Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice and just for informational purposes. I am also an Amazon affiliate, and may earn from qualifying purchases. Originally written in October 2020, and has been updated as more helpful information comes to light.

My Sneaky Covid Story

In these “uncertain and unprecedented times” I think there’s one thing we can all agree on: every time we have a cough, we think it’s Rona coming for us.

Well, last week, all the paranoias of the last eight months came to fruition, and Covid finally came for me and my husband. It was a sneaky little wolf dressed up as a flu-like sheep and it fooled both of us.

covid-treatment-protocol-early-intervention-is-key

On Monday night, I started getting body aches, fatigue, and chills — pretty intense — but no other symptoms besides a slight dry cough and feeling a big congested. The only thing that seemed odd was thigh pain that made it hard to walk up the stairs. Everyone makes such a big deal about fevers — but I never had one.

Cole’s symptoms were delayed and completely different. On Wednesday, he started getting a tickle in his throat, then had a little head congestion.

I didn’t want to throw myself into a panic, and after talking to some local friends — I attributed our symptoms to the Influenza A going around. My symptoms started getting better after 4 days, which is pretty consistent with the trajectory of flu. But THEN, I lost my sense of smell. Cue small panic where I frantically stuck my nose into every spice jar we had, and then some minced garlic. Nothing.

Finally, Saturday, a friend of ours tested positive for Covid, and Cole immediately got a rapid test, which was also positive.

OK, so then I ACTUALLY panicked.

It’s funny — I spent eight months being paranoid about this pandemic, and then when I actually got it — I didn’t even know it. And that’s exactly why I’m writing this for you today.

I’m happy to report, even though I thought I had the flu, I still started treating as if it were Covid. My symptoms were completely resolved by day 6, and full recovered by day 10, as were my husband’s. Days 7-10 are what you really want to look out for, when the body can create the cytokine storm if the virus is not under control.

Why Early Intervention is Key with Covid-19

The good news is — the mutation of the virus is leading to higher contagion levels, but less severe cases. The downside — is this, combined with flu season, could lead to a lot of people not even knowing they have it. *raises hand* Covid requires an early, aggressive treatment, even if not hospitalized. There’s many things this virus does behind the scenes to the heart and lungs specifically, long after symptoms are gone. A year later, studies now show the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins cause vascular endothelial damage via downregulation of ACE2. That’s a fancy of way of saying: this is why people have so many heart related side effects with Covid. It’s really more of a vascular disease. This article breaks that down in a more easy to understand language.

After doing a deep dive into research, speaking with ICU nurses and doctors at research hospitals, and many recovered Covid patients this past week, I have truly seen the importance of early intervention. If this virus isn’t attacked within the first 5 days of infection and it is allowed to rapidly replicate, that is when you can end up with immune disregulation (we’ve all heard of the cytokine storm) and why they also say days 7-10 are the most precarious. This is when you see people needing steroids or ventilation.

We all know that the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions are high risk — but what research seems to be showing about “long haulers,” is it’s those with autoimmune issues (or chronic issues like Lyme, MS, etc) who are at very high risk for this immune disregulation to happen. There’s a great article by Time Magazine on Covid “long haulers” here.

UPDATE: additional article here on how to diagnose and get help for long haul covid.

Covid is an interesting virus, and the science shows that as viral load starts to decline, the inflammation rises. So again, whether a mild or severe case, days 1-5 are when you really need to target viral replication through anti-virals, zinc, etc. Days 6 and beyond are when the inflammation rises, especially if the viral load got out of hand.

Supplement + Dosing Protocol for Covid-19

This is a comprehensive list of interventions compiled from the latest research, doctors, and friends of mine working in Covid hospitals. This is what I am following, but again, this is just for informational purposes — please seek your doctor’s advice. If at any time your symptoms go from mild to more severe, or you get tightness or shortness of breath — please head to the ER.

I have several studies supporting this protocol, cited below in the RESOURCES section. I cannot express enough the importance of having these things on hand so you can treat IMMEDIATELY. A lot of these dosing recommendations have come from the EVMS Critical Care Covid Protocol.

