Note that the following link is to another approach with pharmaceutical medications.

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URGENT—WHAT TO DO IF YOU BECOME ILL WITH COVID-19. As I stated on the Big Picture page, it is an unforgivable travesty (unethical, malfeasance of epic proportions) that hundreds of thousands of Americans died with covid-19 when there are preventive measures and early interventions that could have saved most all of them. Obviously, stay home and away from people whom you might infect. Fresh air and sunshine are helpful and free. For an enlightened medical view, get the free guide offered by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, A Guide to Home-Based COVID Treatment.  Also, here is a medical journal article where a large number of doctors make a case for early treatment with what we already know while we wait for the gold standard studies. Early action saves lives. The “authorities” on TV are killing people by telling them in effect to “just wait until you are sick enough to justify the $2,000 a day drugs and ventilators.”  Also read HBNshow.com/articles/your-system-is-powerful/, for baseline diet and lifestyle factors that will improve immune function because regardless of interventions, it is your immune system that ultimately defeats the virus. Below are the most important supplements to take right away. Be sure to read about oxygen on the medication page.

Natural prevention & remedies. Although medications can save lives in a crisis, building your body’s ability to take care of itself will serve you well against long term covid effects, against mutations and other pathogens. I should point out that “not proven” is a vastly different thing than “disproven”. The FDA only considers a substance as “proven” if it is (a) a drug, (b) has gone through many years and hundreds of millions of dollars in testing and (c) is not used as a natural alternative to one of their precious pharmaceuticals. Since nutrients cannot be patented, what company would pay for those studies when competing companies would then be able sell it? Furthermore, the FDA would not allow the supplement company to even make claims of benefit that would promote sales.

Fortunately, there is a great deal of basic university science on how various nutrients help the immune system and fight viruses. I’m not saying that makes them “proven remedies for covid-19”. But, as Bill Sardi has coached us, there is much to gain and little to lose by becoming well-nourished in vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc and selenium. For clarity and your convenience, I list specific products and sources. Be sure to read the section on measuring oxygen and how to breathe in the page on medications.

  • Flush Omicron from nose and throat.Because this variant can be stopped before it gets further into the body, read below about using hydrogen peroxide in a nebulizer. Peter McCullough, MD said we can use a netti pot or other system of getting iodine (e.g. betadine 2 tsp in 6 ounces water) into the nasal passages and also to gargle the solution or Listerine (don’t swallow either one). When gargling, go for 30 seconds and allow to get to the part of the throat that is sore.
  • Vitamin D3 take 50,000 IU per day for at least 3 days or until you feel better hopefully in a week or so. (A Spanish study gave what is the equivalent of 100,000 IU the first day and found it safe.) Then taper back to 10,000 over a few days. Yes, these are large doses compared to government guidelines, but there is a lot of science showing that they are safe, and the plan works! Vitamin D aids immune function and helps prevent the inflammatory storm that causes most of the covid deaths. There is no mention yet in the news, but studies are slowly coming in. One study showed that persons with insufficient vitamin D blood levels were almost twice (1.77x) as likely to test positive for covid-19. For a comprehensive discussion of how high dose vitamin D3 can protect you from Covid-19, LINK to a 1-hour YouTube discussion with Jeff Bowles and the National Health Federation. For this short-term emergency use, any brand Vitamin D3 will work but 10,000 IU pills are more convenient and they are available for 5 cents a day on Walmart.com.

This authoritative article by a former Surgeon General and other experts cites a lot of compelling research, Don’t Let COVID-19 Patients Die With Vitamin D Deficiency – We can’t wait for perfect evidence. Also know that the recent randomized controlled trial in Spain (mentioned above) of hospitalized patients showed that vitamin D reduced the risk of ICU admission by 98% and death by 100%.  ICU admission by those receiving the same medication without the vitamin D was 50% with 2-3 deaths. A Boston university study shows that vitamin D cuts the death rate from covid. (See below for prevention supplementation.)

