As of early March 11, 2020, 121,236 people world-wide have caught the Coronavirus known as Covid-19, 4,378 people have died and 66,905 people have fully recovered. Most of those cases, over 80,000 of them, have occurred in China. 105 plus different countries have confirmed Covid-19 cases, and the USA ranks 8th in terms of number of cases. The number of confirmed cases in the US has risen to 754 and 28 of those people have died. 15 people who were infected with the Covid-19 virus have fully recovered as of today’s writing. What are the symptoms of COVID-19 and what should you be doing to protect yourself and your family? According to the World Health Organization, “The most common symptoms are fever (88%) and dry cough (68%). exhaustion (38%), expectoration of mucus when coughing (33%), shortness of breath (18%), sore throat (14%), headaches (14%), muscle aches (14%), chills (11%) are also common. Less frequent are nausea and vomiting (5%), stuffy nose (5%) and diarrhea (4%). Running nose is not a symptom of Covid.” The virus appears to be most difficult for people over the age of 50 and for those who have pre-existing health issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer. Children and people who are less than 50 years old are not much more likely to get seriously ill with the Covid virus than they are with the flu. So how does Covid-19 spread? According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the virus is thought to spread mainly person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The CDC believes that such spread only occurs between people in close contact with each other, about 6 feet or less apart. The CDC warns that “It’s likely that at some point, widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur.”
What else can you be doing to protect you and your family? According to the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, elderberry is one of the top ten antiviral agents Mother Nature makes available to all of us. Other antivirals to consider are echinacea, garlic and green tea. Following the adage “we are what we eat”, now is also a good time to make sure that your diet contains plenty of brightly colored veggies and fruits as those are loaded with anti-oxidants and to lay off processed foods and sugar too. In addition to making sure your diet is as healthy as it can be, do what you can to make sure you get plenty of sleep and exercise and then go about your life as you normally would. If you get sick, stay home, and avoid contact with other sick people. But most importantly, in the words of the British Government preparing for World War II, “Keep calm and carry on”.
As with most illnesses, prevention is key. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. The CDC recommends the following preventive actions to help prevent the spread of Covid-19: • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. • Stay home when you are sick. • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. • Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a face mask. The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of face masks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility). • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
As you may have heard, there has been a run on hand sanitizer and it’s hard to find in stores. Even Amazon shows most hand sanitizers as sold out. The good news is that it is easy to make your own hand sanitizer at home for pennies. Here’s the recipe:
Home-Made Hand Sanitizer
Ingredients
- 2/3 Cup Rubbing Alcohol (at least 90% alcohol)
- 1/3 Cup Aloe Vera Gel
- 8-10 drops essential oil for optional fragrance, such as lavender, vanilla, peppermint etc…
- Mixing Bowl
- Spoon
- Funnel
- Mini Travel Size Bottles
Directions
- Mix the rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel and essential oils together in the bowl until well combined. Use the funnel to pour the ingredients into any travel sized or portable bottle. If you have some hand sanitizer bottles laying around the house, just reuse those!
What else can you be doing to protect you and your family? According to the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, elderberry is one of the top ten antiviral agents Mother Nature makes available to all of us. Other antivirals to consider are echinacea, garlic and green tea. Following the adage “we are what we eat”, now is also a good time to make sure that your diet contains plenty of brightly colored veggies and fruits as those are loaded with anti-oxidants and to lay off processed foods and sugar too. In addition to making sure your diet is as healthy as it can be, do what you can to make sure you get plenty of sleep and exercise and then go about your life as you normally would. If you get sick, stay home, and avoid contact with other sick people. But most importantly, in the words of the British Government preparing for World War II, “Keep calm and carry on”.