Perspectives on this week’s news
By Liza Horan, Editor
Covid-19 was named a pandemic yesterday “because of the speed and scale of transmission,” the World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Almost 125,000 cases have now been reported to WHO, from 118 countries and territories. In the past two weeks, the number of cases reported outside China has increased almost 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has almost tripled.”
Those are yesterday’s numbers: Today the tally is 132,000 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths. See the latest figures on the WHO dashboard, which shows cases by country.
He told country leaders the first step to dealing with the virus is preparing people and health facilities, then focus on detection, prevention and treating the condition. Finally, reducing and suppressing coronavirus, and then innovating and improving: “We’re all learning and we must all find new ways to prevent infections, save lives, and minimize impact.” Information sharing is vital, he said.
While the political responses have ranged from travel bans and school closures to cancelling large-crowd events (like London’s Balance Festival), Italy’s regional lock-down remains the most extreme since that by the Wuhan province. The Beijing government has sent specialist doctors to Italy, which has more than 15,000 cases that have resulted in more than 1,000 deaths.
“Our grandfathers were drafted to go to war; we’re being asked to stay at home,” said Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told BBC. “If a doctor and a nurse can work for 24 hours non-stop, we can give up leaving our own home. The huge majority of citizens are respecting the rules. Those who aren’t will face sanctions: either fines or criminal charges.”
Official guidelines call for practicing good hygiene, avoiding crowds and self-isolating if symptoms appear. Only contact a general practitioner if one’s health seriously deteriorates, and use NHS 111 online before phoning 111, says the NHS.
Natural health advice ranges from fortifying the immune system with vitamins, supplements and sleep, and also adopting prayer and meditation to cope mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Here are some recommendations:
- GetWell suggests the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine‘s recipe to prevent future viral infection or minimise symptoms for future viral infection:
Vitamin C: 3000 mg daily, in divided doses
Vitamin D3: 2000 IUs daily (Start with 5000 IU/day for two weeks, then reduce to 2000 IU.)
Magnesium: 400 mg daily (in citrate, malate, chelate, or chloride form)
Zinc: 20 mg daily
Selenium: 100 mcg (micrograms) daily - Chopra Center has shared an aromatherapy room mist recipe that contains lemon and rosemary, among other ingredients, to reduce help “energize, reduce mucus and expand breath.”
- Healthline lists 15 immunity-boosting foods. Green tea, shellfish and almonds are among them.
- Harvard Medical School provides an overview of boosting the immune system, and how age, diet and stress may affect immunity.
Chinese researchers focus on Vitamin C against coronavirus
By September, researchers from Zhongnan Hospital will know if mega-doses of Vitamin C reduce coronavirus symptoms and speed recovery. “The dose is 400 times the dose recommended for maintaining general health and preventing scurvy,” WDDTY.com writes about this clinical study. The 140 coronavirus patients are receiving a daily intravenous treatment for seven days either of 24 grams of Vitamin C or a water-based placebo.
Covid-19 predicted by psychic
The late renowned American psychic Silvia Browne seems to have foretold the Covid-19 pandemic. In her 2008 book, End of Days, Browne wrote, “In around 2020 a severe pneumonia-like illness will spread throughout the globe, attacking the lungs and the bronchial tubes and resisting all known treatments.”
If she was right, the pandemic won’t linger, according to this story on Coast to Coast with George Noory. Browne’s book excerpt says, “Almost more baffling than the illness itself will be the fact that it will suddenly vanish as quickly as it arrived, attack again ten years later, and then disappear completely.”
Combatting misinformation
The NHS has partnered with Google to make accurate information surfaces in online searches for coronavirus and other health conditions. “When mobile users search for one or more than 250 health conditions via Google’s search platform they will be presented with Knowledge Panels on the search results page,” according to this story by DIGIT, which. “The panels will include information including symptoms, treatment, causes, with links and content sourced from the NHS website. Google will also provide such knowledge panels to the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
The NHS is also working with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to cut down on health misinformation. Mobile browsing was prioritised because more than three-quarters NHS website visits arise from searches on smartphones.
Stay positive
Having a positive outlook can lower risk of disease and mortality rates, the Global Wellness Institute reminded us this week. It points to a 2019 analysis of 15 studies covering 229,391 participants found “a strong relationship between optimism and a lower risk of disease, with optimists having a 35% lower risk of cardiovascular events — and a 14% lower risk of premature deaths — than pessimists.” More on the study can be found in this New York Times article by Jane Brodie.
In a call to both wellness industry professionals and consumers, Susie Ellis, who heads the Global Wellness Summit and Global Wellness Institute, wrote in an email update, “I think it’s important for the wellness industry to consider that this is also a time for hope and optimism. This is the exact moment to recognize that we have control over our health destinies. We don’t have to give in to fear. We simply need to commit to wellness in our own lives and the lives of those in our homes and communities.”
She pointed to a recent blog post by Hong Kong-based John Woods, who won the Global Wellness Award for “Leader in Social Impact” and spoke at the 2019 Summit. In “Amidst Politics and Pandemic, How I Remain an Optimist,” Wood explains the seven aspects of how he remained optimistic among the political turmoil and adversity in his city. Hint: Exercise and getting out in nature are among them.
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