Earth & Immune Series Part 7 - Grounding & Viral Infection (the Finale)

In 2022, researchers at the University of Basrah College of Medicine conducted a study led by Dr. Haider Abdul-Lateef Mousa. The goal was to investigate whether grounding, the practice of direct contact with the Earth, could help prevent or treat COVID-19.

Viruses are not alive in the traditional sense. They are packets of genetic material, DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protein coat. They can't reproduce on their own. To replicate, they invade living cells and hijack the host's cellular machinery. Some viruses are benign. Some are helpful. Others are lethal. The air we breathe and the surfaces we touch are full of them. They're part of our ecosystem, forming what’s known as the human virome.

Some viruses in the gut help regulate bacterial populations. Others have become embedded in our DNA over evolutionary time, contributing to important functions like placenta formation. Exposure to viruses, especially early in life, helps train the immune system and build memory.

COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a single-stranded RNA virus. It binds to ACE2 receptors on human cells via its spike protein. Symptoms range from none at all to respiratory failure and multi-organ death.

One of the drivers of severe outcomes is a cytokine storm. This occurs when the immune system overreacts and floods the body with inflammatory molecules, including interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 is normally helpful, but when overproduced, it can spiral into a dangerous feedback loop. The result is tissue damage, organ failure, and death.

Grounding may offer a counter to this. Previous studies highlighted in that past few series I’ve done showed that grounding reduces inflammatory markers and helps regulate immune responses. That laid the foundation for this COVID-19 study.

In the Basrah trial, 71 patients with COVID-19 participated. Grounding was used both preventively and therapeutically. Patients either touched the Earth directly or used grounding systems for 15 minutes to 6 hours daily.

Results were striking. 69 of the 71 patients showed improvement within 2 hours to 11 days. Median illness duration was 9 days. That’s shorter than the 14-day median reported by WHO for mild cases, and much shorter than the 21–42 day median for severe ones. One patient with a blood oxygen level of just 38% rebounded to 95% (on oxygen) and 77% (off oxygen) after two 3-hour grounding sessions.

Grounding improved fever, fatigue, breathing, appetite, headaches, and other symptoms. Among those grounded before infection, symptoms were generally milder. Deaths were higher in families where individuals had no contact with the Earth.

COVID-19 is also associated with coagulopathy (abnormal blood clotting). Grounding affects blood viscosity and charge, reducing clot risk. Hypoxemia, another deadly complication of COVID-19, was also improved by grounding, as shown by real-time increases in blood oxygenation.

The second study, published in 2020, explored something unusual, how grounding affects the pH of the respiratory tract. This matters. Enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2 rely on acidic environments to fuse with host cells. They often use endosomes, small intracellular transport vesicles, to enter and replicate. These endosomes are acidic. That acidity helps the virus uncoat and release its RNA.

Grounding changed that. In the study, average respiratory tract pH rose from 5.83 to 6.33 after grounding. That may seem small, but it's significant. A higher (less acidic) pH inhibits viral entry. Grounding created a shift in electric potential that influenced this internal environment. The body, acting like a capacitor, accumulated negative charge. This influenced membrane behavior, enzyme function, and the balance of hydrogen ions.

The lungs act as natural ionizers. Exhaled breath releases negative hydroxyl ions, but only if the body has enough electrons. Without grounding, that supply drops. Humidity also plays a role. High humidity and temperature (>95% and 38°C) reduce viral viability. Low humidity makes respiratory tissues more vulnerable to infection and damage.

Acidification of the airway reduces antimicrobial defense and increases bacterial co-infection risk. This is especially problematic during respiratory viral infections, which often pave the way for bacterial invasion.

By altering the electrostatic potential and pH of the airway, grounding may reduce the likelihood of both viral and bacterial infection. Grounding also counteracts the charge imbalance that occurs through breathing. Without grounding, each breath makes the body more positively charged. Eventually, the body retains exhaled negative ions instead of releasing them.

To sum it up: the first study found that grounding shortened illness duration and improved oxygenation and symptoms. The second found that grounding altered respiratory pH and charge in a way that could block viral entry. Both support the idea that grounding may reduce infection severity and improve immune response.

So we end the Earth & Immune series here.

Grounding, the simple act of connecting to the Earth, acts on core physical principles. It moves charge. It redistributes potential. It shifts inflammation and redox balance. The immune system is electric. So is the virus. So are you.

As always, if you’re interested in learning more about grounding, check out Earth & Water.

Up next: Earth & Matrix.

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