  • Zinc lozenges – Zinc is very important for preventing the replication and spread of viruses. The Wall Street Journal wrote a good article on it, Trump Takes Zinc. Maybe You Should Too. It contains some great information about zinc benefits and links to authoritative sources. (I created an HBN page for this because, otherwise, only WSJ subscribers would be able to read the lifesaving article.) Researchers from Spain reported that patients in hospitals during March and April of 2020 who had low blood levels of zinc were more than twice as likely to die in the hospital. Studies show that zinc in the lozenge form works best for respiratory infections. The total intake for the day should be 75 mg (more than should be taken routinely). LifespanNutrition.com (800-247-5731) has the only lozenge I found that does that so intelligently designed that it contains an ingredient to help get zinc into infected cells where it can stop viral replication. (Better to order now and have them on hand just in case any upper respiratory illness strikes.)
  • Quercetin has antiviral properties but also helps get zinc into cells (one reason for the use of hydroxychloroquine). It has received positive reviews in a number of studies.  It helps prevent the disease, shortens the duration in the infected and reduces hospitalizations. Longevinex has some quercetin and as does my favorite multi,Molecular Multi (800-247-5731) has 50 mg. Jarrow Quercetin (in health food stores) contains 500 mg.
  • Vitamin C – C Vitamin C activates sluggish immune cells and can even be curative when given as an IV. It protects the body from oxidative damage which can even occur when the immune system overreacts. There is growing scientific interest in C for viruses like covid. I take 1,000 mg every few hours if ill. Expert Tom Levy, MD during our 5/22/21 interview suggested 2,000 mg / 3-4 times a day. (Although much higher amounts might be better and IV is ideal.) Check the label, e.g. the Emergen-C brand C powder may contain zinc, which when combined with the more important zinc lozenges, might send you over the recommended daily intake. Formula 216 (833-848-2216) is a good choice for regular use because it allows your body to keep vitamin C levels high around the clock. During active disease you might want to add an other vitamin C supplement.
  • Selenium can help – Among many other benefits, Selenium keeps zinc from being bound up and thereby unavailable. Bill Sardi stated this, “selenium, a trace mineral, prevents viral mutations and has been demonstrated to improve the cure rate by 500%. Also, selenium deficiency is associated with covid-19 mortality. A good choice is Selenium Synergy by Jarrow (available at natural food stores).
  • Resveratrol is amazing. Among the benefits it has regarding the pandemic, resveratrol normalizes immune function, activates vitamin D, helps block attachment of the virus to the cell receptors, helps prevent blood clots and protects the delicate lung tissue and heart. This article tells about other ways resveratrol helps with covid. Read another article about resveratrol’s many other benefits. My choice for a number of reasons (including that it is the only one that has been studied) is Longevinex (866-405-4000)
  • Vitamin B1It appears that the stress and confinement of the pandemic have led people to drink more coffee, tea and alcohol as well as eat more sugary comfort foods. Those things deplete vitamin B1 (also known as thiamine). Insufficiency of thiamine causes symptoms that mimic those of the virus and it can cause nerve and brain damage. A recent study showed the benefit of B1 for hospitalized covid patients.  Read more. I recommend Nerve Guardian (800-247-5731). It is very effective and quite inexpensive.
  • L-lysine. This amino acid has long been appreciated for helping with the herpes virus that causes cold sores and canker sores, but apparently it is also useful for prevention and treatment of covid-19. Bill Sardi has a great article on L-lysine. The daily prevention dose is 500 mg. For treatment, 1,500-3,000 is suggested. Most any L-lysine supplement of 500-1,000 mg supplement will do and can even be found in drug stores. Caution–the 1,000 mg tablets are quite large.
  • Andrographis. I have long recommended the herb Andrographis paniculata in my Colds and Flu remedy kit (the article also discusses the antiviral benefits of other plants) because of its historic reputation for helping with upper respiratory conditions. Modern science is backing up that value as shown in this analysis. Recently, this investigation looked at the potential for it to help with covid-19. Andrographis is available in most health food stores.
  • Melatonin. You may be familiar with this over-the-counter hormone as an aid for sleep and jet lag. If you have ever tried to get healing rest in a hospital, you can imagine a benefit at least in that regard but also a lot more. This Mercola article reviews the shockingly positive research. Read about how even one night of poor sleep inhibits immune function. Melatonin is also an antioxidant and has been extensively studied for cancer. Doses range from 1 mg to 10 mg (10 is the therapeutic dose in research) 3-5 is typically used and most brands are fine. A sublingual is convenient. (Maybe take it an hour before bed to give it time to work.
  • For covid-19 and other respiratory distress. Please consider using hydrogen peroxide in a nebulizer. Get the protocol specifics and more ideas in an article by Tom Levy, MD. He discusses a colleague’s several spectacular covid cure results using nebulized hydrogen peroxide. He is also offering his amazing book, Rapid Virus Recovery, for FREE. The machine is available in drug stores. (Note: not surprisingly mainstream medical practitioners do not approve of this method and Colorado Medical board censured Dr. Levy for spreading what they claim is “misinformation”, They stick to the government party line and censor those with other ideas. Never mind that he has witnessed cures with this method.) There are inexpensive ones at Walmart, and on Amazon. I have used mine multiple times after possible exposure. To make it even more effective, you can add a few drops of Lugol’s liquid iodine. (It is made for internal use, the drug store first aid type is not.) You can also add colloidal silver. Diluting the drug store 3% H2O2 makes it more tolerable and still works. E.g. 1 tsp of H2O2, plus 2 tsp of water and something like 3 drops each of silver and iodine. That should kill anything!
  • Clots are a concern. Natural substances that help with abnormal clotting are fish oil, resveratrol (e.g. Longevinex) and the enzyme supplement nattokinase (in health food stores) which is similar to the emergency clot busting drug streptokinase.Don’t wait for breathing problems to start.
  • Glutathione is the body’s natural master antioxidant and detoxifier. Supplemental glutathione supports the mitochondria (cellular energy source) and combats the fatigue after effects of covid. The amino acid NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) is a precursor to glutathione, so that is one approach. The Glutathione supplements are not well absorbed except in the expensive liposomal form. My favorite way to boost glutathione is to take the probiotic strain, ME3 which manufactures it in the intestines.

