A word of reason re Covid-19
I just finished a review of case reports from China, Korea and Italy, in order to predict the trajectory of the infection in the US. The good news is that time is on our side, and by that I mean calendar time. This virus loves cold-dry conditions. The situation in Italy is revealing. Last report shows over 9,000 cases in the north vs a total of 8 cases in Basilicata, a southern province on the Mediterranean sea. [1]
There are multiple reasons for this. Colder weather affects viral stability, host defenses and human behavior. Nuclear magnetic resonance data show increased stability of influenza at lower temperatures.[2]
Cold dry air also dries out and irritates nasal passages and airways, reducing the immune response to infection.[3]
And finally, of course, we tend to stay indoors in winter months, often in in poorly ventilated spaces.
Bottom line, I do not expect the conditions in Northern Italy, including transmission rates, hospitalizations and fatalities, to play out in the US over the next 4 to 6 weeks. Measures that we are already taking – hand washing, social distancing, self-care and common sense – will blunt the trajectory of COVID-19, especially as March – in most Northern states – is predicted to be slightly warmer than seasonal averages.
Action Steps
- Individuals over 65 with any chronic illness, as well as people of any age with a respiratory condition including emphysema, COPD, bronchitis or even asthma, should self quarantine with nutritional immune support and whatever meds you need to manage your condition. You should already be measuring your percent O2 with a pulse oximeter. Seek medical help if your PO drops below 85%
- Young, healthy people should help their parents and grandparents. Go shopping for them. Keep them as active as possible, and make sure they take their nutritional immune support: see my Immunity Deep Dive Parts 1-3 at My2048.com.
- Colloidal silver: Forget Jim Bakker’s scam (selling a bottle of dilute colloidal silver for $120). Here’s the truth. Silver is an effective anti-microbial when it COMES INTO DIRECT CONTACT with microbes. All the wild claims flying around the internet – that it kills every pathogen known to man – are based on experiments where a silver solution was poured on a cell culture in a test tube. This is good information, in that it tells us that colloidal silver (solution or gel) can be effective as a nasal swab and throat gargle. Do not drink colloidal silver thinking that it will travel to remote areas of your body. There is no transport mechanism to do that. Under the care of a health professional, you can also try using a nebulizer to reach the upper airways.
You can buy reliable silver gels and dropper bottles on Amazon or your health food store. While you’re there, pick up a bottle or tube of aloe vera gel. Mix ¼ tsp of aloe gel with a dropperful of colloidal silver and swab the inside of your nostrils with a cotton swab. This will give you some anti-microbial protection and the aloe will help to moisturize the nostrils. One of the reasons we get more colds in the winter is that our nasal passages get dried out, and that limits the mobility of first line immune cells like Immunoglobulin A (IgA).
For those of you watching the stock market.
While that is certainly not my expertise, I am also predicting that the first good news from the CDC will send the markets skyrocketing. Unless you are a seasoned day-trader, I suggest staying out, as this will be followed (after a few short days) by a steep decline as the reality sets in as to just how serious this virus has affected global and national commerce. I don’t see things getting anywhere near “normal” until June.
Onward!
References
- https://www.statista.com/…/coronavirus-cases-by-region-in-…/
- Progressive ordering with decreasing temperature of the phospholipids of influenza virus. Nat Chem Biol. 2008;4:248–255. Polozov IV, Bezrukov L, Gawrisch K, et al.
- Nasal mucociliary transport in healthy subjects is slower when breathing dry air. Eur Respir J. 1988;1:852–855. Salah B, Dinh Xuan AT, Fouilladieu JL, et al.
- https://www.accuweather.com/…/c…/83525/march-weather/2226627