Health for Life

Antiviral Immune Support (2021)

+1515 more items in Antiviral Immune Support (2021)

Core COVID Protocol This list is by no means complete, but it does include much of what I would consider being the most important core items for COVID. You can definitely add extra items if desired or if needed. For example, even though there are many other very useful botanicals for COVID, such as licorice root, Andrographis, Chinese skullcap, Cordyceps, Traditional Chinese Medicine (e.g. Shuanghuanglian), etc., I haven't included a lot of those because I don't want to overcomplicate things any more than necessary. If I am working on an individual case with specific challenges, I will add in customized ingredients as the situation calls for it. But honestly, in most cases, extra interventions have not typically been necessary. Note: One item in the above list that I might take the time to emphasize is the mushroom/fungus Cordyceps . I have found Cordyceps to be quite helpful when the lungs are very weak and/or slow to recover. I find it is important to use high doses of a fruiting body extract (not mycelium). I use Cordyceps-M by Real Mushrooms: Organic Cordyceps Extract Capsules by Real Mushrooms . My preferred dose of Cordyceps-M when lungs are a focal point is 6 grams per day, or 4 capsules, 3x/day. I do not generally see a need to treat children aggressively, as they typically handle this virus very well. Basic immune support (e.g. vitamins C and D, etc.) are usually fine unless extra symptom relief is required. Most people will not need take ALL of these items. These are options and not everyone will be able to get all or even most of these. Sometimes, though, it's nice to have a big list so that you can start with whatever you have available to you. And if you already have some of these items, it is helpful to have a list so that you know how to take these things for COVID (which does differ in some ways from treating other viruses). Of course, the more things you can do, the better. When treating a virus like influenza or COVID in a high-risk person, I like to employ the "kitchen sink" approach as much as possible, since diverse treatments often create treatment synergy. Still, most people will only be able to (or want to) do a few things. If I am just jumping in on a case, I feel as though the following are very important for pretty much any adult: Vitamin D Vitamin C NAC Zinc Quercetin Phytosome Melatonin (at night) Note that there are dosing differences depending on whether you are preventing or treating . High-dose vitamin D at the onset of illness is proving to be one of the most valuable interventions, with 30,000 IU per day for 7 days almost eliminating the need for ICU admissions. High dosing like this is likely not necessary if vitamin D levels are already in a good range. But almost everyone who is ending up with serious complications from COVID is turning out to be low in vitamin D. Note: It is preferable to have your vitamin D level in the optimal laboratory range ( 60-70 ng/ml ) before you need it to be, since it is harder to raise vitamin D levels once infection and inflammation have set in. Be proactive and try to be consistent with daily vitamin D dosing, and do some testing to make sure your blood level is around 60-70 ng/ml. Vitamin A appears to be possibly more important than originally realized. New research suggests that retinol (vitamin A) is often depleted in severe COVID cases: Retinol Depletion in Severe COVID-19 | medRxiv . Vitamin A is needed for one of our primary immune defenses against COVID: type-I interferon synthesis. From the new research: "In this study, serum retinol levels were found to be low in COVID-19 patients...Retinol depletion and retinoid signaling in COVID-19 cause the immune system to collapse, particularly type I interferon synthesis. Similarly, retinol depletion and retinoid signal impairment cause the destructive inflammatory response of the adaptive immune system." Therefore, measures should be taken to avoid retinol depletion and a poor interferon response during active infection. High doses of retinol (not beta-carotene) for the first 3-7 days could prove very helpful for avoiding a lackluster immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the progression to disease severity. See also: A role for retinoids in the treatment of COVID-19? - PubMed (nih.gov) Vitamin C has shown great efficacy and is used in many conventional COVID protocols all around the world. The key with vitamin C is to take enough and to take it frequently so that blood levels can get and stay nice and high. Regular and inexpensive vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is proving to work very well. Quercetin: A great botanical add-on (which is listed in the document) to the above nutrients is quercetin . It is a powerful antiviral, and as a zinc