Delta Is now Dominant Variant In U.S.
I routinely reach out to friends and colleagues, infectious disease doctors, internists, hospitalists, and others on the front lines battling COVID19 at hospitals across the U.S. The news as you know isn’t good!
These doctors are reporting a massive uptick in cases and hospitalizations including some vaccine breakthrough cases.
The new Delta variant is a real beast of a virus.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, several variants of the virus have emerged. But the one named Delta is now the most severe of them all. This highly contagious variant was first identified in India in December 2020. Within six months, it spread to 85 countries. Now it’s in all 50 of the United States, where it’s become the dominant strain.
Delta is potentially “more lethal because it’s more efficient in the way it transmits between humans and it will eventually find those vulnerable individuals,” says Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program.
CDC director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing late July that the Delta variant is “more aggressive and much more transmissible” than other strains of COVID-19, per The Washington Post. She also called it “one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know of and that I have seen in my 20-year career.”
The delta variant is the most contagious version of the coronavirus worldwide. It spreads about two to three times faster than the original version of the virus, and it’s currently dominating the outbreak in the United States, responsible for more than 80% of COVID cases.
A new study, published online this month, sheds light on why. It finds that the variant grows more rapidly inside people’s respiratory tracts and to much higher levels, researchers at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
In addition, after someone catches the delta variant, the person likely becomes infectious sooner. On average, it took about four days for the delta variant to reach detectable levels inside a person, compared with six days for the original coronavirus variant.
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus COVID-19 is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
The coronavirus gets its name from the crown-like spikes on its surface, according to the CDC. (Corona is Latin for crown.) Including the newly identified form of the virus, there are a total of seven coronaviruses that can infect humans, the CDC says.
Whether you’re vaccinated or not, here are the natural recommendations I’ve previously shared with my patients and blog readers.
The following supplements are what my family, patients and I take on a regular basis.
These supplements are recommended to help boost the immune system or optimize pulmonary function.
Over The Counter Supplements For Prevention And Treatment
N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)
From PubMed
“N-Acetylcysteine, a Forgotten Immune-Modulating Agent
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor of the antioxidant glutathione, has been used to loosen thick mucus in the lungs and treat acetaminophen overdose for decades. However, NAC can also boost the immune system, suppress viral replication, and reduce inflammation.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649937/?fbclid=IwAR2TakWyIwq5YCc_I18JsI9Ba6V81JaSDqkMRpVJBBOB8WX19KipSU2mabk
I take NAC on a daily basis to help with seasonal allergies and to prevent periodic asthma symptoms. Since the Corona Virus has an affinity for attacking lung tissue it makes sense to give NAC a look.
N-acetylcysteine – has been shown to reduce the frequency and/or severity of influenza, cystic fibrosis and COPD. It is available as a supplement. In view of the potential benefit it is worth consideration as a prophylactic measure against coronavirus respiratory illness.
NAC supplements can help those suffering from a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which causes long-term oxidative damage and lung tissue inflammation, causing airways to constrict and inducing shortness of breath and coughing. NAC supplements have been used to improve COPD symptoms, exacerbations, and lung decline.
Studies have shown that that NAC may help treat bronchitis symptoms by thinning mucus in bronchial tubes and increasing Glutathione levels. It can decrease the rate and intensity of wheezing, coughing, and respiratory attacks.
Other studies have shown NAC might help treat other lung and respiratory tract conditions like cystic fibrosis, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis, in addition to symptoms of nasal and sinus congestion due to allergies or infections.
We get cysteine ordinarily by consuming protein, the stuff that builds our muscles and is found in meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs, and beans. The extra cysteine has many valuable uses, including supporting the immune system and lung health.
NAC boosts one of the body’s main antioxidants: glutathione. It’s sometimes used to reduce cough and mucus in people with lung diseases.
I’m recommending 500mg of N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) twice a day for prevention.
Elderberry and Quercetin
Once the Corona Virus enters human cells, it produces damage and spread to other cells by creating an enzyme called 3CL protease. Although several enzymes may be involved in viral replication and spread, 3CL protease is the most important for the corona virus family. The 3CL protease enzyme has been called “the Achilles heel” of corona virus and is the subject of new anti-viral drug development. Some dietary flavonoids inhibit 3CL protease in laboratory studies and for that reason may limit severity of infection. Elderberry fruit (Sambucus nigra) and Quercetin inhibit the viral enzyme 3-CL protease and have been shown to inhibit corona virus activity in cells.
