I want to take this chance to wish all of you a really happy holiday season. Let’s take some time to enjoy life & family, and bring in some fun and creativity. All of us deserve a break from the constant fear. Let’s turn off the news and schedule activities that uplift us and bring more joy into our lives.

As we all know, Omicron is a new COVID variant. Words often used to describe it are mild and contagious. It might spread very quickly but is crowding out Delta as the major variant. Three new studies have suggested that Omicron is much milder, resulting in a reduction in hospitalizations from nearly half to 80 percent. In South Africa, where Omicron has been studied the longest, the death rate is 1/12th of that at the height of Delta (despite having only about 25 percent of its population vaccinated).  Please remember that mild in medical jargon means that hospitalizations were not required. It does not necessarily mean that being infected will be a symptom free experience.

Omicron is highly contagious and vaccinations and boosters after 10 weeks do not offer significant protection against infection and transmission, although they are believed to offer protection against severity. Therefore it is predicted that the U.S. may see a total of about 140 million new infections from January 1st to March 1st of 2022, peaking in late January at about 2.8 million new daily infections. Somewhere between 40 to 90 percent of cases are asymptomatic, so that means about 400,000 new cases a day. This could lead in the next 2 to 3 months to an increase in the US total infection rate from about 40% to 60%.

What does that mean for you? Be prepared, not scared. Waiting in an ER with lots of other sick patients while you don’t feel well is not fun. Being prepared at home as well as having a PCP who will provide medical advice and treatment is a prudent and sensible plan.

1) Be flexible. Don’t expect businesses to work as efficiently as they usually do. Expect delays and supply chain issues. Try to have three extra weeks of the meds you, and your family and your pets need, stockpiled.

2) Upgrade your mask to at least a KN94. Here is a Scientific American evaluation of popular masks and their filtration efficacy, as well as where to obtain them.

3) Get some at-home rapid antigen test kits ahead of needing them. If the test is positive, you are most likely positive. Walgreens and CVS usually have in them stock.

4) Consider using Fluvoxamine as an early oral treatment. Fluvoxamine is an SSRI used for OCD. I have used it for many years with good results. Importantly, three randomized controlled trials have shown it to be highly effective for COVID. The last very large randomized trial, published in November in Lancet, showed a 66% reduction in hospitalizations and 91% reduction in deaths! I have been using it in some patients with Delta, and all have said they felt it was helpful in recovery. The usual dosage is 50 to 100 mg taken twice a day for 10 to 14 days. Interestingly, several patients recently with COVID positive tests did not feel sick enough to want it. This drug is rated neutral by the NIH and there are no restrictions on its use in COVID that I am aware of. It also compares very favorably to the new drugs being released by Pfizer (noting safety profile and cost, as well as efficacy).

Have a box of the supplements you plan to use if you are sick and include a thermometer, BP monitor, and pulse oximeter that gives a pulse rate as well as SpO2 reading (although Omicron does not affect lungs so this may not be necessary). The FDA, CDC and NIH have not indicated that any use of supplements is helpful for the prevention or treatment of COVID. However, these are some suggestions which may help you feel better prepared and more comfortable if you fall ill.

Vitamin D

Be sure you are taking Vitamin D at the dosage personalized for you. Good studies continue to come out supporting its usefulness in decreasing hospitalization & death.

COVID-19 Mortality Risk Correlates Inversely with Vitamin D3 Status

Zinc

60 mg orally for 10 days. Lozenges can be used.

Vitamin C

1000 mg per day. Dividing the dosage is often better tolerated.

Antihistamines

For many, Omicron seems like sinusitis with a scratchy throat. Antihistaminergic supplements such as D Hist or Hist Reset can be used (two twice a day). Available through Wellevate or Fullscript.

Antihistamines such as Xyzal (10 mg per day) and Pepcid (10 to 20 mg per day) can also be used.

Aspirin or Nattokinase

Baby aspirin one per day or nattokinase if aspirin is not tolerated.

Two Nattopine twice a day is suggested. Available through Wellevate.

Anti-inflammatories

There are many anti-inflammatory supplements but these are a few
that I commonly recommend.

  • Fish oil (2 gm twice a day)
  • Metagenics SPM Active (2 pills twice a day)
  • Curcumin (1000 mg twice a day)
  • Resveratrol (1000 mg per day)
  • CytoQuel (2 twice a day) – available through Researched Nutritionals
  • Fresh or supplemented ginger can also be used for the sore, achy feeling we call malaise

Buhner Herbs

Red Sage/Baikal and Kudzu at ½ tsp. twice a day.

Available through Woodland Essence.

NAC/Glutathione

N Acetyl Cysteine 600 mg twice a day and/or glutathione as antioxidants.

These supplements are available through many sources but Wellevate & Researched Nutritionals have good products.

Melatonin

Doubling your usual dosage can be helpful for sound sleep – one of nature’s best healing tools. It’s also a potent antioxidant and improves inflammation. Up to 30 mg per day has been suggested.

Vitamin A

10000 IU per day for three days followed with 2500 IU for one week.

Oral hydration solutions such as coconut water or the WHO Oral Rehydration Solution (Trioral available on Amazon). The WHO formula works as well as an IV for rehydration. Staying hydrated while ill may be a key to keeping stable vital signs as well as being comfortable. You can also now find mobile IV businesses that come to the home. Patients have reported finding that very useful while ill with COVID.

It’s also important to be sure you are always breathing properly. This will be the subject of another blog since some advice given about how to breathe is oftentimes not that helpful.

When you feel prepared to take care of yourself and your family, you can continue on with life, honoring patience and flexibility as virtues and remembering to enjoy what is working well as we all move forward with a positive mindset into 2022.