Your Pets, Flu and COVID-19 ?

[Dr. Jeff]

Here's more about One Health and the similarities between people and pets:

One Health: It’s for All of Us

The health of people, animals, and the environment is intertwined.

www.fda.gov

And a quote from the best description I've read so far about One Health:

we will be more able to proactively and pre-emptively prevent health challenges and crises rather than reactively responding.

Here's the full article:

https://www.onehealthcommission.org/documents/filelibrary/homepage_images/One_HealthA_Ray_of_Hope_w_updated_l_16166C72ED39A.pdf

Veterinarians have been studying coronavirus for many years and can add some helpful info.

For example, veterinarian Niels Pederson's work on enteric coronaviruses and FIP.

In addition, here's the AVMA from 2008 about corona and flu (in dogs):

Coronavirus-Canine Respiratory FAQ | American Veterinary Medical Association.pdf

drive.google.com

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Here's a thread to discuss the general immune-boosting recommendations from Dr. Amy Rothenberg:

Immune boosting for flu and COVID-19

Here are Dr. Amy Rothenberg's great naturopathic recommendations, along with a warning about health freedom, for general immune boosting for flu and during this challenging tome of the COVID-19 pandemic...

www.holisticactions.com

They're all great but #3 (drinking more) is another important HA! action, along with deep-breathing, that we all can do today and which is super important.

 

[KellyB]

I agree that we shouldn’t take masks away from healcare workers on the front lines, but I think tha some protection is better than none, especially in a crowded place (like a store, for example ). But I know a lot of people who sew who are making them. I ordered some myself on Etsy just to have on hand. Some are making them with pockets to put extra filters in, and I’ve read that HEPA vacuum bags make good extra filters as well as unscented dry Swiffer cloths.

Kelly

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Great ideas Kelly!

Would you include a link to the exact person, on Etsy, that you purchased from on?

Wearing a mask becomes especially important considering this info. about asymptomatic transmission:

Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 — Singapore, January 23 ...

Investigation of all 243 cases of COVID-19 reported in Singapore during January 23–March 16 identified seven clusters of cases in which presymptomatic transmission is the most likely explanation ...

www.cdc.gov

 

[KellyB]

Yes sorry it’s taken so long to respond. Both vendors I ordered from had masks with removable filters. I haven’t gotten them yet - one should be here tomorrow.

Vendors are PriskaLuxe and CraftsbyTine. My sister also sent me one that someone local to her made - I’ll attach a picture. ?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Adorable, thanks for sharing Kelly.

 

[ChristineL]

Ozone Therapy for Coronavirus...

Ozone Therapy for Coronavirus

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks for sharing this great info Christine.

Here's some other important advice for thriving during COVID:

COVID Advice

www.holisticactions.com

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I'm compiling a list of HA! that can reduce risk of developing a serious COVID infection.

Being out on the sunshine is high on the list and here's an interesting study about doing this.

In a nutshell, the researchers found that there were fewer fatalities in areas with more sunlight during the 1918 pandemic.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2835877/pdf/de0104_0215.pdf

 

[Dr. Jeff]

There have been a number of questions recently about animals and COVID.

Especially since the house cat and tigers were infected.

Yes, it does appear that cats and ferrets are more likely than dogs to catch this virus from a sick pet parent or zookeeper.

However, so far none of these animals have gotten sick.

Regardless, if you are sick with respiratory symptoms, please be mindful and wash your hands before cuddling with your pets.

And avoid coughing or sneezing on them.

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo tests positive for coronavirus | CNN

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York has become the first tiger to test positive for the coronavirus.

www.cnn.com

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Here's a useful article that defines COVID and epidemic/pandemic-related words:

Ventilator vs. respirator, quarantine vs. isolation: Covid-19 pandemic terms, defined

A coronavirus pandemic glossary.

www.vox.com

 

[Dr. Jeff]

2 weeks ago during the HA! Empower Hour! webinar, Dr. Samet reported that she had only treated, using homeopathy, a few patients with COVID symptoms.

