Covid 19 guidelines and best practices
A comprehensive and concise summary from Dr. Maura Henninger, naturopath in NYC (https://drmaura.com/):
Comprehensive Naturopathic Medicine
The Intelligent Approach to Good Health
Dear Friends and Patients,
With all the information swirling around I wanted to offer a round-up of the data I've been gathering, as well as some guidance on a naturopathic approach to staying healthy (and sane) at this unprecedented moment.Please remember that stress and fear are one of the primary immune disruptors so as much as you can, remember that this will pass and that most of us will be exposed to the virus and be okay. Our immune systems are designed for exposure and evolution so, as always, have faith in your body's strength and innate ability to heal. But do be proactive about your health and habits right now (see tips at the end of this email).
(The following information has been gathered from WHO, CDC, NYSDOH)
Facts about COVID-19:
Most common symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath.
Incubation period 2-14days.
Contracted via respiratory droplet < 6ft from contaminated persons.
Lives on surfaces up to 72hr; no documentation of viral contraction via surface.
Contagious when showing symptoms.
Risk population: >65yr with chronic bronchitis, diabetes, heart disease, emphysema, COPD; immunocompromised population.
Less risk of serious complications or symptom expression: children, pregnant women, healthy adults.
Likelihood of death is low and still lower than the flu in the US and globally.
Humans are a vector: for the high-risk population, be aware of who you are exposed to and who you may be exposing.
Mandatory quarantines: these measures are in place to contain the virus and limit the number of cases to ensure our healthcare providers can handle the influx.
Precautions:
Avoid fingers in mouth and on face near eyes and nose.
Wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds.
Cover your mouth when you cough by ideally coughing in a disposable tissue. Then wash your hands!
Nasal irrigation to keep your mucus membranes moist (finger dip in water, then stick your fingers in your nose or/ a netty pot nasal lavage will do too).
Clean your home and office space with natural blend (1 tbsp of 60%+ alcohol, 1 tsp white vinegar, 510 drops of thieves essential oil, 1 tsp of colloidal silver, add water to fill your spray bottle).
Humidifier in your home with essential oils (Thieves oil is my choice)
Wearing gloves if you are handling money, mail or other goods in a public work environment or taking care of an at-risk patient.
Masks: CDC guidelines state that you do not need to wear a mask if you're asymptomatic.
The CDC recommends hand sanitizer. This one's tricky because we do know from studies that overuse of hand sanitizer can result in resistance of other pathogens to their use, much like the overuse of antibiotics. Wash your hands and use sanitizer judiciously; soap and water is always preferred if available; it's also more effective.
Avoid the use of ibuprofen if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 as it may worsen the virus.
Testing and Treatment:
Because New York City and its surrounding areas have very limited availability to testing, your best bet if you have symptoms is to stay home and self-quarantine and take measures to support your immune system.
Seek medical attention if your symptoms worsen (i.e. difficulty breathing).
If you fall into the immune-compromised category, notify your primary care physician.
Immune Support Supplements:
I highly encourage you to schedule a phone or video visit for a more personalized approach to immune support especially if you're someone in the at-risk category or prone to low immunity. These dosings are for asymptomatic patients only. If you are symptomatic, please contact the office to discuss.
Vitamin C: 100mg for kids <2yr; 500mg for kids <12yr; 2000mg for 12+.
Vitamin D: 400iu for kids <2yr; 1000iu for kids <12yr; 2000iu for 12+Zinc: 7mg for kids <7yr; 30 mg for 8+
Probiotics: dailyImmune supporting herbs – elderberry, echinacea, astragalus
Immune modulators – curcumin, humic acid, beta glucans, medicinal mushrooms, NACPatients taking steroids, immunosuppressants, recent or chronic antibiotic use: I encourage you to schedule a visit to support your immunity because you have been on pharmaceuticals that suppress your immune system function and natural defense.
Symptomatic COVID-19 patients: I have patient specific herbs and homeopathy to support your immune system function and lessening symptoms during this time. Be in touch.
Daily Habits:
Nourish yourself. Sugar, caffeine and alcohol will wreak havoc on your immune system and your all-important, immunomodulating gut microbiome. Try to feed yourself with clean, organic, plant-heavy meals right now along with lots of water.
Limit social media and TV to zero to one hour per day to avoid overstimulating the nervous system.
Get outside every day; this is a great time to take advantage of working from home to be outside and in the sunshine=natural vitamin D
Daily movement: 20+min of daily movement and play.
Sleep routine: 9-12hr for 0-7yr old; 8-10hr for 8-18yr old; 7-9hr for 18+
Deep breathing: 3-15min of eyes closed, deep breathingMeditation: 10+ min of daily mediation and positive visualization
Stay connected: pick up the phone, FaceTime and check in regularly with your loved ones.
Turn wifi off at night: wifi is an electrical signal that can disrupt how your electrical body heals and self-communicates.
This is a time where we're being mandated to slow down so take advantage of the time to step out of our usual sped-up routine to check in with yourself, your health, and how you're spending your energy.
Take the opportunity to evaluate what works and what doesn't so that when we emerge from this (and we will emerge from this), you will be stronger and more aligned than ever.