Quercetin
Quercetin is a type of flavonoid antioxidant that’s found in plant foods, including leafy greens, tomatoes, berries and broccoli. It’s technically considered a “plant pigment,” which is exactly why it’s found in deeply colored, nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables.
It’s been shown in dozens of studies to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities.
According to the Department of Pathology and Diagnostics at the University of Verona in Italy, quercetin glycosides and other flavonoids, are “anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic agents.”
Recent in vitro studies have demonstrated that quercetin acts as a potent antiviral agent by inhibiting viral replication of several respiratory viruses, including influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, and rhinovirus.
In one study, quercetin inhibited influenza A virus replication in the laboratory more effectively than the anti-flu drug Tamiflu®.
For the same reason I take NAC, I take Quercetin. These two nutrients help protect my lungs. And Quercetin is great for allergies. It blocks the allergic response at several points. It suppresses the actions of immune system cells, reducing the amount of the substance called histamine, that accounts for itchy skin, watery eyes, and (more dangerously) loss of blood pressure during serious allergic reactions. Quercetin also impairs the function of certain cell types that lie at the heart of the allergic and autoimmune processes.
Quercetin blunts the allergy-like components of the asthma response. It reduces the number and activation of inflammatory immune system cells, cuts histamine levels, and relaxes airway smooth muscle.
In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic inflammation, oxidant stress, and physical damage to the lungs conspire to obstruct airflow. In severe cases, the walls between alveoli (tiny air sacs) break down in the condition known as emphysema, that results in wheezing, labored breathing, and eventually heart disease.
Quercetin in laboratory studies opens up COPD-inflicted airways. It restores normal elasticity of lung tissue and reduces inflammation.
Quercetin is normally taken as 400-600mg twice a day LEARN MORE
Melatonin and the Coronavirus
Melatonin best known for its role in circadian rhythms and is used as an over the counter popular sleep aid. Research has shown that melatonin has far more widespread applications, including boosting our immune systems.
Melatonin has been found to inhibit the action of an inflammatory chemical known as NLRP3 – one of the primary chemicals involved in the exaggerated immune response seen in critical Coronavirus cases.
Melatonin’s ability to suppress the activation of NLRP3 has been found to:
- Reduce severe inflammatory responses
- Lower production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (chemicals)
- Lower infiltration of immune cells into lungs, helping to prevent swelling
- Reduce lung tissue injury
Vitamin C and the Coronavirus
Vitamin C – Vitamin C is perhaps the number nutrient your body needs to prevent and counter the COVID-19 virus!
Vitamin C is the most abundant water-soluble vitamin antioxidant in plasma and tissue, and one of the most important vitamins. Unfortunately, unlike 4,000 other species of mammals who can manufacture vitamin C, humans cannot. And we can only store about a 30-day supply. Therefore, it’s absolutely necessary to get vitamin C from our diet on a daily basis. During times of stress your body requires extra vitamin C. Low levels of vitamin C can result in impaired immunity leading to an increased risk of infection. And to make matters worse, infections require us to need more vitamin C.
This can become a vicious cycle.
Ascorbic acid is required for the maturation of and stimulation of important immune boosting white blood cells including, T lymphocytes, blood cells that help protect the body from infection.
Vitamin C helps protect the lungs from inflammation and oxidative damage.
I recommend you begin now and take an extra 3-4 grams of vitamin C each day. At the first sign of infection increase your dose adding additional vitamin C 2-3 grams every few hors until you have a loose bowel movement. Then reduce your dose to bowel tolerance.
I recommend you begin now and take an extra 3-4 grams of vitamin c each day. At the first sign of infection increase your dose adding additional vitamin C 2-3 grams every few hours until you have a loose bowel movement. Then reduce your dose to bowel tolerance.
- Probiotics – Probiotics are essential for a strong immune system.