Now it's up to dozens and here is what she says:

No one has a shortage of news these days on the topic, so I won’t repeat much of what you already know about the virus in general.

To date, our clinic has treated over 5 dozen cases of people with the virus (of course by phone or Skype), with an excellent success rate resulting in swift and complete recovery among all mild to moderate cases. The more serious cases are obviously harder to treat, especially after they are admitted to the hospital and are quarantined, but there has been a great many successes among this population as well.

A most remarkable case among my patients is a 71-year old man who contracted the virus with a cough, fever and extreme weakness. He called me the following day and began taking the homeopathic remedy I prescribed for him immediately. Within 4 days he was symptom-free. Almost more impressive is that his wife, in her late 60’s, took remedies preventatively against COVID during the whole time he was sick and has not gotten sick herself, despite being her husband’s primary caregiver.

Here are a few general points that are important to note:

Up to 50% of all positive COVID cases are ASYMPTOMATIC. Yes, that’s right, without any symptoms. I’ve had a number of patients phone me with a dry cough and some chest heaviness who are sure it’s not COVID because they are not weak, or have no fever or diarrhea. For me, this type of symptom picture is likely COVID until proven otherwise, and it’s important to make every effort to get well completely and rapidly. Why? Symptoms of the virus (especially cough and weakness) tend to drag on for weeks untreated, even in mild cases.

The Spanish flu in 1918-1919 actually came in 4 waves over a 2-year period. Each wave was reportedly worse than the previous ones. From a psychological point of view, it might be best to prepare for this pandemic to last longer than we expect, and be happily surprised if it resolves sooner.

This is also why it’s a good idea to be treated with homeopathy if you have a mild case - there is evidence that the illness can reoccur up to two weeks after recovery, as or more severely than the initial illness. Is this because the virus mutates making it possible to be re-infected, or perhaps because the virus becomes “dormant” for a period of time before re-emerging? No one yet knows.

Most homeopaths are not fond of NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or anti-fever medicines as a rule, for the simple reason that fever is the body’s defense, as viruses die off at higher heat. If we take medicines to decrease the fever, we are hampering the body’s efforts to fight the virus. Please think twice before taking fever meds in order to feel more comfortable. Studies have shown that doing so can prolong influenza by an average of 3.5 days and may increase the risk of mortality among critically-ill patients.


Here are the main symptoms of the COVID virus, with an approximation of what % of the people experience them:

*dry cough and heaviness/oppression of the chest - 80%
*fever, often low grade - 75%
*great fatigue - 55%
*joint pain/body aches - 50%
*anxiety - 40%
*headache - 35%
*diarrhea/nausea - 10%
*loss of taste &/or smell - 30-70%

The duration of the illness without homeopathic treatment is on average between 12-32 days.

Patients with COVID are:

80% asymptomatic or mild cases
15% severe
5% critical

It is among this 5% where the death rate is exceedingly high, as the virus at this stage establishes itself in the lungs where it produces tissue damage, decrease in oxygen saturation, shortness of breath and pneumonia. Cases such as this are still treatable with homeopathy, but it is harder to get the remedies to a hospitalized, quarantined patient.

From our experiences with our patients, plus that of other homeopaths around the world, Bryonia has been the most effective curative remedy in over 60% of cases to date.

Camphora, previously recommended in my last newsletter, is a good remedy to have on hand, but not looking as interesting right now for prevention. Arsenicum Album has also been a remedy used with great success, and is a common remedy in most home kits.

So, for prevention, we are changing our recommendation right now to Bryonia (200c, 200ch, 200k 200d or 30c) once week. If you know you have been exposed, or are likely to be exposed based on your profession, take it once every 3-5 days. Additionally, if you know your “chronic” remedy, make sure to take that periodically at this time, as needed or 2-3 times per month, as the healthier your immune system is all around, the less likely you will be to contract a serious case of the virus.