PREVENTION. Prevention is far better than trying to cure anything. In addition to (not instead of) the standard advice about distancing, masks and hand washing, these supplements will help a great deal. (Unless noted otherwise, the sources are the same as those listed with above under treatment.)

  • Vitamin D. Blood levels should routinely test at least 70-100 ng/ml, not the pitiful 20-30 ng/ml often shown as “normal” on test reports. Achieving optimum levels typically takes daily doses of D3 in the 8,000-10,000 range. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and administration spokesperson admitted during one interview that he takes 6,000 IU of D per day. For the long term, it is important to also take vitamin K2 . That is because D3 increases calcium uptake into circulation and the vitamin K gets the calcium into the bones rather than allowing it to hang around causing trouble in the blood vessels. Now Foods makes a spray combination that is balanced in D3 and K2, it is highly absorbed and easy to dose. Ask your natural food store to get it or you can find it online. Save money with powdered nutrients. If you want to try that, they are available on vitaspace.com.
  • Zinc. It is good to take about 30 mg a day routinely. I think the best way to get 30 mg in an easy to absorb form is to take Molecular Multi from LifespanNutrition.com (800-247-5731). (It also contains other nutrients we need and is the best multi I have ever found.) If you are happy with your multi and need extra zinc, T-cell zinc™ is a unique form that supports the thymus gland. (The thymus gland produces Tcells which provide long term immunity to covid-19 and other pathogens.) T-cell Zinc is available from Longevinex.com. 866-405-4000. Again, when sick the lozenge form mentioned above is better temporarily. My advice about supplemental zinc: for routine daily supplementation, get 30 mg of a good form of zinc along with many other important nutrients by taking Molecular Multi.
  • Vitamin C – Because vitamin C quickly washes out of the body, I think it is smart to take Formula 216 for routine daily use. This unique formula protects you with C around the clock and encourages the body to make more when there is a stress. This is based on new science and no other product does that. At Formula216.com, 833-848-2216. Otherwise, vitamin C expert Tom Levy, MD suggests a daily intake of 4,000-8,000 spread throughout the day.
  • Vitamin B1Head off problems discussed above by taking vitamin B1 before you get ill. If you take Molecular multi, you are covered. If not, add Nerve Guardian to your regimen.
  • L-lysine. As noted above under treatment, this amino acid has long been appreciated for helping with the herpes virus that causes cold sores and canker sores, but apparently it is also useful for prevention and treatment of covid-19. Bill Sardi has a great article on L-lysine.
  • Magnesium. Magnesium isn’t a supplement specifically for covid prevention, but both zinc and vitamin D need it. It is also important for hundreds of other reasons. Avoid magnesium oxide because it is poorly absorbed and has a strong laxative effect. There are a number of better magnesium types.Consider magnesium threonate. It is probably best to start no higher than a 400mg per day dose (of elemental magnesium to avoid a loose stool.
  • Melatonin. This Mercola article reviews the shockingly positive research for prevention and treatment.
  • Probiotics. Remember that 70% immune function is in the gut. Viruses can hang out there waiting for opportunities. My choice is Ohhira’s Probiotics. (Sprouts, Whole Foods and most health food and online stores carry it.)
  • Dandelion Leaf herb has been shown in a laboratory study to block the SARS Covi-2 spike protein from entering lung cells. Not a proven strategy yet, but since Dandelion is safe, this is interesting and low risk.
  • Brushing your teeth with the original yellow Listerine is helpful and/or follow Dr. McCullough’s iodine nasal flush / gargle protocol to get the virus where it hangs out.

UNDERLYING CONDITIONS. We have heard that these increase risks from covid-19. They are all the things that we talk about on the radio show: diet, sleep, exercise, hydration, even detoxification because they damage cell membranes. In this library are nutrient protocols for many illnesses.