Are there certain medications like blood pressure drugs and proton pump inhibitors that increase risk for infection and mortality?

Yes, the body responds to ACE inhibitor drugs used in the treatment of high blood pressure by increasing the number of ACE-2 receptors on cells. With an increase in ACE-2 receptors there are more entry points (doors) that the SAR-CoV-2 virus can enter the cell.5

The secondary route of infection for many respiratory tract viruses like SAR-CoV-2 is through the gastrointestinal tract. Interestingly, this ability of a coronaviruses to travel from the gut to the lungs was confirmed with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) by increasing the gastrointestinal replication of the virus by infecting animals with viruses orally while at the same time giving them an acid-blocking drug known as a proton pump inhibitor.6 This class of drugs includes Nexium, Prilosec, Protonix, Prevacid, and Aciphex. So, to answer to the obvious question “Does taking a proton pump inhibitor increase the risk for COVID-10 that can attack the lungs by increasing the secondary route of access to the lungs.” The answer is YES! To find out how to get off these drugs, go to this free resource that I wrote: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: What the Drug Companies Won’t Tell You and Your Doesn’t Know.