Natural Treatments That Could Help Fight COVID-19

In the face of the novel coronavirus, many are looking for miracle cures. While there aren’t any of those, there ARE a few natural treatments that show promise to help fight COVID-19…

No one imagined what 2020 would bring when we started off the year… that we would all end up isolated at home, or that most businesses would be shut down, schools closed, and millions of people out of a job by spring. We never dreamed the whole world would basically grind to a halt due to a virus. These are unprecedented times, indeed, and as we all struggle to adjust to our disrupted lives, healthcare workers across the globe struggle to keep up with demand as hospitals in the hardest-hit areas are flooded with massive numbers of sick patients.

There has been much hype in the media about potential treatments, but so far, no new drugs have been released to the public to fight COVID-19. Odds are, even a vaccine is still months away. While there are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk of contracting the coronavirus, for those who already have it, it’s not hopeless. In fact, it is important to keep in mind that the majority of coronavirus cases recover just fine. However, due to the severity of the disease and its rapid transmission, it is essential that we continue to research valid treatments and look for ways to help those stricken with the disease recover more quickly.

In the absence of a pharmaceutical treatment option, many are turning to natural medicines that can help strengthen the immune system. However, it is important to note that there are some key differences when it comes to treating the disease, versus preventing it.

As this article notes,

The severe respiratory damage of advanced coronavirus cases is due to an overactive immune system that produces a “cytokine storm.”  Some suggest immune-boosting strategies should therefore be used only for prevention, not treatment—you don’t want to stimulate an already overactive immune system at more advanced stages of infection. For treatment, the goal is to reduce inflammation and to down-regulate the NLRP3 inflammasome. Some nutrients that can be helpful may include resveratrol, curcumin, melatonin, andrographolides, luteolin, and thymoquinone (from black cumin seed). Silver also has its proponents as an anti-viral or to prevent follow up bacterial infections. Crucially, evidence has shown that silver hydrosol may be effective against certain strains of coronavirus like SARS.

Below are several natural treatments that have shown promise in helping to fight COVID-19. (As always, be sure to consult with a knowledgeable physician when considering any treatment or health protocol.)

• There is promising initial data regarding zinc, quercetin, and epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG). High concentrations of zinc inside cells inhibit the replication of RNA viruses such as COVID-19, but due to zinc’s other characteristics, cells do not typically tolerate high levels of this mineral. Quercetin and EGCG enhance the entry of zinc into cells, much like the drug chloroquine. Note too that quercetin itself has anti-viral properties. There have already been animal trials on the zinc/quercetin combination for use against Ebola and SARS-CoV1, and human clinical trials have been approved by the FDA.
• Intravenous vitamin C (IVC) has been used to great effect in some New York hospitals. There are currently clinical trials underway in China assessing IVC’s ability to treat COVID-19, although we’re told that the dose being used is far too low to have a great effect, which is a shame since a negative result in the trial will give ammunition to skeptics. Clinicaltrials.gov lists a total of ten clinical trials underway around the world looking at vitamin C, often in combination with other supplements, and COVID-19.
• Potassium appears to be another key nutrient implicated in COVID-19 cases. Preliminary data show that COVID-19 patients exhibit hypokalemia (low potassium in the blood) and that potassium supplementation assisted recovery. Note that a national survey of 16,444 Americans found that 100% were not getting the estimated average requirement (EAR) of potassium (EAR is the intake level for a nutrient at which the needs of 50 percent of the population will be met)…
• Viruses cloak themselves from the immune system using a substance called Nagalase. Some supplements, especially probiotics, are candidates to help control Nagalase.
• Oregano and monolaurin are candidates to attack the viral capsule.

Read more about natural methods for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 at ANH-USA.org…