Should we be concerned about supply with the Corona Virus implications?

Not looking at Microzinc specifically, but the mechanisms behind why ionic zinc affects copper absorption.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1726403

Copper and zinc interact at the intestinal mucosal level, affecting copper absorption. Amino acids, such as histidine, may affect the absorption of these two elements by chelating these cations. The two mechanisms could have additive potential. This possibility was investigated using a duodenal-jejunal single-pass perfusion procedure in anesthetized rats. Copper absorption and tissue retention from solutions containing 0.1 mM copper were determined in the presence of either no zinc or equimolar zinc, or at a zinc/copper ratio of 10/1, either without histidine or with histidine at a 10/1 or 20/1 ratio to copper. Copper removal from the intestinal lumen was decreased by zinc, and further reduced by increasing concentrations of histidine. There was a greater accumulation of copper in the small intestine, reaching a maximum with a 10-fold excess of histidine. With zinc at a 10/1 ratio to copper, the addition of a 10- or 20-fold molar excess of histidine further decreased the net uptake of copper from the perfusate while greater copper accumulation in the tissue occurred. Histidine thus enhances the inhibitory effects of zinc on copper absorption, suggesting the application of convergent mechanisms for diminishing copper uptake. This could be relevant for the treatment of Wilson's disease.

So it is an interaction between zinc and copper in the intestinal mucosa, and histidine plays a role. Well elemental zinc readily forms complexes with histidine in small intestine, as the pH goes up. So protecting it from that, like in the case of our sucrester, can mitigate that.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp4041937

The interactions between histidine and metal species play essential roles in a wide range of important biological processes including enzymes catalysis and signal transduction. In this work, solid-state NMR techniques were employed to determine the interaction between histidine and Zn(II) from pH 3.5 to 14. 2D homo- and heteronuclear correlation NMR experiments were utilized to extract the 1H, 13C, and 15N chemical shifts in various histidine–Zn(II) binding complexes. Several histidine–Zn(II) binding models were proposed on the basis of experimental results as well as DFT theoretical calculations. No direct interaction could be found between biprotonated histidine and Zn(II) at acidic pH. At pH 7.5, one zinc ion could be hexa-coordinated with two histidine molecules on C′, Nα and deprotonated Nδ1 sites. As the pH increases to 11–14, both of the Nδ1 and Nε2 sites could be deprotonated as acceptors to be bound to either Zn(II) or water. All of these findings give a comprehensive set of benchmark values for NMR parameters and structural geometries in variable histidine–Zn(II) binding complexes over a wide pH range and might provide insights into the structure–property relationship of histidine–metal complexes in biological metalloproteins.

This is similar to magnesium and bile salts. Ionic magnesium forms insoluble complexes with bile salts in the stomach. This is why it is not very bioavailable unless you protect from that, like with a sucrester in our Micromag, or with a coordinately-bonded amino/sugar acid chelate, like with glycinate or L-threonate.

This study goes into crazy detail on the absorption mechanisms of both: https://sci-hub.tw/10.3177/jnsv.64.1

In fact, some researchers think that elevated copper levels while zinc is low leads to a lot of health issues.

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/copper-and-zinc-biological-role-and-significance-of-copper-zincimbalance-2161-0495.S3-001.pdf

Several laboratory and human studies have found that high levels of supplemental zinc taken over extended periods of time may result in decreased copper absorption in the intestine, and copper deficiency with associated anemia [88]. But some studies in humans suggest that high dietary Zn may not interfere with the actual tissue or plasma concentrations of Cu [7]. Some experts believe that elevated copper levels, especially when zinc levels are also low, may be a contributing factor in many medical conditions including schizophrenia, hypertension, autism, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headaches, childhood hyperactivity, depression, insomnia, senility, and premenstrual syndrome [1]. Adults taking copper supplements should also take zinc supplements (8 - 15 mg of zinc for every 1 mg of copper), because of an imbalance of these two minerals [89,90]. Copper is known to react with a variety of nutrients, including iron, zinc, molybdenum, sulfur, selenium and vitamin C [5]. There’s also some evidence, not conclusive, that high supplemental doses of vitamin C in a range approaching 1 gram or more-may decrease Cu availability[91].

So if you prevent the mucousal interaction between zinc, histidine, and copper in the GI tract, like by encasing it in a sucrester, you can avoid that interaction to begin with. Both our Microzinc and Micromag do not absorb through the usual ionic zinc and magnesium pathways. The sucrose ester effectively shuttles it through the mucous membranes through the glucose/fructose transport system. To top it off, copper deficiency has only been seen in very high zinc doses for long periods. Reasonable dosing has not shown any deficiency in copper, even with normal ionic forms of zinc.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15174779

>RESULTS:
Baseline plasma zinc was comparable in the two groups; post-supplementation zinc was significantly higher (Z 93.0 +/- 3.6 vs C 60.6 +/- 8.0) in the zinc supplementation group. There was no significant difference in the mean/median copper levels between the zinc and control groups. The percentage of children with plasma copper <100 microg/dl was also not significantly different between groups (baseline Z 14.8%, C 11.1%; post-supplementation Z 18.0%, C 11.1%). There were no differences between the zinc and control groups after 120 d of supplementation in hemoglobin (Hgb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), or number of lymphocytes or granulocytes.

>CONCLUSION:
Zinc supplementation of 10 mg/d for 4 mo in this study did not affect copper status, as assessed by plasma copper concentration and hematological parameters, diagnostics of copper deficiency.