ionophore (i.e. a substance that is able to assist zinc in getting into the cells), it pairs beautifully with extra zinc and vitamin C. It also appears to help block the spike protein from binding to ACE2 receptors. Much research and a number of clinical trials have been done and are continuing to be done on quercetin for COVID. I prefer to use enhanced-absorption forms of quercetin, such as QuerciSorb (QuerciSorb-SR or QuerciSorb-QR) by Tesseract Medical Research, or Quercetin Phytosome by Thorne Research or Global Healing ("Plant-Based Quercetin" by Global Healing is quercetin phytosome), or Quercetin LipoMicel Matrix by Natural Factors. While QuerciSorb is available on Fullscript, the quercetin phytosome and LipoMicel options are not available on Fullscript, unfortunately, but may be found on my separate Wellevate dispensary: Wellevate Supplement Dispensary . All of these quercetin options are good and you should use whatever is available, though it must be pointed out that most of the research on COVID has been done with the quercetin phytosome, specifically, which boasts a 20x increase in absorption over regular quercetin. Quercetin should be taken as at least 2 capsules 3x/day upon infection. Higher doses may be used if symptoms are severe or if risk is high. Zinc is often used in conventional and alternative protocols alike. At the beginning stages of infection, it is ideal to use zinc in a lozenge preparation in order to slow/prevent viral replication in the naso- and oropharynx regions specifically. For more on the science of zinc lozenges, see the post I have written HERE. Zinc lozenges need to be in precisely the right form (see the preceding link for details). There is only one kind I've found that's actually made correctly, and that's the "Enhanced Zinc Lozenges" by Life Extension Foundation. For some reason, Fullscript does not carry these, but you can find them at the Life Extension website HERE . Unfortunately, there are no other zinc lozenges on Fullscript or anywhere else that fulfill the very specific criteria needed to be a good and efficacious zinc lozenge. Zinc lozenges work differently than non-lozenge forms of zinc. They both have their place in COVID treatment, but for different reasons and by different mechanisms. If you're past 5 days post-infection, the lozenges will probably not provide a whole lot of further benefit since their whole job is to prevent viral replication in the local naso- and oropharynx region, and this only works for the first 2-3 days in the case of a cold, and probably around 5 days in the case of the COVID virus [2021 edit: the viral replication treatment window may be shorter than 5 days -- perhaps around 48 hrs -- with the Delta variant than the initial form of the SARS-CoV-2 virus) . After that, it's still a good idea to take extra zinc, but as a capsule for systemic support and not as a lozenge for local support. The dose of daily zinc should be fairly high while the infection is ongoing (dose while infected should be around 100+ mg per day, which is a lot! Do not continue with high doses indefinitely, however, as this could deplete copper levels over time). Zinc should not be taken in the zinc picolinate form. Choose chelated forms that are well-absorbed and utilized, such as UltraZin Zinc (i.e. Sucrosomial zinc), zinc bisglycinate (this is the zinc listed below in this Fullscript protocol), zinc citrate, etc. The daily amount should be spread throughout the day and preferably taken with a bit of food if possible since zinc can cause nausea if taken on an empty stomach. If using Enhanced Zinc Lozenges in the beginning stages of infection, lozenges should be taken once every 2 hours during wakeful hours. Lozenges will take approximately 30 minutes to fully dissolve, which is by design. For those in middle age or above (or young and at risk for other reasons), I like to use PEA (palmitoylethanolamide) as a safeguard against runaway inflammation (cytokine storm). For more info on this fascinating supplement, see my Facebook post about PEA HERE . Along those same lines, I use SPMs (specialized pro-resolving mediators) for those who are high risk with inflammatory predispositions in order to encourage inflammatory resolution instead of getting stuck in an acute inflammatory insult. The more comorbidities one has (e.g. age, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc.), the more important it is to include extra buffers against runaway inflammation both to prevent a cytokine storm acutely and to prevent post-infectious complications ("long COVID"). Especially for the elderly and/or for those who develop shortness of breath, I use liposomal glutathione . The danger with COVID in elderly or otherwise compromised lungs is probably largely due to redox imbalance (an imbalance between antioxidation and pro-oxidation). Indeed, glutathione is often