Licorice was one of the first compounds researchers discovered was effective against the SARS virus in the lab; it has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Glycyrrhizin is one active compound in licorice with known antiviral activities found to be effective against hepatitis C and the influenza virus.
Licorice is a versatile herb as it also acts as an expectorant, improves digestive health, supports female hormonal imbalances and lends adrenal support.
Read moreMost COVID-19 patients have more than one underlying health issue. A study looking at 5,700 New York City patients found 88% had more than one comorbidity. Only 6.3% had just one underlying health condition and 6.1% had none.
Obesity also makes you more vulnerable to infectious diseases by lowering your immune function. Elevated blood glucose levels appear to play a significant role in viral replication and the development of cytokine storms. The real pandemic here appears to be dysregulated glucose metabolism; in other words, insulin resistance.
Read moreBeing healthy and having a robust immune system is your primary defense against COVID-19. Aside from old age, people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are at increased risk of complications from the disease, and obesity has been found to be the biggest determinant for whether a patient will require hospitalization.
Read moreA diet of ultraprocessed food makes people more susceptible to COVID-19 by causing metabolic dysfunction and harm to the immune system.
Ultraprocessed food increases the risk of obesity, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and gallstones and compromises the gut microbiome.
Read moreThe authors of one study found evidence the risk of COVID-19 is higher in enclosed environments, such as at home or in transportation vehicles. German scientists cultured surfaces in one home where people were infected and did not find any live virus; a follow-up study is planned. Only one outbreak is known to have been passed outdoors.
Read moreThe spread of the novel coronavirus throughout the U.S. has triggered a dispute between doctors and administrative workers. Some doctors caught wearing masks in nonpatient care areas are being suspended and fired.
Administrators and department heads are concerned that consistently wearing masks may frighten patients; doctors are trying to reduce the spread of viral infections.
Health care workers are at risk for contracting and spreading the novel coronavirus and flu as they care for patients and interact with each other.
Read moreThe largest hospital system in New York state, Northwell Health, has been giving COVID-19 patients admitted into intensive care 1,500 milligrams of intravenous vitamin C three to four times a day in conjunction with the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the face of the White House coronavirus response team, says life probably will not go back to normal until we have the ability to vaccinate the entire global population against COVID-19.
Yet,
Read moreYour immune system is your first line of defense against infectious diseases, and there are many different ways to boost and improve its function.
Zinc is one nutrient that plays a very important role in your immune system’s ability to ward off viral infections, and may play a vastly underrated role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zinc is vital for healthy immune function and a combination of zinc with a zinc ionophore (zinc transport molecule) was in 2010 shown to block viral replication of SARS coronavirus in cell culture within minutes.
Read moreInitial predictions called for 2.2 million COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. alone. According to the latest models, an estimated 60,000 Americans may die from COVID-19 complications.
Some doctors are promoting the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin for seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Apparently, many are seeing good results, although not universally. Some Swedish hospitals have stopped using chloroquine due to severe side effects in some patients.
Northwell Health, New York's largest health care provider, is using vitamin C at its hospitals in
Read moreThe COVID-19 pandemic is raising many questions, with implications that are compounded for those who are pregnant. Talk with your doctor about telemedicine options and prepare for office visits after 24 weeks’ gestation.
Strategies to prevent infection include frequent hand-washing for at least 20 seconds, practicing social distancing and wearing a mask in public. Your immune system is your primary defense against infections; seek to maintain optimal levels of vitamin D, eat foods high in vitamin C and eat nutrient-dense, whole foods.
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for COVID-19 Prevention