This pressurizes the water in the blood, slightly, and moves the hydrogen bonding more toward the higher density polar side of the equilibrium. This will favor disrupting the cooperative hydrogen bonding on the surface of corona, thereby helping the virus enter the cells; easier activation energy.

Diabetes is connected to a low natural production of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps push the sugars of the blood, outward from the blood, to feed the cells. If insulin is low, glucose builds up in the blood and cells are not fed properly. This can lead to other problems. In this case, the build up of sugar in the blood shifts the blood water slightly toward the oil side of the water-oil equilibrium. This will also mean favoring polar hydrogen bonding. This will slightly favor the disruption of the cooperative hydrogen bonding on the virus, when it find a host cell membrane.

Obesity is connected having to very high body fat index. Fat is more reduced; high energy or oil side, than muscle. The net affect is the bulk circulating water of the body is shifted more toward the oil side of the water-oil equation. Once again this favors polar hydrogen bonding and helps the virus disrupt is surface cooperative for the needed activation energy.

The fact that virus impact the elderly, more than the young, implies that the young, in general, are more on the water side of the equilibrium. Youth means leaner muscle and higher energy burn. This will favor the cooperative hydrogen bonding and make it slightly harder to disrupt the surface water structures on the virus. Makes it harder to get the needed activation energy.

[Bored chemist]

You must have misunderstood. The phosphate groups impact the surface of the corona virus.

No.
It's you that doesn't understand.
As soon as the drug dissolves in the body fluids the phosphate groups are free to drift around.
They are entirely independent of, and will immediately drift away from the chloroquine ions.

It will be impossible to distinguish them from the other phosphate ions in the body- including those derived from a can of cola.

.

Phosphate is chaotropic and will disrupt the aqueous cooperative hydrogen bonding on the virus surface,

There is no mechanism by which the phosphate groups are transported to the virus- chloroquine certainly can't be such a mechanism, because it's not actually attached to the phosphate once the pills dissolve.

If phosphate troubled the virus in any way then it wouldn't be a threat.
The body contains lots of phosphates- the tiny quantity added alongside an antimalarial isn't going to make a jot of difference.

We need to clarify something here.
I'm a pharmaceutical chemist, and you are some guy who makes up stupid stuff

[Bored chemist]

The net affect is the bulk circulating water of the body is shifted more toward the oil side of the water-oil equation.

Nonsense.
Water is water.
The water in my lungs, where the virus might be, does not know about, and can not be affected by the fat deposits of my beer gut.

[Bored chemist]

The fact that virus impact the elderly, more than the young, implies that the young, in general, are more on the water side of the equilibrium.

Bollocks.
It means young fit healthy people are better at fighting viruses.
It's no more surprising that finding that young adults would do a better job of fighting a rabid dog than geriatrics would.