COVID-19: How to Prepare for the Emerging Threat

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Posted on March 3, 2020 in General Health, Seasonal Wellness

As you well know, COVID-19 is highly contagious and in approximately 3-4% of cases, deadly. As expected, certain populations are at greater risk, including the very young, the elderly, and those individuals who are currently immunocompromised.

While COVID-19 has not previously been identified in humans, its viral cousins have been around throughout human history. Given that we have persevered through many iterations of this threat, it would be prudent to forgo panic and focus on time-tested strategies that have served us well in the past.

While we may not have a natural immunity to COVID-19 specifically, it is possible to improve our immune potential if exposed to the virus.

The essential nutrients:

Vitamin D3

  • 400 to 3000 IU for children
  • 2000 to 5000 IU for adults

Values should not exceed more than 35 IU per pound of body weight for more than a few weeks.

Vitamin C

  • 250 to 500 mg for children 2 times per day
  • 500 mg for adults up to 3 times per day

Zinc

  • 10 to 15 mg per day for children
  • 30 to 75 mg per day for adults

Values should not exceed the Recommended Daily Intake [RDI] for more than 7 days.

Botanicals

Andrographis

  • 300 to 600 mg daily for children
  • 600 to 1200 mg daily for adults

Elderberry

  • ½ teaspoon 1 to 2 times daily for children
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons daily for adults
    OR
  • 150 to 300 mg extract daily for adults

In addition to these supplements, care should be taken to maintain normal body temperature, stay well hydrated, and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

And don’t forget to wash your hands!

Is it a Cold, Flu or Coronavirus?

It can be hard to tell the difference. Below are the common symptoms compared as well as the prevalence of symptoms based on WHO and CDC data.

Image source: BBC, accessed 9/18/2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54145299

For the latest CDC information, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

About the Author

Joel Hall

Coastal Pharmacy & Wellness Staff

At Coastal, Joel is our go-to guy for anything related to supplementation and the complex role nutrients play in every bodily function. Although he may be reserved, helping people find their way to optimal health drives what he does. If you see him staring intently at his computer screen, he’s most likely researching something that most of us can only partly understand. He loves sharing his accumulated knowledge and spends as much time as necessary to explain things in a way to help you make good health decisions. He's been working in the wellness arena since the early 2000's and has been in the pursuit of nutritional knowledge since way before that. You can find him behind the wellness desk Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information read our profile on Joel.

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