 

[KellyB]

Regarding ozone generators - does anybody here have one and use it regularly? I became interested in ozone last year when researching a possible fecal transplant for my cat, and wished I had taken the time to educate myself better then. The oxygen tank onsite and the possibility of error and ozone escaping into the air kind of makes me nervous. I am currently reading The Ozone Miracle by Dr. Frank Shallenberger and the whole concept is very interesting, not only to treat acute issues but also as prophylaxis.

Kelly

 

[Dr. Jeff]

If anyone in the NY area is reading this and has recovered from COVID symptoms (like Patti's family after being infected at Westminster), please contact Mt. Sinai.

This is an especially auspicious time of the year to do this:

Mount Sinai Anesthesiology’s Facebook page shared an image with the following text:

"Patients who have recently recovered from COVID-19 have high levels of immunity in the form of antibodies in their blood that can be transfused into very sick COVID-19 patients who do not yet have immunity. This treatment is known as “human convalescent plasma” and has been used in previous pandemics. If you have recently recovered from COVID-19, please volunteer to have your blood tested to see if you have high levels of antibodies. You may be qualified to donate plasma at The Mount Sinai Hospital and save a life! To volunteer, please send an email to: [email protected] #StayHome #SaveLives" ( here )

A spokesperson for Mount Sinai confirmed to Reuters via email that this post was written by their internal communications team.

A microbiologist, Dr Florian Krammer, and his team at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai developed and verified a COVID-19 antibody test. Krammer is sharing the information with other hospitals so they can implement similar programs. The test is one of the first of its kind in the U.S.

The test is used to determine if fully recovered COVID-19 patients produced high levels of antibodies in response to the virus. If they did, they could donate plasma with these antibodies to sick COVID-19 patients to mount an immune response. This treatment is called "human convalescent plasma" and has been used in past pandemics, including the 1918 influenza outbreak. (here)

Mount Sinai started this program on March 28, 2020. A spokesperson told Reuters:

“It will be several weeks before we have enough data to provide preliminary assessments of the value of the research/treatment. Mount Sinai is working with the FDA to achieve a higher level of regulatory approval for our antibody assay. Simultaneously, we have made this technology available to other academic research institutions for research/treatment purposes and to commercial laboratories and diagnostic companies through non-exclusive licensing agreements designed to encourage timely and widespread availability of quantitative tests for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in our nation.”

A top emergency expert at the World Health Organization (WHO) said that using convalescent plasma was a “very valid” approach to test, but that it was important to get the timing right to maximize the boost to a patient’s immunity.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes Kelly, I know of at least three pet parents in our like-minded community who own O3vets ozone generators.

@PandaBear and @kingsgrlie and @cindypinera can probably answer any questions that you post in this thread.

Also, Cindy also started an ozone thread with a link to her Youtube channel about ozone and Raisin's paw tumor:

Ozone Therapy for treating a tumor on a paw

Above is the link to a Youtube video that I made after purchasing an Ozone machine. My standard schnauzer (age 10) has/had two tumors on both the right and left front paws. Both tumors were pushing the bone on the inside as seen via XRAY. At the time (6 months ago) nothing was visible on the...

www.holisticactions.com

Thanks so much for asking for feedback on the forum. ? That's what it's for!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Here is a thread where we can discuss Pranayama for Pets and breathing practices people can use to reduce risk of having any serious respiratory problem associated with COVID:

Breathing Exercises to Improve Lung Function and Help SOB (shortness of breath)

Hi everyone- Many of use the snuffle mat, promoting purring, and the hunt for treats game to improve internal balance . Here is a video about breathing practices that you can use to help keep your lungs in tip top shape. Optimizing your respiratory system can both improve immune function as...

www.holisticactions.com

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Here's public health expert (MPH) and naturopath Dr. Paul Herscu and homeopath/naturopath Dr. Amy Rothenberg talking about COVID:

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Heart Rate Variability is one research-proven, but infrequently used, way to monitor internal balance.

The Elite HRV group is doing some good work to see if this tool both warns of impending signs of COVID as well as predicts recovery from it.

Here's some wise and uplifting words from them:

First, how are we combating the stress and anxiety of the coronavirus situation?

