COVID is on the rise again, and believe it or not, I still see patients getting it for the first time. Like the flu, with each new variant comes a new risk of infection. Other viruses like flu and RSV have rebounded from two years of quiescence, and in lieu of ‘preventative’ shots with questionable efficacy, I apply the same strategies I use for treating COVID patients. The most important lesson I’ve learned from the pandemic is that - unlike the rhetoric drilled into me during training - viruses CAN be treated... and the most effective way is to treat early using a multi-drug approach rather than a ‘silver bullet.’

Paxlovid is the government’s ‘silver bullet’ for COVID, but in reality, it is a dangerous, ineffective drug, with 44 severe drug interactions (including statins) and an increased risk of rebound infection. Containing an HIV drug with a black box warning, Paxlovid is toxic to the liver and kidneys and poorly tolerated due to the strong metallic taste it leaves in the mouth. On top of all that, it costs the taxpayers a fortune; the government pays Pfizer at least $530 for each course of treatment.

Overall early treatment efficacy, looking at 36 studies, is only 32% for Paxlovid. On the other hand, we have 402 studies on hydroxychloroquine with an overall early treatment efficacy of 62% and 99 studies on ivermectin with an overall early treatment efficacy of 62%. Here is a comprehensive look at different early treatment protocols and their efficacy.

During the first week of illness, I typically prescribe ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin in combination, advise patients to irrigate their nose and throat several times a day with saline + iodine, take zinc 50mg twice a day, vitamin C 5000mg a day and vitamin D 5000IU a day.

Most of the COVID patients I’m seeing have severe cold symptoms, and I’m also seeing loss of taste and smell. I have not seen anyone with concerning drops in oxygen level, but I advise my patients to periodically check their oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter. If the oxygen level drops and the cough worsens (more likely in the second week of illness), then I add a Medrol dose pack (six-day course of oral steroids) and budesonide + hyper-sal breathing treatments using a nebulizer machine twice a day. Using these measures in the first 10 days of illness, I have not had anyone end up in the hospital. All of these medications are time-tested, inexpensive and despite Walgreens’ and CVS’ best efforts, accessible.

Nebulizer machines - for home breathing treatments - can make the difference between staying home and going to the ER, and I believe every household should have one. They can be purchased off Amazon or a pharmacy can dispense one with an order from your physician. Because there can sometimes be a delay in getting one, I advise my patients to have one in the house before they get sick. Budesonide is a steroid that decreases the swelling in the airways and requires a prescription; if you don’t have access to it, plain saline delivered to the lower airways with a nebulizer can be very helpful. Saline draws fluid out of the tissue, decreasing the swelling, and loosens mucus, making it easier to expectorate. Saline bullets - prepackaged single-use sterile saline doses - can be purchased without a prescription or homemade saline can be made with sterile water and saline packets.

For cough, I recommend using a heating pad with mentholatum ointment rubbed on the chest. A dollop of warm Manuka honey and ibuprofen have also been shown to help, but if a prescription is needed, I always start with Tessalon Perles, which helps with the ‘tickle’ without making you feel drugged up.

I tell my patients that recovery can be slow, continue all of the medications until symptoms subside, and if you do end up with lower respiratory tract involvement, it is not uncommon to take a month or longer to feel back to your normal self. I do not recommend retesting and telling people to stay home until their symptoms are significantly better. The timeline varies so I don’t recommend a specific number of days - use common sense and stay home if you can’t perform your normal activities. These are general recommendations, and every patient is different. Please consult your personal physician for advice specific to your condition.

As COVID hysteria mounts, please remember that multi-drug early treatment works very well - I’ve treated over 5500 patients and no one who received early treatment has died. We are not seeing severe disease like we once were. Masks do not protect against the spread of viruses and can actually be a nidus for bacterial growth. And not only do the COVID shots not prevent transmission or severe disease, I have seen numerous patients with chronic debilitating health problems following the shots.