I look forward to the time when I can write about something other than the COVID-19 coronavirus! But until then, I will continue to help you to prevent catching it and recover if you do.
Coronavirus vs H1N1
I’m going to compare these two, because H1N1 was also a pandemic. H1N1 took about a year to FULLY run its course, but the worst was concentrated into a few months. I’m using statistics regarding the US, estimated by the CDC after H1N1 had fully run its course:
H1N1: 60.8 Million cases
274,304 Hospitalizations
12,469 deaths
Coronavirus: 1,339 confirmed cases
38 deaths
Of course, these coronavirus stats will change as the next few months move on, but the trajectory of illnesses and deaths is slower than H1N1.
Hysteria does NOT help!
Folks, the media’s job is to make people as freaked out as possible, so they will tune in regularly. As the years have gone on, this has been augmented by social media. The result is hysteria which includes these 2 crazy results- Many people now refuse to drink Corona beer (I am not making this up!). And yesterday, one of my clients who has a friend with a daughter at Princeton University reported that one girl’s parents sent 2 people in Haz Mat suits into the girl’s dormitory to extract their daughter. As you can see, this is out of control and helps nothing.
Know the facts
The vulnerability factors per the medical community include people with health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung weakness like asthma or smoking cigarettes, and the older you are (past age 60), your risk increases.
The vulnerability factors, per naturopathic principles include lack of regular, moderate exercise, poor diet (fast food, junk food, processed food, not enough veggies), inadequate sleep (adults need 7-8 hours and children 10-12 hours), a Vitamin D level below 60 on a blood test, high stress levels, exposure to electromagnetic fields (especially in your sleeping environment) and chemicals that lower immune function, including those in commercial hand sanitizers. Go to Environmental Working Group’s website to check your cleaning and personal care products. Stick with those rated A or B.
Rationality, knowledge and positive actions are called for
Medical facts re the spread of the virus: introducing the actual droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze into your own nose or mouth is how the virus is spread. It can live on surfaces for 7-9 days, so even if no one directly coughs close enough that you breathe the droplets, you can introduce it to yourself by touching a surface that contains it, then touching your own nose or mouth. Hand washing for 20 seconds does the best job at removing the virus from your hands. Hand sanitizer is better than nothing, but not nearly as effective as hand washing.
Medical advice for prevention includes frequent hand washing, avoiding touching your nose or mouth, wearing latex or nitrile gloves or using hand sanitizer when in public areas and touching things that others might have contaminated.
A word about hand sanitizer
As I mentioned, commercial hand sanitizers have chemicals that act like pesticides and can reduce your immune system by destroying the friendly microbes in your body. If you used it once in a blue moon, you could handle it, but the constant use folks are doing now is not advised, naturopathically. Here’s a better solution: 1 oz aloe or witch hazel, 2 oz golden grain alcohol and 30 drops lavender essential oil. You can add 10 drops of tea tree oil, if desired. Shake and spray on hands or surfaces, like grocery cart handles, etc. Or use the simpler version below.
When the H1N1 virus had schools with over 50% absentee rates, one of my staff who also worked as a teacher’s assistant, was very sensitive to commercial hand sanitizers and couldn’t use them. She used what we always use in the office- 30 drops of lavender oil in a 3 oz spray bottle filled with water. She not only sprayed her own hands, but lined up the kids twice a day to spray their hands, and also sprayed their desk areas. When the virus was at its peak, the principal came to her room to find out what in the heck was going on. She had no absent kids in her class! And some of her kids even had siblings in other classes who were out sick! Proving the power of lavender oil!
Final word
Check my previous blog for vitamin recommendations to protect yourself. Keep your basics of good sleep, nutrition, water and exercise in. And for heaven’s sake, don’t join the hysteria! Know the facts and act rationally to keep yourself well.
