Coronavirus is not an illness from drinking beer.
Someone the other day said to me that Coronavirus was an illness from drinking beer with a lime. Right. We are so overwhelmed by sensationalism in our news stories and panic that clowns are on killing sprees that we don’t really have all the facts. And if there is one thing Americans seem to do, it’s making decisions and stating facts when we have none. The only way to prevent the Coronavirus is to treat it like any other virus, so let’s learn a little bit about this.
What is This Coronavirus
Coronavirus is a new viral strain that originated in a seafood market in Wuhan, China, thought to be due to the illegal selling of wildlife and exotic animals. This virus is similar to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak of 2003 and the MERS outbreak first identified in the Arabian peninsula in 2005 and later in South Korea in 2015. Both of these illnesses continue to circulate the globe today but in very tiny numbers. For instance MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome) has had a reported 2,499 cases since it’s outbreak while SARS has had 5,327 cases. Both of these are Coronaviruses.
The new Coronavirus has not yet been named and carries the moniker 2019-nCoV (the “n” is for Novel) but I’m sure it will have a catchy name down the road. The biggest difference is that this virus is spreading so fast with more than 28,000 cases worldwide at this moment and more than 500 deaths, almost all of which are in China. So let’s look at this virus a little more closely.
nCoV does not show symptoms for up to 14 days after exposure, which means that someone can walk around in their normal life without even knowing they are sick and all the while pass it on to other unsuspecting people. So the contagious period is even during this initial time without any symptoms. The symptoms are similar to the flu with a fever and a cough, but it isn’t until a week or two later that more severe symptoms begin of shortness of breath and respiratory distress. These are the symptoms that have brought people to the hospital. Deaths have occurred much like most viruses, among the elderly and people with pre-existing immune conditions. It is very easy for pneumonia to set in due to the poor respiration and the viral presence which just complicates things.
The Asian Palm Civet is often the victim of people seeking to try Civet Coffee
Zoonosis Viruses
But the Coronavirus is just the latest in a spreading phenomenon known as “zoonosis” which is an illness that spreads from animals to humans. This is not a casual transmission as the animal runs past you, this is contact with their saliva, blood, flesh, feces or an intensive airborne environment. The fact that this virus originated in a seafood market illegally selling wild animals is not surprising. Many cultures value certain animals for their bodily contribution to perfume, herbal remedies or the dinner table. Many dealers in these animals are underground, illegal or simply tolerated. Because of this status, the animals are generally kept in severely unhygienic conditions with cages stacked on top of eachother and animals defecating on other animals or taking a chunk out of their neighbor. Because these animals will be butchered, the consumers of these animals don’t mind the conditions. They think they will wash the meat before eating and that will be enough.
Coronavirus is a virus that not only is zoonotic it is easily adaptable from animal species to animal species and therefore from animal to human. There are certain species of animals that actually can act as what is known as an “amplifying host” where a virus can replicate at an unprecedented rate and spread much more rapidly. Small mammals are ideal in this capacity such as bats and civets. The presence of an amplifying host just makes the jump to humans more likely. Once it infects humans, then it is just another step to mutate and transmit from human to human and now (per latest reporting) mother to unborn child.
Mutation and Survival
Because Coronaviruses reproduce rapidly they have a high likelihood of mutation with each reproductive cycle. This makes them very adaptable to their human hosts because each time they replicate a mutation will make them some of the virus survive in the host while also adapting the ability to evade your own immune system. The more people that are infected and the more rapidly it spreads, the more insidious the virus will be. But being insidious does not increase the mortality rate. Again, it’s about the host that is infected that determines everything.
One of the reasons that Lyme Disease continues to be a growing problem not just in the US but also in Europe are the coinfections that accompany it. Babesia, Bartonella and Borrelia are a group of coinfections that are zoonotic stealth pathogens that employ various methods of mutation to evade our immune system. Of the 1415 species of infectious organisms that are common to humans, 61% are zoonotic. Most of the emerging diseases that we are facing are, in fact, zoonotic. Viruses and protozoa are the most likely to be the next group of pandemics, as each new strain that begins will quickly spread in ever-increasing waves.
The reason for this increasing threat to our health is not just their adaptability, it’s the changes that humanity has undergone in the last century:
We eat a wider diversity of foods, many from other countries and other areas of our own country, often as a delicacy.
We have invaded and taken over forests, wetlands and many previously uninhabited areas giving us more exposure to animals in the wild.
We have become global travelers not just mixing with other cultures and peoples at sites all over the world, but in the amount of time we spend in confined travel spaces just getting to destinations.
We have become a society dependent on pharmacy drugs which have catastrophically damaged and depleted our own immune system. In the case of Lyme Disease up to 2/3 of infected patients will fail to respond to antibiotic therapy because this is such an outdated therapy compared to the onslaught of modern infectious agents.
Creating Our Own Barrier to Infection
Knowing the incredible adaptability of these viral strains, it makes it clear that the best defense we have are not face masks, not avoiding public spaces, not avoiding an overseas trip, it’s instead creating an internal body environment that is hostile to these viruses.
The first step is to unburden our own immune system, resolve latent infections and maintain the strength of our immune system. This can be done with a cyclical regimen of remedies that combine the power of herbs with the multi-layered approach of homeopathics.
Astragalus, Echinacea Purpurea/Angustifolia, Eleuthero and Cat’s Claw help treat immune depletion.
Rhodiola, Korean Ginseng, Schisandra, Withania are all the perfect choices to help with depleted energy and parasympathetic dominance.
Licorice, Thuja, St. John’s Wort, Astragalus, Eleuthero will help to eliminate chronic viruses.
