Early home treatment of COVID-19 is essential: it drastically reduces the likelihood of the illness becoming severe and leading to hospitalization or death. For people who are at-risk, especially, it is important to understand the unique characteristics of COVID-19 and get prepared for how to handle this illness.
In this article, I’ll share important information and links about ways to reduce the likelihood of severe illness as well as resources for treating COVID-19 illness at home.
Both Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Need to be Prepared
Knowledge of how to prepare for COVID-19 illness is important for everyone to have, whether vaccinated or not.
It is now clear that COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent people from either contracting or spreading the illness. Furthermore, the vaccines have been shown to be significantly less effective against both the Delta and Omicron variants.
People At Increased Risk
Although COVID-19 is generally a mild illness for young, healthy people, it is also known that there is increased risk of severe illness for people who have any of the following:
Old age
Overweight or obesity
Kidney disease
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Low Vitamin D levels
Although they are at a greater risk of severe illness from influenza, children have extremely low risk from COVID-19 illness.
The Initial Phase of the Illness Can be Deceptive
Many have postulated that COVID-19 is indistinguishable from other colds and flus, yet this is not actually the case in clinical practice. COVID-19 is quite distinct and different from other illnesses in some important ways.
The first few days of COVID-19 illness can be so mild that many people assume they just have a cold.
There is often a ~5-7 day initial phase during which the symptoms are relatively mild.
After the initial phase, the symptoms can become stronger around day 6-8. This does not happen to everyone, but it can be difficult to predict who it will happen to, and sometimes the symptoms can become worse very rapidly.
This illness progression is really important to know about because it is actually best to start early treatment protocols during the initial mild phase.
Treat Every Illness as if it is COVID-19
Because at-home treatment is most effective if it is begun in the early part of the illness, I think it is best to treat every illness as if it is COVID-19.
Why not implement all of the proactive strategies that you can, including the nutraceutical bundle (details below), getting fresh air and sunshine every day, eating more foods that are high in Vitamins C and D, and making sure you have medications that may be needed? If the illness turns out to be just a cold or flu, these same measures will likely still help you recover quicker from your illness anyway.
Get Prepared by Having Treatment Medications and Supplements on Hand Ahead of Time
Early treatment greatly reduces the likelihood of severe illness, so it is best to obtain the medicines and supplements you are likely to need for COVID-19 ahead of time. It may also be useful to have a pulse oximeter on-hand in order to be able to monitor oxygen levels during the illness.
Nutraceuticals
Vitamins D and C can become quite depleted during COVID-19 illness, leading to more severe illness. Nutrition and supplements can help to replenish these vital nutrients. There is more about nutrition for a strong immune system here.
The nutraceutical bundle which is recommended by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is to take the following twice a day during COVID-19 illness:
Vitamin D3 - 5000 IU
Zinc Sulfate - 220 mg
Vitamin C - 3000 mg
Quercetin - 500 mg
At-Home Treatment Protocols for COVID-19
Here are some at-home treatment protocols that have been shown to be effective for COVID-19.
Association of American Physicians and Surgeons has a downloadable early treatment guide here: https://aapsonline.org/CovidPatientTreatmentGuide.pdf
America’s Frontline Doctors has treatment protocols for using medicines such as Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine here: https://americasfrontlinedoctors.org/covid/hydroxychloroquine/treatment-protocols/
Front Line COVID Critical Care Alliance’s protocol relies specifically on Ivermectin for treatment. There is more info here: https://covid19criticalcare.com/
Homeopathic treatment is quite effective at treating COVID-19. This article lists the top 5 homeopathics that have worked effectively in my healthcare practice in treating 130+ cases of COVID19 (as of Fall 2022): https://www.nourishedandnurturedlife.com/post/top-5-homeopathics-for-covid-19
Homeopathic dosing strategies for COVID-19 gives more information on how to use homeopathic remedies effectively for treating the illness.
The Zelenko Protocol relies on Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin: https://vladimirzelenkomd.com/treatment-protocol/
Where to Obtain Medications for COVID-19
Although some of the effective COVID-19 treatments can be difficult to obtain, nonetheless there are ways to obtain these medications and have them on-hand in advance of the illness.
Prescription medications such as Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin can be obtained through the following:
Telemedicine through America’s Frontline Doctors: https://www.americasfrontlinedoctors.org/covid/early-treatment/
Telemedicine through My Free Doctor: https://myfreedoctor.com/
List of providers: https://c19protocols.com/physicians-facilities-offering-early-treatment/
List of providers from Frontline COVID Critical Care Alliance: https://covid19criticalcare.com/ivermectin-in-covid-19/covid-19-care-providers/
Hydroxychloroquine: https://www.mdseller.com/order-plaquenil-online-en.html
Homeopathic remedies are generally available at natural healthfood stores such as Sprout’s, Whole Foods, or Natural Grocer’s, as well as online through Vitacost, Amazon, etc.
Work to Optimize Vitamin D Levels Now
Low Vitamin D levels have been strongly associated with increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death. People tend to become Vitamin D deficient in the winter especially because the sun angle is reduced and there is less skin exposed to sunshine. Darker skin also produces less Vitamin D from sun exposure. You can be proactive by working on optimizing your Vitamin D levels now.
Vitamin D3 can be taken as a supplement, obtained from sun exposure on your skin, and absorbed nutritionally from foods such as organ meats especially, with lesser amounts in clams, salmon, and egg yolks. My family uses extra-virgin cod liver oil as a whole-food Vitamin D supplement. (Whole food supplements have greater absorption than taking specific vitamins alone.)
If you live in the south, sunbathing is a natural and free way to boost Vitamin D levels. (Sunshine is also known to help promote healthy sleep patterns and reduce depression.) Aim to get sun exposure on a significant portion of your skin at least 10-20 minutes per day between the hours of 10am-2pm. Make sure to start with just a few minutes if you don't usually sunbathe, to prevent burning.
If you live above about 35 degrees latitude (which runs through the southern Tennessee and Nevada, as well as Albuquerque NM), the angle of the sun is not strong enough through the winter months to obtain adequate Vitamin D from sunbathing alone.
Prepared and Ready
I hope this information helps you get better prepared to handle COVID-19 illness. Even if you never need to use the supplements and medications you procure for the illness, being prepared and having a plan for how you will handle the illness can give peace of mind.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor or licensed healthcare professional. I am a homeopathic practitioner whose services are considered complementary and alternative by the state of New Mexico. The information contained herein is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.