COVID
Prevention, as with any virus, is best. Make sure that you(r):
- Vitamin D level is optimal (60-80 ng/mL)
- Zinc level is normal
- Get regular and good quality sleep. Most people need at least 8 hours a night.
- Eat a healthy diet. Avoiding high glycemic foods/simple sugars as found in baked goods and pastas. Eat lots of vegetables.
- Manage your work load to avoid chronic stress.
- Wear a mask in crowded or close encounter situations that are unavoidable, and distance yourself, be in well ventilated areas when possible. See "Vaccinations" below for why this is true whether you are vaccinated or not.
- Use a nasal spray such as https://cofixrx.com which keeps germs that enter through your nose (like COVID often does) from taking up residence and multiplying. (Available through my office, email sustainablepathsnp@sbcglobal.net, or through CharmEHR if you are a patient.)
If you have a known exposure to COVID or a high risk event (such as wedding), for 3 days take:
- A booster dose of vitamin D (up to 20,000 IU) *
- Zinc 30-50 mg *
- Vitamin C 2-5,000 mg *
- L-lysine 2,000 mg *
- Use CoFixRX
- Follow CDC guidelines regarding quarantine
IF YOU DEVELOP ANY SYMPTOMS, contact a health care provider immediately. Early treatment greatly improves the chances of a milder case of COVID. The first 24-48 hours of symptoms can be critical.
NOTE: It is difficult to sort through the literature, and we are constantly learning new things. Unfortunately, providers are sometimes limited by their employers regarding treatment options in an effort to ensure that there is continuity of care, to centralize evaluation of the literature (it is time consuming), and to limit liability. However, there are protocols available developed by well qualified physicians that can be helpful. DO NOT attempt to procure medications through the internet or other possibly dangerous sources, or follow protocols without assistance. Protocols are “one size fits all”. Health care providers who are able to use the protocols can modify them to your particular circumstances. For example, some commonly used supplements and “off label” medications are generally quite safe, but there are certain individuals for whom they would NOT be safe, or for whom dosage needs to be adjusted because of medical history or other medications.
Vaccinations: There is much we do not yet know about vaccination long term effects, and there is much yet to be learned from reporting of adverse events via VAERS. While adverse events seem to be rare, there is likely under reporting, and those effects can be severe (including 11,000 deaths through January 2022: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html).
Vaccines do not prevent you from getting COVID (particularly as mutations continue), and the newest data suggest that they do not really prevent reduce deaths, either. Medical history is very important in considering whether the vaccine is right for you. We are only starting to learn the relative risks from the vaccine versus getting COVID. Finally, the nature history of pandemics is for new varieties to be less dangerous, and we are seeing that "play out"--though Omicron still can cause significant illness and has caused some deaths.
If you have not yet gotten the vaccine but choose do so, as with all vaccines I suggest that you make sure your immune system is "up" for the challenge by ensuring you are currently well, your vitamin D and zinc levels are optimal, and you have a good level of B vitamins.