grossly depleted in the lungs of those at higher risk. See the post I wrote about glutathione and COVID HERE . If there is any shortness of breath, and/or if oxygen saturation starts dropping (everyone at home with COVID should be regularly measuring their oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter. You can get these inexpensively at Walmart, Walgreens, Amazon, etc.), liposomal glutathione should be used. Another important consideration for middle-aged to elderly adults is melatonin . Melatonin prevents over-activation of the "inflammasome" and thus helps to prevent cytokine storm. Adults can take 0.3 to 4 mg preventatively, and then I dose it at 20-50 mg for active infection. I like to use liposomal melatonin (Quicksilver Scientific) for this, as its bioavailability technology is almost like getting an IV at a higher dose that really gets into the cells. Although in a pinch I would use any available melatonin (capsules, tablets, tinctures, etc.). Black Cumin Seed Oil (Nigella Sativa) has been used in at least half a dozen randomized controlled trials so far for COVID. While not all have yet completed peer-review, preliminary results appear to be extremely encouraging. In a pre-exposure prophylaxis (i.e. prevention) study in high-risk patients, black seed treatment reduced the risk of infection by 62% compared to the untreated control group (95.7% of the control group became infected compared to just 36.2% of the group taking black seed). In another study utilizing black seed as an early treatment , risk of death was reduced by 96% and risk of severe disease was reduced by 93%. While 14 people died in the control group, nobody died in the group receiving black seed. And in yet another study , in which a combination of black seed and honey was used for the intervention, viral clearance was faster, mortality was lower, and symptoms resolved sooner. For those taking honey and black seed: -Symptoms were alleviated almost 50% faster (4 days versus 7 days for moderate cases and 6 days versus 13 days for severe cases). -The virus cleared 4 days faster (6 days versus 10 days for moderate cases, and 8.5 days versus 12 days for severe cases). -Better clinical scores by day 6 (resumption of normal activity in 64% versus 11% for moderate cases and hospital discharge in 50% versus 2.8% in severe cases). -Mortality rate was four-fold lower in severe cases (4% versus 18.87%). When considering all of the available research on black seed for COVID so far, the total risk reduction (risk of death, hospitalization, severity, infection, etc.) appears to be about 67%. L-Arginine: Arginine appears to almost completely abolish mortality risk even when given in relatively low doses and even when given late in treatment when respiratory distress and pneumonia have already set in: Effects of adding L-arginine orally to standard therapy in patients with COVID-19: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. Results of the first interim analysis - EClinicalMedicine (thelancet.com) I think that covers some of my more important points. So to summarize, I feel like these are pretty important and foundational for those newly infected: Povidone-Iodine: Using a 0.5%-1.0% povidone-iodine dilution, spray sinuses (or apply 5 drops into each nostril) every 4 hours. Also swish and gargle the same solution every 4 hours. Swish like mouthwash for 30 seconds and then gargle for 30 seconds, and then spit it out. If iodine is contraindicated for you (allergy or hyperthyroidism, etc.), consider using Briotech HOCl in the same manner (see below section on Local Naso-Oral Treatments for more details). Vitamin D: At least 5,000-8,000 IU per day for adults on a daily basis. If no vitamin D has been supplemented regularly for quite some time and/or if no testing has been done recently to show vitamin D sufficiency, I would assume a deficiency and would do a temporary "loading dose" period to get into a healthy range faster: 30,000 IU per day for 7 days, followed by 8,000 IU per day thereafter until well. Vitamin A: 100,000 IU per day for 3-7 days followed by 1-2 drops per day thereafter until well. Vitamin C: See the protocol instructions. NAC: See the protocol instructions. Zinc: See the protocol instructions. QuerciSorb-SR (or -QR): See the protocol instructions. L-Arginine: 2,000 mg twice daily (away from food if possible). Black Cumin Seed Oil: For prevention and treatment, dose according to bodyweight: Up to 175 lbs: 1,000 mg per day. 175+ lbs: 1,500 mg per day. For additional support (and especially for the middle-aged and elderly), add: PEA and/or SPMs: See protocol instructions Melatonin: See protocol instructions Liposomal Glutathione: See protocol instructions. Use especially if there is shortness of breath. If you are an older adult and/or at higher risk, speak to your prescribing physician about implementing