COVID-19 Panic-demic – what you should know

Hello. Today’s vlog is actually a reshoot so I can offer the latest information available on COVID-19 and offer YOU strategies to safely navigate this.

First of all avoid getting caught up in. the Global Panic-demic. Should you be concerned and aware, yes, absolutely, but, if you stop and think about it, what does panic buying of toilet paper really do to protect anyone? . . . It doesn’t.

Facts and Reality behind the Corona Virus, COVID-19

Let’s start by sorting fact from fiction, get some perspective, then discuss what YOU can do.

The COVID-19, commonly referred to as Corona Virus is a virulent form of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) family of corona viruses which have originated in China. . . Unlike other SARS and influenza Viruses, what makes COVID-19 so problematic is COVID-19 has a furin cleavage site . . . what this means in real world terms is the virus can enter host cells much quicker and more efficiently. This can increase the transmissibility up to 1000 fold! Furthermore, in ‘relatively’ healthy subjects a miniscule exposure can go undetected for up to two weeks making containment in a globalized world particularly problematic.

So the low down is ‘it’s out there’ and where it will show up next is anybody’s guess.

The current modeling shows the number of infected people doubling every 3 days and because of this the next 3-4 weeks is going to be a critical period for disease progression. This is the ”WHY” for the steps being taken to cancel school and large gatherings, especially in close quarters in addition to close contact with others.

What does it mean for you?

Now it’s really important to recognize most of you who are reading/watching this are probably much healthier than average, including most athletes. This means even if you do contract COVID-19 your chances of dying by contracting it are virtually nil. In fact, if you come down with it, it will range from feeling like a mild cold to the flu.

The numbers you see on the news are for the general population of relatively sedentary people, and, in ALL of the severe cases, including deaths, the patients have MULTIPLE comorbidities involved…..in other words COVID-19 does not kill by itself.

So the people really at risk are those who are overweight, diabetic, on meds (including Statins), have heart disease, hypertension and/or some form of respiratory challenges ( influenza, pneumonia, history of smoking, COPD, asthma, etc.) People in these categories and other physical challenges need to be especially careful of becoming exposed and infected. These people should severely restrict contact with others right now.

We are going into spring so if you get hayfever or other seasonal allergies take action to mitigate these precisely because they impact your respiratory and immune systems.

What to do if you feel off?

That being said, because you are so robust if you feel a bit ‘off’ treat it as if you had a cold or influenza exposure. Back off training and work and get rest and fluids so your immune system can rally.

If you live in a cold climate, particularly cold and moist, the degree of transmissibility is much higher so, again, limit contact with others. This virus persists in cold, wet environments.

If you reside in a warm, dry and sunny climate you have a lot less to worry about unless you have very close and intimate contact with an infected person or their body fluids. Simply put, the virus has a short viability period in warm and dry climates. It does NOT persist.

It’s not all ‘Gloom & Doom’ though, there are a lot of really smart people working on this. You don’t hear about them enough in the news but my best guess is they will get a handle on this. Science is amazing especially when scientists collaborate like they are doing now.

Now, let’s discuss what you can do . . .

Again, avoid getting caught up in the hype. Chronic stress has as big a physiological impact on your body as too much sugar and processed foods…..really!
For the next 3 weeks avoid crowded areas and events where you cannot control your close contact with others.
Practice basic Hygiene; Wash your hands regularly and before you get them anywhere near your face. Simple soap and water are VERY effective.
For now, make it a habit to carry flushable wipes and/or sanitizer and use them to wipe down after being in public places as a preventative measure. I’ve made it a habit to have flushable wipes on hand during the flu season.
Gargle with an antiseptic mouthwash daily
Nasal Rinses are a great practice to implement as part of your evening hygiene ritual using a Neti pot or similar nasal irrigation device. The sinuses are the main place where most respiratory disease exposures get started!
Get sun! The UV light of the sun effectively kills exposed viruses. If you can’t access free sunlight then a SPERTI Lamp or UV tanning beds are an alternative. Short controlled doses are all you need to kill any exposed virus.
Increase your Vitamin C / Ascorbic Acid intake to 500-1500mg/day. Vitamin C / AA play a multitude of roles in disease fighting including enhancing T cell proliferation, cell redox, cell membrane health, cell membrane signalling and mitochondria energy production
Stay on top of your gelatin/collagen intake. Gelatin/Collagen proteins and Vitamin C/AA work in conjunction to maintain healthy cell membrane integrity.
Make sure your Vitamin D levels are adequate. The OFM recommended minimum is 50ug/dl of 25, hydroxy Vitamin D rather than the medical minimum of 30ug/dl. Supplement with Vitamin D3 and/or get UVB exposure from the sun, UVB tanning or a SPERTI lamp.
Use strategies which effectively increase Nitric Oxide Production. This can include inoculating your skin with Nitosomonas europa from Motherdirt.com, consuming foods which increase Nitric Oxide production and supplementing with either L-Arginine or L-Citrulline.
Decrease your exposure to non-native EMF. Chronic exposure makes your cell membranes more permeable. I am not suggesting ditching cell phones, computers and the internet, they are part of our world, however, finding and adopting doable habits to mitigate non-native EMF exposure will have a big effect on a cellular level at helping your body resist COVID-19 and other viruses.
Practice regular outdoor cardiovascular exercise. In fact, make it a habit to workout outdoors over inside a gym for the next 4 weeks. The more you can be outside and in the sun the safer you are and less likely you to become exposed and/or infected.
Intermittent Fasting (IF). This is another tool of OFM and it really will help you in fighting COVID-19. Hey, and its Lent so you can double down by Fasting to fulfill both your spiritual as well as your earthly physical health needs!
If you are training for an ultra-endurance event consider dialing back on the training load to prevent becoming immunocompromised during that post training phase.
If you are reading this and have not made any efforts to increase and optimize your fat metabolism consider getting started.
Be patient. With warmer weather and our scientists gaining a better understanding of this virus the spread will subside and we will return to life as normal.

Because I already practice most of what I’ve outlined here I haven’t curtailed any of my activities. This included a week in Texas in February and a 2 week trip to Arizona to work with athletes. I have a lot of regular & close interaction with my pre-school and elementary school children who happen to be magnets for viruses, right? Exposed and ‘off’, occasionally, but, I don’t remember the last time I’ve been down and out from a full blown cold or flu.

Your next steps - Start Doing ALL these things TODAY

So, after watching this video:

Put down your device & ‘disconnect’ from Technology
Get outside whenever you can.
Be active.
Enjoy life!

These are some of the most powerful and effective strategies to prevent contracting COVID-19 and continue on your journey to reach your health & performance potential.

Resources:

EMF mitigation podcast

ofm.io

References:

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