Sophie: The distractions of normal life have been replaced with a slower pace of life. Was I going to let these circumstances control me? Others may emerge from this quarantine 10 pounds heavier but not me. To combat the stress, my husband and I are going on evening runs, limiting our desserts and taking time to call loved ones.

Alyssa: As the pandemic spread, it dominated the news coverage, increasing my anxiety. I have consciously dialed back my news consumption to just the necessary checks. I am also trying to go outside for walks in nature and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. Time in nature and decompressing on walks has been crucial for me to feel sane.

Jef: I'm focusing on the positives of the situation - taking more time to be in nature for introspection, to improve body-weight fitness, and to stay well-nourished.

Adam: I'm looking back at what life was like throughout history. It reminds me how good we have it today and that these pandemics are actually a recurring event throughout history. As difficult as they were, society survived through them.

Jason: I'm making extra effort to digitally reach out to friends, family and loved ones while also spending extra time outside in the sunlight. I'm also testing out red light and near infra red light therapy a few minutes per day, while trying to get things done around the house. Basically, keeping busy!

Vivek: We distract ourselves by keeping busy, spending more time with our children and loved ones (remotely). We nourish our spirits by being outside in nature and the warming sunlight, and sticking to sustaining rituals like cooking, exercising, reading and listening to music.

Second, what has this global pandemic made us realize?

Jason: Nature is powerful. Humans aren't gods. We need each other to survive and thrive - "Us and Them" mentality is not constructive at all.

Sophie: How much I take for granted: going outside for a walk or run feels like a luxury now. How when I wave to a neighbor now there is a deeper subtext - a mutual recognition of each other's humanity.

Vivek: Humans still fundamentally need and crave in-person interaction. No amount of incredible technological progress, distractions or societal change can hold a candle to the immediacy and tribal intensity of gathering together.

Adam: How unprepared society is for these kinds of crises. I always imagined that the W.H.O. had some sort of action-movie secret lair and would jump in and save the day

Alyssa: How important human connection is and how much it can affect us when we are isolated. Also how dividing yet uniting the pandemic has been. It is clear when I talk to people that this isolation simply should not persist much longer.

Christina: A large percentage of my friends could have been working from home the whole time! Plus how quickly a "stable" situation could change and how we need to reach out to each other and offer help.

Jef: How privileged I am to be working with good people, and how so much of the world is not so privileged and in need of dire support.

As you can see, there are common threads underlying our reflections and methods of coping.

Sharing our insights and difficulties help us understand as a company what we need to do to contribute in small ways.

We will introduce these options and tools over the next week.

Be safe and well in body and mind,

Vivek Menon

Chief Commercial Officer

Elite HRV

 

[Dr. Jeff]

COVID infection, like other viral or bacterial infections, occurs when the immune system is overwhelmed by a pathogen.

In these situations, the immune system can't do its job of detecting and destroying the germs which keeps people and pets from getting sick.

Many of us hypothesize, based on research evidence, that this can occur secondary to toxic exposures.

Glyphosate is one of those really nasty toxins.

Here's an excellent article from a scientist at MIT about the possibility of glyphosate worsening this risk of immune compromise and getting serious, and even fatal, COVID infections:

Glyphosate and Covid-19, MIT's Stephanie Seneff Connects the Dots

Are glyphosate and COVID-19 connected? Glyphosate, one of the most toxic chemicals in the world, may be the key to why some people get severely ill.

jennifermargulis.net

 

[Dr. Jeff]

In this ~30 min. interview, Dr. Fauci says "...Go outside..." and other holistically-oriented advice.

He also talks about his fascination with individual susceptibility of people to this coronavirus.

Here's an article (the podcast is embedded in it) that tells the story of one young man who unfortunately died from COVID due to excessive susceptibility to it:

The mystery of why the coronavirus kills some young people | CNN

Covid-19 seems to most seriously affect older people, particularly those with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. But it's becoming apparent there are many younger people who still get very sick and die.

www.cnn.com