This may be due to the role of microbes in our natural defense mechanisms. Humans have a built-in security system called SIgA (secretory immunoglobulin A), which is present in mucosal membranes that line, for example, the nose and upper respiratory tract as well as the gut. SIgA helps prevent cold and u viruses from entering the system. Based on experimental studies, probiotics may provide antiviral effects with two mechanisms: directly in probiotic-virus interaction or via stimulation of the immune system.
Older adults especially benefit from a long-term use of an oral blend of probiotics including Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium lactis, which enhance secretory immunity and increase IgA antibodies and help reduce the risk of respiratory infections.
I recommend you begin taking a probiotic on a daily basis. Start now to help prevent a viral infection.
- VITAMIN D – Vitamin D is central to the body’s immune system.
Low levels of vitamin D are associated with increased risk and prevalence for infections in multiple studies.28 In one study among 19 000 subjects, people with lower vitamin D levels were more likely to suffer from upper respiratory tract infections.29 A 2012 study found that giving young children 1 200 IU of vitamin D a day reduced the risk of influenza.
Several systematic reviews of daily vitamin D supplementation have shown it to be protective against respiratory tract infections (RTIs). If you’re already taking vitamin D3 THERE IS NO NEED TO INCREASE YOUR DOSE. If you’re not taking vitamin D3 start now and take 5,000iu a day.
- ZINC – Use at this first sign of infection! Keep on hand to make sure it is available!
Zinc acetate and zinc gluconate lozenges have been shown to inhibit cold viruses from latching onto the cells and shorten the duration of the u. Lozenges are beneficial only in the early stages of infection. The optimal dose according to studies is 75–90 mg per day divided into multiple doses given 2–3 hours apart. Best results are gained when started within 24 hours of symptoms.52 Do not exceed 100 mg of zinc per day for up to two weeks. Avoid nasal sprays, as they might cause a lingering loss of smell Perception.
Regular use of zinc may reduce the incidences of flu, especially in children. According to studies in children, regular use of zinc can prevent the flu.
ESSENTIAL THERAPEUTICS VIRA FORMULA
Echinacea (Purple coneflower) Echinacea is one of the most popular herbal medicines in the United States and Europe. In 1994, German physicians prescribed Echinacea more than 2.5 million times. There are over 200 journal articles written about Echinacea. This herb is from the sunflower family and can be seen in many perennial gardens across the United States. Echinacea is thought to stimulate the immune system by increasing the production of and activity of white blood cells, especially natural killer cells (NK cells).
Today, people use echinacea to shorten the duration of the common cold and flu, and reduce symptoms, such as sore throat (pharyngitis), cough, and fever. Doctors and herbalists also recommend echinacea to help boost the immune system and help the body fight infections.
A review of 14 clinical trials found that echinacea reduced the odds of developing a cold by 58% and the duration of a cold by 1 to 4 days.
Numerous clinical trials have been carried out on echinacea preparations: it appears that the extracts shorten the duration and severity of colds and other upper respiratory infections (URIs) when given as soon as symptoms become evident.
Essential Therapeutics Vira Formula is a potent combination of Echinacea, Astragulas, Goldenseal, and Olive leaf extract-recommend my patients use Essential Therapeutics Vira Formula as a preventative for cold, flu, sinus, or upper respiratory infections: take one twice a day and double dose for 10 days at first sign of infection. Astragalus membranaceus.
Chinese herbal is used to treat a wide variety of viral infections. Clinical studies in China have shown it be effective when used on an ongoing basis against the common cold.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis)
Goldenseal is a perennial herb native to eastern North America. This herb has shown to be a potent immune stimulator. It increases the blood flow to the spleen and increases the number and activity of macrophages. Macrophages are released in response to foreign substances that invade the body. These white blood cells roam around the body destroying unwanted bacteria, viruses, yeast, and tumor cells.
Getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and keeping a positive state of mind are all power allies in a healthy immune system.
Along with taking the right supplements to help prevent infection or reduce the symptoms and complications of infection, I recommend eating a health wholefoods diet, limiting simple carbs, starches, additives, alcohol, and sugar.
A toxic body or a toxic mind offers fertile ground for infections.
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- Easy to follow diet, SAFE, gentle protocols (NO harsh chemicals or supplements, cleanses or purges!).
- By simply changing your diet and adding a couple of inexpensive over the counter supplements (optional), you can dramatically reduce your toxic load.
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