FLCCC Alliance protocols as soon as possible in addition to the supplement support described here. Daily Aspirin if not contraindicated for you. Inquire with your physician if unsure. Other add-ons are used on a case-by-case basis. Local Naso-Oral Treatments Also important for prevention and at least reducing viral load is gargling and nasal spraying daily. Diluted povidone-iodine (available at any pharmacy over-the-counter) is capable of killing coronavirus in just 15-30 seconds of contact time (at 0.5% dilution). In one study of asymptomatic COVID patients, gargling with diluted povidone-iodine cleared the virus in 3 days in 100% of cases (by the way, regular Listerine mouthwash also worked pretty well but not as well -- 80% effective). Povidone-iodine is sold (at any pharmacy) as a 10% solution, so to make a 0.5% dilution, simply mix water and povidone-iodine in a 19-to-1 mixture. This mixture is extremely versatile. It makes a great hand sanitizer (that will go on brown but will dry clear and won't stain), you can gargle with it, spray it in the sinuses, etc. If using it as a sinus spray, you can increase the comfort by adding some saline mix powder (like the packets you can get for sinus rinse saline solutions -- also available at pharmacies). 1 packet per 8 oz of solution. Do not spray the sinuses with a greater than 1% povidone-iodine dilution, as this can alter ciliary beat frequency. You can also use Briotech HOCl (hypochlorous acid) in all the same ways (gargling and as a spray), depending on preference and availability. Briotech HOCl is EPA approved for killing coronavirus. It is stronger than bleach but totally non-toxic. It is more expensive than povidone-iodine, but a great option if you want a ready-made non-iodine solution that works. HERE is a link to the Briotech website that also applies a 5% discount code. For a short introduction to HOCl, see HERE . For prevention, gargle with one of the above antiseptics (e.g. diluted povidone-iodine or Briotech HOCl) 2x/day. If infected, spray sinuses (or apply 5 drops into each nostril) every 4 hours. Also, twice-daily sinus irrigation appears to reduce risk of hospitalization and death by over 8-fold compared to average: Rapid initiation of nasal saline irrigation: hospitalizations in COVID-19 patients randomized to alkalinization or povidone-iodine compared to a national dataset | medRxiv This can be done with any sinus irrigation tool that you have available to you -- neti pot, neti squeeze bottle, Navage, etc. You may add 1/2 tsp of baking soda or 1/2 tsp of 10% povidone-iodine to each 8 oz water/saline solution for extra efficacy (in either case, don't forget the saline mix in the water). I have found that doing a full sinus irrigation with povidone-iodine (both 0.5% and 1%) takes away my taste and smell, but this does not occur if I am using these same concentrations as a mere sinus spray into the nose. Many with COVID will lose taste/smell anyway, but I personally did not like how the povidone-iodine sinus irrigation felt. That being said, the above study utilized and compared both povidone-iodine and baking soda in separate sinus irrigation treatment groups (in the concentrations listed), and found both treatments significantly reduced risk. I personally chose to irrigate the sinuses with saline and baking soda 2x/day, and then I sprayed in my nose and did a mouth/throat swish/gargle every 4 hours with 1% povidone-iodine. Early Hyperthermia Intervention for Increasing Interferon Levels If you have been exposed to COVID and/or are just beginning to show symptoms, heating up your core body temperature to approximately 102 °F with sauna use or hot water immersion (water temperature ~106-113 °F) can rapidly increase interferon levels by 10-fold: Is interferon your bodys best weapon against COVID-19? Do not use hyperthermia treatments (hot baths or saunas) if you already have a fever or are very ill. This is a strategy to primarily use during the beginning stages of illness and if fever is not present. Other strategies in the protocol, such as high-dose vitamin A and vitamin C, are also important for robust interferon immune responses. Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP) Breathing Treatments Pursed-lip or modified pursed-lip breathing treatments may be helpful for clearing mucus from lung and airway walls and for opening the lung alveoli to allow for better gas exchange. For at-home PEP therapy, you may try blowing into a spirometer, a balloon, or into a straw that is submerged in some water. Take a breath, and then slowly exhale through the straw for longer than you inhaled, forcing the air from your lungs. Repeat at least 3 times in a row, and perform this exercise at least 3x/day. Mucus should start clearing more easily from the airways and oxygen saturation levels often start improving right away. If you are able to prepare beforehand, you may also use a vibratory PEP mucus clearance device (e.g. Acapella or similar). For converting dry cough into a more productive wet cough, use steam/water vapor inhalation or a nebulizer as-needed. Also try to do several sessions of "nose-only" breathing in a rhythmic, 5.5 second inhale, 5.5 second exhale pattern (1-and-2-and-3-and...etc.). This not only improves cough but also helps to generate more nitric oxide, which is helpful for COVID and for sinus health (see below for more on sinuses). Sinus Infections Many COVID cases have significant sinus involvement. It is important in these cases to use NAC, MuSolve-SR ( or Sinutol Extra Strength by EuroMedica - 1 softgel 3x/day), and Muca Clear OTC (or Mucinex/Guaifenesin from the pharmacy). If you have a history of severe sinusitis, add the TCM Zone formula "Nasal Clearing Formula" (3-4 servings per day). If you have chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and have not had COVID yet, try to enrich your sinus microbiome ahead of time with Lactobacillus sakei probiotics. Use Lanto Sinus probiotic powder and apply directly to the nose/sinuses: Lanto Health | Lactobacillus Sakei Probiotic For Sinus Infections and Sinus Health You may also treat active sinus infections with L. sakei applications to the nose/sinuses, which some find reverses their sinusitis almost right away in some cases. Eating fermented vegetables and gargling the brine (e.g. kimchi brine) can also be helpful. In one study , consumption of fermented vegetables was found to be the most protective variable against COVID mortality: "Of all the variables considered, including confounders, only fermented vegetables reached statistical significance with the COVID-19 death rate per country. For each g/day increase in the average national consumption of fermented vegetables, the mortality risk for COVID-19 decreased by 35.4%. " Lactobacillus sakei is found almost exclusively in fermented vegetables such as kimchi, and it is this particular bacteria that researchers have found to be depleted from the sinus microbiome in CRS sufferers. Moreover, restoring L. sakei to the sinuses protects against pathogen overgrowth and often leads to rapid CRS symptom improvement. Other sinus strategies include: -Try some GENTLE sinus irrigation with a neti pot. EVERYONE with COVID should, if possible, be doing sinus irrigations anyway (see above). Do not apply much pressure if it is the "squeeze" bottle type or the pressure-controlled electronic types, or you can further plug your ears/eustachian tubes. Caution: never use tap water for sinus irrigation -- several cases of Naegleria (brain-eating parasite) have been documented due to sinus irrigation with tap water. Always use distilled, reverse osmosis, or pre-boiled and cooled water. You may add 1/4-1/2 tsp of povidone-iodine OR add half a teaspoon of baking soda to every 8 oz of water/saline for extra risk reduction. See above for more discussion of this. -Do lots of humming! Humming increases nitric oxide in the sinuses dramatically, and often helps with sinus pain and pressure. Nitric oxide is also an antiviral: Strong humming for one hour daily to terminate chronic rhinosinusitis in four days: a case report and hypothesis for action by stimulation of endogenous nasal nitric oxide production - PubMed (nih.gov) I have seen the humming help many times. Hydration and Electrolyte Balance It is important to stay well-hydrated while sick with any infection, especially if fever is present. Electrolyte replacement should also be considered, as COVID is known to cause low potassium levels (hypokalemia). Use Optimal Electrolyte by Seeking Health if extra hydration/electrolyte support is needed (available in multiple flavors, and as either scoops or sachets). Take 1 scoop one or more times per day as-needed. May add additional stevia for added sweetness as desired, along with an extra pinch of salt if very depleted (high fever, sweating, diarrhea). If dehydration is present due to excessive sweating, diarrhea, etc., add a rounded teaspoon of dextrose (glucose powder) per serving to increase water uptake via the sodium-glucose transporters in the gut. I use dextrose powder by Now Foods. Nebulizing Protocols Many doctors are using nebulization protocols with such things as diluted hydrogen peroxide in saline, iodine, hydrogen/oxygen dilutions, etc. Contact me directly for more information about these innovative treatments. Medical Options Talk to your prescribing physician about implementing FLCCC Alliance protocols , with a special emphasis on Ivermectin and other medications as deemed appropriate as soon as possible. If older or at higher risk, see if monoclonal antibody infusions are available in your area. In some states this is offered as a free service for high risk groups, and may reduce risk of hospitalization by around 70%.