Updated – Covid-19 – Recommendations

1. First of all, don’t panic. Staying calm and keeping stress down is one of the most important factors for protecting your immune system.
2. Many of you are working on complex immune system issues, but unless you have significant cardiovascular disease or respiratory disease history, your immune system issues are not typically of the kind that create extra risk or concern for how you might handle infection with COVID-19.
3. The best medicine is prevention. Wash your hands, frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Do this often, as often as you can if you are out and about (which should be minimally). Regular soap and water kills the virus. Avoid touching your mouth, eyes or nose. At this point, you should barely be going out of your house, but if you do, have a decontamination process for when you arrive back home. More info on this below.
4. If you have to be out and about, wear gloves or use hand sanitizer or continue frequent hand washing. Avoid touching your face and try to stay at least 6 feet away from other people and avoid touching things. When you return home, remove shoes at the door, take off your clothes and throw them in the laundry basket, shower and put on new clothes. Regular laundering kills the virus.
5. Get in the habit of wiping/washing surfaces and handles frequently with a diluted bleach solution, an alcohol based cleaner or similar. This includes bathroom faucets, toilet flushes, kitchen counters and drawer handles, door handles, etc.
6. UPDATE: Keeping your mucous membranes moist and sinuses irrigated with saline can reduce the chance of viral transmission. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and use a sinus nasal flush like NeilMed Sinus Nasal rinse or a neti pot at least once daily. This has been found to be particularly helpful to prevent viral infection.
7. Get a lot of restful sleep. Sleep keeps your immune system functioning well and is restorative.
8. Don’t over consume the media. It’s designed to hijack your limbic system and make you scared. Being smart and informed is one thing. Going down the rabbit hole of potential doom could do you in. Repeat after me: “It’s going to be ok.”
9. UPDATE: We don’t yet know how this will play out. This is a novel virus which is spreading rather quickly world-wide. However, the biggest risk continues to be in the elderly, especially over 80 and in obese men over age 60, who have higher risk comorbidities like heart disease and diabetes. That said, there are also stories of otherwise healthy, much younger people having a significant clinical course with this illness and some are even dying. We don’t yet know what variables are playing a role in these risk factors, but several hypotheses are emerging including in those with increased viral exposure, like the men and women on the front lines in the hospitals. We are also learning that many who are becoming ventilator dependent don’t have a good prognosis though with treatment options emerging and being tested every day, we’re hoping this turns around. As always, the best strategy is in prevention, minimizing/avoiding exposure and keeping your immune system and spirits up.  It continues to be that the vast majority of those who are becoming infected have very mild to no symptoms. Many will not even realize they have it. In the coming weeks, there appear to be better testing measures coming on to the scene.
10. The most common symptoms being seen are fever and cough, which can progress further into pneumonia. There are also some reports that early symptoms could include diarrhea and sometimes loss of taste and/or smell. However, it’s the inflammatory response of the pneumonia that is compromising the sickest of patients who are requiring hospitalization and sometimes ventilation. There is currently no known cure, but we are learning quickly about some interventions that may make a difference.
11. For now, stay home, connect with the people you love, catch up on rest, order your groceries and meds by delivery if and when you can and just relax. Use the time to catch up on reading, a hobby you love, phone calls with old friends or getting back into a regular meditation practice. Spending time outdoors and in nature is also highly recommended and totally fine to do as long as you stay at least 6 feet away from others on the trails if you encounter other people.

I’ve outlined strategies for immune support and provided an overview of what we are seeing in terms of strategies that might help in a treatment phase, ultimately requiring the immune system to do the job of helping one recover.  I’ll continue to update this information as new info emerges. Some of you will already be on some of these things outlined that are supportive to the immune system. Due to the state of emergency this virus is causing, there are many things back ordered on NutrimentRX, but most have approximate return dates that are in the near future. That being said, you are always welcome to source supplements wherever you would like and I encourage you to find suitable alternatives to suggested options where possible. Brand names listed below are just options with often, plenty of other alternatives available, too that I use and recommend on a regular basis. I’ve just included what I could for the time being as trying to provide an exhaustive list is an impossible feat with a moving target.

I hope this helps and that you all stay as well as possible. Use the slow down in the world to down shift as much as possible. Bathe your soul in some warm, silky epsom salt baths and cozy up until the coast is clear.

Warmly,

Dr. Daniel

Immune Supportive Strategies in Preventing Viral Illness:

1. Vitamin D3: 5000 IUs daily is an appropriate dose for most adults. Use this with food containing fat. After a fair amount of question related to this, it is still best to use for immune support, but current advice says to discontinue if first signs of suspected illness.

Option: Thorne Vitamin D/K2 Liquid, product code T00018.

2. Zinc Lozenges: some evidence to suggest having something that coats the throat may be more effective than a capsule or tablet you swallow. 

Option: Perque Zinc and Throat Guard, use 2 each day. Product code is ZIN35.

3. NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine): 500 mg twice a day.

Option: Thorne NAC, product code T60029.

4. Beyond Balance IMN-V: Start with 3 to 5 drops, 2 times a day. Gradually increase to 12 to 15 drops, 2 times a day.
5. Vitamin C, 2000 mg per day

Option: Integrative Therapeutics Buffered Vitamin C, use 1 twice daily, product code BUF8.

Immune Supportive Strategies when you have a Viral Illness:

1. Vitamin C: 1000 mg every 15-30 minutes to bowel tolerance. If symptoms are not reversing in 12-24 hours, then increase to 2000 mg every 15-30 minutes to bowel tolerance. If possible, can also use IV Vitamin C, 10 grams once a day for 7 days.

Option: Designs for Health Buffered Vitamin C, product code BUF15 in combination with Quicksilver Liposomal VItamin C (ideally half and half of each) product code QSPXC01 

2. Quercetin: 1000-2000 mg three times daily

Option: Jarrow Quercetin, product code J40528.

4. Beyond Balance IMN-VII: Start with 1 to 2 drops, 2 times a day. Gradually increase by 1 to 2 drops, 2 times a day until desired results are achieved. Dosage does not usually exceed 12 to 15 drops, 2 times a day.

For sensitive patients: You may need to start with 1 drop every 3 to 5 days. Gradually

increase weekly until 1 drop a day is tolerated. You may then repeat the process to

accommodate a second dose per day. Dosage does not usually exceed 12 to 15 drops, 2

times a day.

5. Melatonin: use 10-50 mg at bedtime.

Option: Vital Nutrients Melatonin 10 mg, product code is MEL20.

6. Currently under investigation: Hydroxychloroquine plus Azithromycin (400 mg twice a day x 1 day then 200 mg twice a day x 4 more days) and 500 mg on day 1 then 250 mg a day x 4 more days.