New perspectives on COVID-19 prevention and care if ill.

 

Just yesterday I spent a couple more hours learning, reviewing and reading, and listening to expert presentations on this topic. I hope in just a few short paragraphs here to cut through some of the noise and bring a little clarity. Especially it seems that what people are looking for is clarity about actions they can take to be well in this time. Please take this as my attempt to bring you just that.  I credit my own institution (Augusta University Health), the CDC, and the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona for these thoughts.   What can you expect in the coming days and weeks?     You already know we are in for a rough time as a world, and likely in your community in the next few weeks. Current projections are that the disease will peak in the United States sometime next week, around April 15th. This varies from state to state however, the actions we take now will directly affect those outcomes near where you live. You will hear harrowing stories of illnesses and death. But you should also know that the vast majority of people who catch this virus recover completely, and relatively few need hospitalization compared to simply staying home and caring for symptoms. The situation will not be this bad sometime in the near future.     In times of great stress and grief, our normal human impulse is to pull together, to touch, hug, wipe a tear, hold a shoulder. But we are in a situation where we can’t do that, making this worldwide grief even harder to bear. What can you do? Perhaps there are vulnerable people near you who can use a hand. Communities are organizing for volunteer efforts in many ways, not the least of which is to reach across a phone line or video chat to remind someone they are not alone, and that you care. Do something for someone who needs you. These acts break down the walls of social isolation we feel and remind us of the power of love over sadness and loss. And these acts of kindness are also contagious, more so than the virus, and we can ameliorate the loneliness that many people are suffering as a result of the viral contagion.     Do you need to continue physical distancing and respect the “shelter in place” edicts? Yes. And the reason may not be what you think. Especially for young and healthy people, the stay at home and isolate orders are not so much to protect you personally, as they are to protect the health of the vulnerable people in the community around you. Staying at home, not going out, avoiding personal contact, all these serve to stop further spread of the Coronavirus in your community, preventing people who are older or have chronic disease from catching it, and saving lives. So even if you do not feel at risk, your actions to continue physical distancing in the next 2 weeks will be critical to saving lives in your community, state, nation, and world. What are the steps you can take to prevent this illness for yourself?     Let’s assume you already are doing the basics: physical distancing (6 feet), wear a mask in places of contact with others, wash your hands for 20 seconds, keep your hands off your face. There are other simple things you can do in order to be the healthiest you can be, an inhospitable host for a virus, and less likely to become very ill. These measures do not have data in the current outbreak, but enough other evidence, and especially assurance that they are safe. Some are known to increase immunity.     Take care of yourself well: Get enough sleep. Keep stresses under control, by limiting your access to news (schedule it, don't let it invade your consciousness at any old time, maybe only once or twice a day, that's enough), and also social media. Social media posts can raise questions and alarms that put you on edge. On the opposite end, enjoy humor. Laughter is good for health and immunity. Tell jokes, play games, watch a funny movie with your family. Cultivate a daily stress reduction routine, such as yoga or breath work (the 4-7-8 Relaxing Breath that I learned from Dr. Weil is my favorite).     Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. If ever a diet high in fresh (or frozen if you can't get fresh) produce were important, it's now. There's great science that supports a healthy diet for better immunity and quicker recovery from illness. A rainbow of vegetables, an apple a day, or maybe two or three, would be a good idea, along with onions, garlic, nuts, green tea, and citrus are some of the really good choices.     Natural Supplements? There's a lot of talk about natural supplements to prevent this infection or lessen the severity. There are not studies for these in the current situation, we are in new territory. So it's important to not start taking a lot of things that do not have evidence of safety. But it’s OK to recommend things that have limited evidence for efficacy when we have strong evidence for safety, and I will guide you here in the direction of safety. With the caveat that these are untested suggestions in our current pandemic, I'll list a few things everyone can take daily for prevention, if you feel that you are high risk and want some additional steps over and above what I already stated. These include a daily dose of Zinc (usually 15 – 30 mg per day will do), Quercitin (perhaps 1000 mg per day), Astragalus (2-4 grams per day), a moderate dose of Vitamin D3 (1000 IU daily). Should you become ill, make sure you stop the Vitamin D (good during prevention, not good to take during illness). If you become ill, taking vitamin C (500 – 3000 mg per day), melatonin (3 – 5 mg), and high doses of curcumin (2 – 3 grams per day), along with mushroom mycelium extracts (e.g. any of the products made by Host Defense, or similar) can reduce the likelihood of the severe lung inflammatory response seen in severe COVID-19 illness. The Zinc, Quercitin, and Astragalus can be continued as well. During illness, it is still recommended that you avoid Echinacea, elderberry, and isolated polysaccharide extracts from medicinal mushrooms (the whole mycelium extracts are still helpful). The science supporting these supplement recommendations were reviewed by Dr. Lise Alschuler of the University of Arizona, and can be found in more detail on the website, https://integrativemedicine.arizona.edu/ The value of gratitude Perhaps especially in a dark time, I hope we can all cultivate gratitude into the fabric of our lives. What a difference this can make! Pause and give thanks for the miracles you see all around you whenever you become aware of them. I give you a wonderful short meditation on gratitude to end, please watch and take the wonder of it into your heart and mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSt7k_q_qRU Peace and wellness to all, Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH www.aikenaugustaholistichealth.com Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AikenAugustaHolisticHealth/ 803-426-1421 Our office is not seeing patients in person at this time. I you are in need of support and want a phone consultation contact the office via phone or email.