CHELATED ZINC (15-30mg preventative / 75-100 daily in split doses if infected /never take on empty stomach to avoid nausea -wait hour after eating) Chelated simply means it’s bound to a mineral for better absorption. Zinc ideally should also have copper as the two go together.
We’ve been hearing about zinc since day 1, why? Because it prevents viral replication and helps regulate immune function. The problem is — it’s very hard for zinc to penetrate into the fatty walls of the cells. Therefore, it needs a ionophore (zinc transport molecule) like quercetin, EGCG, or even Hydroxychloroquine.
QUERCETIN + EGCG (250mg preventative / if infected, 500-1000mg daily)
The zinc is the freight and this is the train that will usher it into your cells. Quercetin not only helps prevent viral replication by transporting zinc into the cells, but it has several other jobs outlined in this article such as: reducing infected cells’ resistance to treatment with antiviral medication, inhibiting platelet aggregation — and many COVID-19 patients suffer abnormal blood clotting, promoting SIRT2, thereby inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome assembly involved with COVID-19 infection. There are countless studies supporting the antiviral properties of quercetin, in both in vitro and in vivo experiments — many are listed in this study, which discusses the synergistic therapy of quercetin and vitamin C together.
ASCORBIC ACID (500-1000mg preventative daily / if infected, see Doris Loh protocol)
There’s a whole body of research by independent medical researcher, Doris Loh, regarding ascorbic acid for Covid treatment: here, here, here, here. I first heard of Doris Loh by an ICU nurse who works at a Covid research hospital — she said many hospitals follow her protocols. There is also alot of research pointing to the synergistic relationship between quercetin and ascorbic acid.
Not only is the ascorbic acid important for its anti-viral properties, but for protecting the heart. Covid causes many cardiac issues, some of which happen immediately and some many months down the road.
VITAMIN D3 (4,000IU preventative / if infected, 10,000 IU daily or more if low)
Vitamin D3 has a whole host of benefits for the body from immunity to hormone function and regulating calcium/ phosphate. It should be taken daily with K2, which helps prevent calcification of arteries. A study recently showed that 80% of Covid patients were deficient in Vitamin D. Most doctors are now monitoring Vitamin D on labs and recommending it proactively for Covid, but if infected, many are recommending the “vitamin D hammer.” Per the influenza study, “this is a 1-time 50,000 IU dose of vitamin D3 or 10,000 IU 3 times daily for 2 to 3 days. The results are dramatic, with complete resolution of symptoms in 48 to 72 hours.” Clear with doctor beforehand if concerned.
PEPCID AC (20-40 preventative / if infected, 40mg daily —reduce if renal impairment)
Possibly the weirdest of all the Covid treatment discoveries, Pepcid AC is show to help in quite a few new studies. I took note of all the things they gave the President, and this was one of them.
While PPIs like Prilosec were associated with a 2-3x increase in death and complications, Famotidine (Pepcid AC) was shown in several studies to help improve outcomes. They are still studying this, but believe it partly has to do with antiviral properties, and also with its ability to block histamine, which aids in putting a hault to the cytokine storm the body creates to prevent the virus from further replicating.
MELATONIN (2mg preventative daily / 10mg mild / Doris Loh protocol if severe)
Well, it’s not for sleep, but that’s a nice bonus. Doris Loh has dedicated her entire career to the research of Melatonin and it has a whole host of protective effects on the body — from phase separation to regulation of antioxidants. It also protects the heart from a whole host of issues including sarcomere fragmentation (fibers responsible for heart contractions). Myocarditis is another common complaint as is blood clots. Melatonin helps to not only reduce cytokine storms, but to protect those sarcomeres from fragmentation.
ANTIVIRALS (take on empty stomach per bottle instructions)
Some good natural options are monolaurin, oregano oil, Biocidin (a blend), olive leaf, etc.
COQ10 (1 per day)
Very important enzyme for general heart health, and we stop producing it after 30. This is good for repairing and strengthening the heart, especially after heart attacks and post--Covid.
B COMPLEX (1 per day)
Needed for so many processes in the body, but especially when under stress. This is part of the EVMS Covid protocol as well.
BABY ASPIRIN (1 /day with meal, unless contraindicated or on blood thinners)
Clotting is a very big concern for hospitalized Covid cases, but also post-Covid in all cases. A recent study published in Circulation Research shows that spike proteins from SARS Cov-2 cause endothelial damage via downregulation of ACE2. are now shown It has to do with how the virus attacks the heart and therefore, a baby aspirin is also included on the EVMS protocol for infected individuals, since clotting is a concern — even for young people. Many doctors are prescribing this, and in many countries they are taking it preventatively, but the problem is we don’t know for how long it needs to be take or how long effects of the virus last.

Additional measures for sinus and lung congestion:

Deep Lung Formula —I attribute this to helping me finally get over my 4-month bacterial bronchitis. It specifically targets bad bacteria in the lung, and I started taking it immediate when I got sick. Whether you breathed in a pathogen, or your illness travels from head > throat > chest, this is a great treatment and prevention.

Clear Lungs — This helps to balance mucous and keep airways open.

Ivy Calming Syrup (EPS 7630) — a calming bronchial syrup that has been the subject of over 20 clinical studies and is already a leading European medicine. Great for cough, congestion, sore throat — take at first sign of symptoms.

Xlear Sinus Rinse — Xylitol has been shown in studies to have a greater ability to reduce pathogens in the sinus cavity than saline alone. Do this at the first sign of congestion, or if you suspect exposure.

Xlear Nasal Spray — great for moisturizing and disinfecting nasal passages. Can use daily as prevention. There’s also a kids version.

**Another thing you should have on hand is a pulse oximeter. This measures blood oxygen levels so you will know when something might be taking a more serious turn.