Illness Prevention and Immune Support for Coronavirus and Influenza
This week marks our first case of coronavirus identified in North Carolina. It is likely we will see further cases and it is important to stay calm yet cautious regarding illness prevention and treatment. Flu season still continues so practices to avoid illness and support immunity are important for that reason as well.
What is coronavirus and how is it similar to or different than the flu?
Coronavirus is a broad family of viruses found everywhere in the world and causing many of our common colds. COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is a novel (new) strain of the virus originating in China in late 2019. It infects the respiratory tract through person to person transmission and results in a respiratory illness with fever, cough, and fatigue. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe and seems to be most concerning for those over the age of 65 or with health issues. It is reassuring to know that for the great majority of people, coronavirus infection has been generally mild with a full recovery.
Coronavirus spreads similarly to influenza (the flu) through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing as well as contact with infected surfaces. Coronaviruses can live on surfaces for hours to days, hence the importance of hand washing, which we are finally learning how to do effectively :)
Coronavirus seems to have predominant symptoms of fever, fatigue/muscle aches, dry cough, shortness of breath and with less of the common cold symptoms. Influenza symptoms begin with fever, fatigue and body aches and then progresses to include significant head cold symptoms like sore throat, headache, runny nose and mild cough. They are often difficult to distinguish, especially in the early stages.
COVID-19 is more likely to cause significant respiratory symptoms, pneumonia and has a higher rate of death, around 1-2% as opposed to 0.1% for the flu (all risks are higher in older adults and those with health issues).
We have seen evidence from other countries and now our own, that coronavirus is much more contagious and severe in older adults. Children and teens are less likely to be sickened with the virus even when exposed and are much less affected by the illness itself. They can, however, carry the virus without exhibiting obvious symptoms and contribute to the spread to other individuals.
If you are concerned about exposure to coronavirus or have mild illness symptoms, it is recommended you self-isolate at home to avoid spread to other individuals or health care workers. Due to shortage of medical resources, and as of March 20th, COVID19 testing in our county is being recommended only for those individuals with significant illness symptoms requiring medical treatment or hospitalization. If you have severe illness symptoms or significant shortness of breath, you should seek medical attention at your nearest emergency room.
What are the best measures to avoid exposure to viruses like COVID and influenza?
Frequent and effective hand washing is the best thing you can do. Get in the habit of washing your hands much more often. They need to be washed with soap for at least 20 seconds (sing your ABCs or hum Happy Birthday twice). When hand washing is not available, use an alcohol based hand sanitizer and rub hands together for 20 seconds. Here is a summary of proper hand washing from the CDC: https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/28/health/how-to-wash-hands-coronavirus-trnd/index.html
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Limit touching doorknobs and other surfaces in public areas.
If in the midst of a local outbreak, avoid events or crowded areas and consider wearing plastic or disposable gloves when out in public for grocery shopping, etc.
Cover your cough/sneeze with your elbow or use a tissue that can be immediately thrown away.
Stay home if you are sick.
Traditional face masks have not been shown to be an effective means of protecting yourself. If you are sick, however, it can be helpful to wear a mask to prevent spread from coughing and sneezing to others around you.
What are the best immune support measures to prevent illness or support healing?
My recommendations for coronavirus are essentially the same as for prevention and support of the flu. Because coronavirus is a new virus and studies and data are lacking, we are extrapolating good data we have on immune support and supplements used for flu and other similar respiratory viruses.
Eat a healthy diet emphasizing whole foods, a large variety of vegetables and fruits, lean meats and proteins and healthy fats. Avoid sugar, alcohol, processed foods and fast food.
Get plenty of rest. Immune system function is affected directly by the quality and quantity of sleep.
Quit or cut down the use of any tobacco products since viral respiratory infections are worse in smokers.
Keep up with regular exercise which supports healthy immune function.
With the increase in fear and uncertainty during these times, it is more important than ever to keep up with self-care practices like meditation, yoga or exercise and take time out for yourself if you are feeling overwhelmed.
Which supplements are best for prevention or treatment of COVID or flu?
Shop the complete COVID Supplement Protocol HERE
Taking daily immune support supplements will help boost protection from viruses like flu and coronavirus and can be adjusted to treatment doses in case of illness Here are the ones with the best evidence from historical use with similar viruses:
Vitamin C - 1,000-3,000 mg daily for prevention, increasing to much higher doses for illness. You can take 1,000-2,000 mg every 1-2 hours during acute illness (reduce if you develop loose stool).
Vitamin D – For adults, use 5,000 IU for daily immune support and for children, use 500-2,000 IU daily, depending on age. For acute illness, daily Vitamin D dose can be increased substantially while symptomatic (50,000 IU for adults and 1-5,000 IU for kids, depending on age)
Zinc - 20-30 mg daily for prevention, increasing to 50-60 mg daily for adults during illness.
Vitamin A - 20,000-25,000 mcg daily for prevention, increasing to 75,000 mcg for 3 days ONLY at the first sign of any illness.
Colloidal Silver/Silver Hydrosol - (i.e. “Argentyn Silver”) 1 tsp 5-7 times a day during acute illness. Purified silver is a potent antimicrobial and has been shown to neutralize the flu virus. It should be taken according to directions on an empty stomach and held under the tongue for 30 seconds before swallowing. If also taking probiotics (which you should be), then take the silver between meals and your probiotic with meals.
Probiotics - 20,000-40,000 CFU daily
Elderberry - Elderberry syrup or tea can be taken daily for anti-viral immune support. If you come down with significant respiratory symptoms with any illness, I recommend stopping elderberry as there is some controversy of the benefit/harm in severe respiratory illnesses.
Immunotone Plus is a wonderful combination of herbs and mushrooms with antiviral properties to begin at the first sign of illness.
NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine) is an antioxidant particularly helpful for viruses like COVID and flu. 600 mg once daily for prevention and up to 1200 mg twice daily while sick
Quercetin - The best natural anti-inflammatory for COVID and other viruses that lead to significant inflammation. 1500 mg 3 times daily.
** Above dosages are for adults unless otherwise noted.
What to do at the first sign of illness
Rest, stay home, and start the immune support supplement protocol above.
Consult with your natural health provider for individualized vitamin/herbal recommendations depending n the nature of your illness. If you are a patient in my practice, schedule a phone or video consultation to optimize your individualized supplement and immune support plan.
Continue a very healthy diet, drink lots of water and avoid sugar and alcohol. I also recommend avoiding all wheat and dairy aside from cultured products like kefir or yogurt.
Add healing soups with vegetable broth, chicken broth or bone broth.
Sip herbal teas with lemon and honey (Fresh ginger tea is my favorite). Fire cider and golden milk are other great options.
Take a warm bath with 1-2 cups of epsom salt to ease muscle and joint pain and draw out inflammation
