COVID - The Big Picture

At BreatheMD, the surge seems to be dying down. Our % positive rate was 1.5% last week, down from 11% a few weeks ago. We have seen quite a few cases of rhinovirus (detected on our 1 hour PCR) and a few cases of the flu in the last two weeks.

It’s hard to believe the pandemic has been going on for 18 months now, and as awful as it has been, I have learned so much from the experience.

We’re all seeing the pandemic through different lenses, but these are the biggest lessons I’ve learned.

  1. Live a simple, healthy lifestyle. Obesity is the #1 risk factor for death from COVID. Obesity is complicated and not an easy fix, but we all know what we’re supposed to do to stay healthy. Everyone I know is taking about 20 vitamin supplements a day but not paying attention to what they’re eating. Simplify your diet , eat fresh, cook at home - you’ll save money and won’t need all those supplements. Get your daily Vitamin D by taking a 20 minute walk everyday. Start today - the weather is perfect! Exercise more and you’ll sleep better… another very important but basic way to prevent COVID infection.

  2. Reduce your anxiety. Anxiety is the second highest risk factor for death from COVID. The best coping mechanism for anxiety is to have a plan and take action. If you are worried about COVID, set a weight-loss and fitness goal and connect with a doctor who will listen to you and take care of you when you get sick. I have many patients asking me for recommendations - if you love your primary care doctor, please mention his/her name in the comments below. I want the names of doctors that never shut their door during the pandemic and don’t judge people who aren’t vaccinated.

    Also, turn off the TV. A CNN producer was caught on video admitting that they have been purposely trying to invoke fear in the public during the pandemic to boost their ratings.

  3. Viruses are not immune to treatment. In medical school, I was taught to do nothing for most viral infections. COVID has thrown that lesson out the window. If you go to some of my previous blog posts, you can see what we are doing to fight COVID.

  4. Use independently-owned pharmacies. I’m one of those doctors who will prescribe ivermectin. In the last 3 months, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time arguing with pharmacists at Walgreens, CVS, HEB, Kroger and Walmart over their refusal to dispense it. If you have an open-minded pharmacy you use, please mention it in the comments below.

  5. Respect people’s health choices. Doctors are trained to be dictators when it comes to their patients’ health. This didn’t fly well with me during my four pregnancies, hence as a doctor, I try to stay open-minded. I don’t argue with people over vaccines, ivermectin, etc. … we’re all drowning in information and have our reasons for our choices.

I’d love to hear your most important take-aways from the pandemic… please feel free to leave comments below.

How We Keep You Out of the Hospital

Our goal at BreatheMD is to do everything possible to keep people with COVID19 from going to the hospital. From the beginning, we have provided curbside breathing treatments and IV fluids and more recently, monoclonal antibodies.

We have now expanded our services to include treatments that are normally only done in hospitals: IV steroids (Solumedrol), IV vitamin C , IV Tylenol, IV famotidine (Pepcid), IV antibiotics, and oxygen. Dr. Bowden follows the FLCCC protocol and believes in aggressive treatment with safe medications such as ivermectin to help patients with COVID19.

For patients out of the danger zone, Dr. Bowden prescribes medications based on the FLCCC protocol and advises patients on nutritional supplements and other modalities to recover more quickly. She has both in-person and telemedicine appointments available for patients with COVID19 needing support.

Recommended over-the-counter supplements (updated):

Vitamin C 1000mg, twice a day (we offer injectable Vitamin C in our office)

Vitamin D 5000U + Magnesium + Zinc. It is important to take magnesium when you are taking Vitamin D as large doses of Vitamin D can deplete your body’s magnesium supply. We recommend this supplement: Magwell. The dose on the bottle is for 2 capsules a day - we recommend 3 - 4 capsules a day. The side effect to look for is diarrhea - lower your dose if this occurs.

Quercetin 250mg, twice a day

Zinc 50mg, once a day (take this in addition to Magwell)

Lactoferrin 100mg, once a day

Manuka Honey

Curcumin 500mg, twice a day

Black Seed oil (Nigella Sativa) 80mg/kg, twice a day

Melatonin 10mg before bed

Diet:

Follow a low-sugar diet. Viruses and bacteria feed off sugar - this is why diabetics are more prone to infection.

Drink 8 - 10 glasses of water a day. If you are dehydrated, you are more prone to fever and it becomes a viscous cycle. Come get IV Fluids and IV Tylenol at our office if you can’t get enough fluids at home.

Drink hot tea, chicken noodle soup. Warm salty fluids decrease swelling in your upper airway and improve circulation.

Exercise:

If you lay in bed, your lungs collapse. Rest, but don’t lay in bed. Get up at least once an hour. Take walks outside if possible. Buy an incentive spirometer (Amazon sells them) and use it every hour while awake (this device is a cheap and effective way to expand your lungs.)

Irrigations:

Gargle with a solution of Betadine and water three times a day. Add 2 tablespoons of 10% iodine/poviodine (Betadine) to a cup of water. Gargle but don’t swallow. Betadine is available in the first aid section of the drugstore.

Rinse your nose with saline + 1/4 teaspoon betadine three times a day.

Infrared Sauna:

If you are fever-free and not dehydrated, spend time in our infrared sauna at least 3 times a week. Infrared sauna has been proven to lower inflammation and increase circulation.

Respiratory Care:

Place a heating pad on your chest to increase circulation to the lungs.

Use a nebulizer or a humidifier to inhale salt water. Mix the water in a Neil-Med sinus rinse bottle using 2 packets of saline instead of 1 and add to your nebulizer or humidifier.

Take Mucinex with plenty of water to thin your mucous.

Spend time in our salt cave. We offer 1-week packages for patients with respiratory illnesses. The salt particles in the air absorb irritants and decrease airway inflammation. We also have therapists from BreatheFit lead private respiratory therapy sessions every Wednesday in our salt cave.

To schedule an appointment or learn more about how we can help you fight COVID19, please go to COVID Treatment and Recovery on our website.