Coronavirus - COVID-19
Dr. Carolyn Messere has some interesting thoughts on COVID-19 and this video with Dr. Duane goes into some of those including;
Why is there so much interest in this?
Who is most affected?
What can you do to avoid it?
Dr. Carolyn is a former colon and rectal surgeon, but is currently practicing functional medicine at LIFEstrength Health Center. Her background in the medical world and education on the natural side of the fence makes her uniquely qualified on this topic.
If you want more information, here are the thoughts from Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh, a pediatrician in California. Dr. Gator is putting on the Integrative Pediatrics Summit that includes world renowned experts, doctors and celebrities and will be airing between May 13th - 17th 2020.
Let’s get personal for a minute here.
Your local supermarket shelves have been cleaned out of bottled water. Hand sanitizer is being auctioned off on Ebay at a premium. Is this the zombie apocalypse foretold by George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead?
No.
The Coronavirus, an upper respiratory infection, with flu-like symptoms, has infected significantly fewer people globally than has influenza.
COVID19 has infected 164 people in the US (as of March 8). It has infected about 100,000 people worldwide and there have been roughly 3500 deaths, mostly in immunocompromised and elderly persons. Putting this in perspective, according to the CDC, influenza has infected over 40 million and killed over 40,000 people in the USA alone this flu season.
But you are probably bored of hearing that comparison. Some people are even angered by it. So let’s make another.
Have you heard of Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV? According to the CDC, there is an average of 57,000 hospital visits a year for children under 5 and 14,000 deaths per year in adults over 65. But you don’t hear about that or the other bevy of infectious diseases that are frequently contracted.
As a physician, I want everyone to stay healthy. I don’t want anyone to contract the coronavirus, or any other virus for that matter. However, media sensationalism and social media have promoted mass hysteria.
Never heard of Coronavirus until this year? Why?
It is nothing new. It is one of the top causes of the common cold. You may have had it already. In fact, yearly, 20% of common colds are attributable to the coronavirus. Others are rhinovirus, RSV, parainfluenza and several others (please don’t use this as an invitation to go down a WebMD rabbit-hole). Yes, COVID19 is a novel strain of coronavirus, but I have not seen any specific evidence that makes me any more concerned about it than many other common viruses. Individuals that are over 65 or immunocompromised should certainly take extra care. And we should all be thoughtful of those that are at greatest risk by taking extra precautions not to contract or spread the disease. But we should be taking precautions anyways. We should be careful not to spread influenza or any other disease as best as we can, always!
Additionally, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this week, mass hysteria is going to raise to a much higher level. The number of reported cases is going to skyrocket.
I have a Master’s in Epidemiology and Public Health and you should be forewarned that there will likely be 1000’s of new cases reported this week. As America starts to test more people for corona, we will find more corona. If we tested this week for rhinovirus, we would also find hundreds of thousands of cases.
Furthermore, it’s important to remember that percentages of negative outcomes can be skewed because the sickest people are the most likely to be tested and confirmed as carrying coronavirus at all.
The majority of cases are asymptomatic or very mild. Coronavirus is not the flu “on steroids”.
The majority of people will never get tested and the proportion of ‘death rate’ will seem more scary than it is (even though I believe the numbers will still not be that scary). This is simple epidemiology.
I assure you, in years prior, there have been thousands, if not millions, of cases of coronavirus that have gone undiagnosed simply because we were not routinely testing for it. Hopefully, now that you have been forewarned, you will somewhat reduce the forthcoming panic of next week’s media coverage.
There is, at least, some good news!
For whatever reason, for the most part, the coronavirus does not seem to be affecting children severely.
The other day, I posted a meme, which received quite a few comments. It read: “Me seeing hand-soap shelves empty in stores, wondering why people haven’t been washing their hands until now.”
And that’s the point. Every year, during flu season, it is important to support your immune system, wash your hands often, and exercise other appropriate precautions. Practice common sense!
Even before this coronavirus/“zombie apocalypse”, I took the same measures to protect myself and my patients and I was no more or less concerned than I am now. In the office, we always fastidiously disinfect all surfaces, wash our hands in between patients, and keep ourselves healthy and strong. Nothing has changed.
Some of the most common natural ways to boost the immune system include (pick a few, more is not necessarily better):
-Vitamin C
-Vitamin D
-Elderberry
-Echinacea
-Omegas
-Probiotics
-Astragalus
-Propolis
-Zinc
-Selenium
-Multivitamin
-Colloidal Silver
-Oil of oregano
-Garlic
-Turmeric
In conclusion, should you be worried?
The answer: no more or less than you are every year during flu season. Please understand, I in no way intend to come across as cavalier. I do feel a responsibility to reduce unnecessary panic, share the actual facts (to the best of my knowledge), and ensure that you and your family take the appropriate precautions. If the statistics change, then I may revisit my position on this. At this time, I am taking daily immune support, exercising, eating well and minimizing stress.
Find more about Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh at his website; Integrative Pediatrics and on Instagram.