Oregano Oil, Artemisinin, Myrrh, Andrographis and Phellodendron are essential if you have a history of protozoa infection or any water-borne or mold spore illness.
Myrrh, Wormwood, Stemona, Cloves, Artemisinin and Andrographis are the treatment choices for parasitic issues.
Myrrh, Phellodendron, Oregano Oil, Garlic, Sage and Astragalus are the antibacterial options.
Calcium Lactate (ionized) - this is a highly ionizable form of calcium from whole food which is the most important mineral for immune health, even more than zinc. Calcium has even been shown in studies to decrease the severity of E. coli symptoms and to eliminate strains of mycobacterium tuberculosis. One of the most interesting studies has shown that low levels of ionized calcium was a common factor in critically ill patients and their mortality.
Decongestive Lymphatic Drainage is a key therapy we offer at our clinics because the movement of the fluid system that touches every cell, is an essential part of cleansing the body’s internal environment and also bringing the body’s attention to the various pathogens and infective agents that live in our tissues. This is an important part of unburdening the immune system.
There are certain herbs that have been present for centuries that continue to have therapeutic effects that remain an active force in all current and emerging strains of zoonotic infection. Because animals and plants coexist, they have evolved equally over the centuries. This means that for every animal infection there is a plant that has developed a cure. This is why you will find animals seeking out specific plants when they are ill. It is almost as though they have a built-in blueprint of the healing forces around them.
Herbal remedies have some unique benefits compared to pharmacological drug therapy. Many herbs, such as Goldenseal, have properties that prevent bacteria from developing a resistance, making it effective for every bacteria, every mutation of bacteria, every bacterial infection no matter how insidious. Antibiotic therapy has been dwindling in effectiveness for years where there are strains of bacterial infection that are resistant to all but one antiotic, and it’s only a matter of time…
My Favorite Herbal Options for Illness
I have successfully worked with Lyme disease patients, even years after the initial infection to help resolve chronic, debilitating symptoms. Because of the nature of Lyme Disease and its coinfections, the same concept works for all immune illness including the current Coronavirus. I provide tableted blends of these herbs as well as high grade liquid extracts so that I can create personalized protocols for each patient.
Here are the stars of the show:
Artemisinin Annua is a potent antiparasitic which has been used successfully for all food-borne illness. But it is also a very effective antiviral. It has been shown in studies to be very effective in cases of Herpes viruses such as Epstein Barr and Cytomegalovirus. It has been used in cases of cervical cancer that began with an undiagnosed HPC infection which caused cellular mutations in the cervix. But even more astonishing is the effect of this herb in treating Hepatitis viruses B and C (Pharmacol Ther. 2014: 142, 126-139). This herb has even been shown in randomized controlled trials to quickly resolve clinical symptoms of malaria. There are even promising results of a clinical trial in treating osteoarthritis, which would mean that pathogenic elements may invade and degrade our joint spaces taking advantage of damaged joint spaces.
Echinacea Purpurea & Angustifolia root are key herbs to modulate and improve immune system function. Used for centuries, these two species contain the very best elements to support our immune system. There are hundreds of products using various species, parts of the plant and manufacturing methods, all of which don’t provide the true effects that this amazing plant can give. But get the right one and it can provide the greatest defensive barrier for your body’s health.
Myrrh is an oleo-gum resin from the stem of Commiphora, so it falls into the category of an essential oil. It is antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory and effective in wound care. It seems to work by a direct toxic effect which makes it most effective in short-term cycles of treatment with breaks between. It is a great intestinal herb for issues that are food-borne and has a great healing aspect for any illness that began with water or food.
Licorice glycyrrhizin is one of the best antiviral herbs for herpes simplex encephalitis and influenza A pneumonia. Licorice has a restorative effect on the gut and can also have a positive effect on the adrenal glands where the patient is very fatigued.
Hypericin (St. John’s Wort) may be known for depression, but its true nature is as an antiviral. It is one of the most effective therapies for any enveloped virus such as herpes and HPV. This may also explain how effective it is for neuropathy (even diabetic neuropathy) and depression, because these illnesses may be due to unresolved viral infections.
Phellodendron and Berberine (Goldenseal) have broad spectrum antimicrobial action for bacterial infections, fungi and protozoa. Berberine remains mostly in the gut, making it ideal for any gut-based infections. It also prevents bacteria from adhering to the lining of the body tissues making it easier for the immune system to eliminate them. This is important in the group of pathogens known as Biofilm infections where adherence is a key aspect of infestation. These herbs have also been used very successfully in treating syphilis, an illness that is becoming quickly resistant to many antibiotic treatments.
Garlic cannot be overestimated in its general effects for health and immunity. Garlic extract is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, clears plaque from the arteries, clears the lungs, reduces blood pressure and supports the flora in the gut.
The Conclusion
Creating a vaccine and a drug treatment for every viral strain may make pharmaceutical companies richer, but it will only give us more mutation and stronger resistance among these disease organisms. Instead, supporting our own defenses, creating our own healthy barrier is the best way to prevent all illness. This is a personalized method which is based on your history, your genetics, your lifestyle. Working with a Naturopath is one of the best ways to do this because it is a partnership between your knowledge of your own body and our knowledge of the world of natural treatment.
Only in the last few days has it been splashed across the pages of news outlets that a landmark cancer study has shown that cancers are unique to the individual, that they can be driven by various factors, that they begin years and even decades before they are diagnosed and that effective treatment needs to be personalized and tailored to that patient’s body.
That’s not news to me. We’ve known all of that for centuries and have been working with cancer exactly along those lines. We are way out in front in terms of health and disease treatment.