COVID-19 What you Need to Know. Part 2.
Updated: Apr 7, 2020
Part 1 went over scientific information about COVID-19 otherwise known as SARS CoV 2, transmission rates and virulence. Part 2 is a continuation of exploring the details behind what has been learned from the physicians and scientists who have been at ground zero in China.
Factors Affecting Severity of SARS CoV-2
Contributing factors other than age also contributed to progression of symptoms from mild to severe and critical. The reports from Wuhan revealed that patients with cancer and COPD were the most likely to progress to critical.
Treatments and Management
Randomized studies are not available as this is a new virus but a few promising trials have been completed in China. Most have used antiviral medications in the severe and critical patients. But other treatments have been shown to be effective with fewer side effects.
There was a promising single arm study shown below. No control group was used as this could be life-threatening to the control group. The study used chloroquine which is an antimalarial drug. The results showed a faster and shorter duration of infection. You can see from the slide below that the Chloroquine Group showed 50% improved with only 2% deteriorating to severe.
This next slide is hard to read as it is an unpublished study. But the data shows that of the 120 patients who were COVID-19 positive and took chloroquine for 10 days, 103 participants turned negative.
Chloroquine is very well tolerated with few complications. This medication also controls the cytokine storm which initiates the multi-system organ failure and critical outcome of SARS-CoV 2.
Another very important finding from hospitalized patients in China was the infusion of aerosol Oxygen with the addition of Hydrogen. Hydrogen neutralizes excessive free radicals, is anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis effects and participates in cell signal transduction. Patients who received this treatment had a decrease in shortness of breath.
What about Testing?
The availability of the coronavirus testing in the US is rapidly changing and depends on where you live. According to the CDC, only about 15,000 people have been tested so far. But a new test by Roche has just been approved by the FDA and the company currently has 400,000 tests available for the US market and can manufacture 1.5 million per month.
But until manufacturing catches up with demand, public health services are saving tests for the most critically ill.
If you have any symptoms or start to feel ill, stay home. This is the best method to avoid spreading your illness to others. Isolation should be for 14 days. Wear a face mask if you need to leave isolation.
Listed below is information about testing from the two states where most of my patients live.
North Carolina Call your doctor or local health department to discuss whether you should be evaluated in person and considered for testing. Patients must meet the states criteria to be tested, which evaluates a combination of symptoms and risk factors. Testing is conducted by the North Carolina Laboratory of Public Health and commercial labs. You can find more coronavirus information on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ website.
Virginia Call your health care provider if you are symptomatic to discuss whether you should be evaluated in person and considered for testing. Do not go to your local health department for testing.Your provider will work with your state or local public health department and the CDC to determine if you need to be tested. To be tested at the public health laboratory, patients must meet the state’s criteria, which evaluates a combination of symptoms and risk factors. Alternatively, patients can consider testing at commercial labs, which don’t have set requirements and don’t need an approval from the state department. Results from the state’s public health lab are generally available within 24 hours.For more coronavirus information, visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website.
What can you do now?
Sleep. Getting 7-8 hours of deep and restful sleep is very important.
Hydration. Stay well hydrated with clean and filtered water. Aim for 8-12 glasses a day. Avoid using plastic water bottles.
Nourish your body with bone broth from pastured raised cows or chickens. If vegetarian, then vegetable broth.
Eliminate gluten, grains, sugars, dairy and processed foods. Most of these will increase inflammation. Also best to avoid alcohol and definitely smoking.
Avoid Tylenol or ibuprofen unless your temperature is greater than 102.5. There have been some documented studies showing that these products could worsen outcome.
Supplement from the list. This is not to boost your immune system but to support your immune system and energy pathways. We will post this list in a separate blog.
Seek Treatment. If you are having trouble breathing or feel short of breath, call 911, your doctor or go to the hospital.
We are here to support and help you in any way that we can to navigate through this difficult time. Please call us at 276-235-3205 or email thejohnsoncenter@gmail.com.
