Coronavirus Tips: Holistic Recommendations for Mild Viral Illness

As with any virus, these sanitary measures can be the most important thing to prevent illness and transmission to others. To date, there is no vaccine and no specific antiviral medication to prevent or treat COVID-2019.

  • Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially before eating.

  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers with 60-95% alcohol when hand washing is not possible. Regular handwashing with soap and water is superior.

  • Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

  • Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or a tissue when you sneeze and throw the tissue in the trash. Tissues are preferred because the virus may continue to live on your clothing.

  • Limit handling doorknobs and other public surfaces.

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  • Avoid large crowds and places with poor ventilation.

  • Stay home if you feel unwell!

  • Masks for prevention are not being recommended, but if you are coughing and around others, you might consider wearing a mask to keep them from becoming infected.

Basics for the prevention and treatment of mild anti-viral illness:

  • Buy a reliable digital thermometer

  • Low-sugar electrolytes such as watered-down Pedialyte, coconut water, and/or keep a supply of broth in your freezer. Avoid highly sweetened drinks or drinks with artificial sweeteners such as Gatorade and Powerade.

  • Antiviral herbal formulas including licorice root (not to be taken if you have high blood pressure), Ashwagandha, North American ginseng, elderberry, echinacea, osha, lemon balm and garlic. These can typically be found at local health food stores, as well as at Taos Whole Health.

  • Drink hot tea with lemon and organic honey. Honey is a better cough suppressant than commercial cough syrup.

  • Zinc lozenges

  • Selenium, a common mineral deficiency, shows improvement of immunity from most viral infections, and may also protect from COVID-19

  • A good quality multivitamin containing plenty of Vitamins D3, C and A

  • Use a humidifier. Higher air humidity reduces virus survival of influenza and this may also apply to COVID-19. Add a few drops of the essential oil Eucalyptus to help with breathing, as well as for the antimicrobial effects.

Lifestyle Support that Can Prevent Viral Illness and Improve Your Immune System:

  • Prioritize sleep. Getting 7-8 hours each night of good quality sleep is crucial for a healthy immune system.

  • If you are feeling run down, take the day off. Being run down makes you more susceptible to contracting an illness.

  • Eat a whole-foods based diet rich in antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory herbs and spices such as garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric.

  • Avoid eating sugars and refined food, as well as limiting alcohol.

  • Exercise and move your body regularly. Your muscles act as a pump to your lymphatic tissue, which is part of the body’s immune system that helps to protect you from infection.

  • Practice daily stress reduction – mindfulness, meditation, journaling, prayer, gratitude, sunshine, fresh air, time with family and friends, play, pets, hobbies, self-care, etc. High cortisol levels from high stress negatively impact the immune system.

  • Decrease or discontinue smoking, as well as avoid all second-hand smoke.

  • Make sure that you are addressing any chronic health ailments! Healthy people with healthy immune systems are less likely to come down with a viral illness.

  • Fever is the body’s normal response to infection. Short-lived fevers (>38.3°C or 101°F) come and go without any long-term complications, however, the aches and pains that you feel during your illness may be in part due to the fever. So, lowering your fever with medication may improve comfort but may prolong the amount of time it takes for the virus to run its course. An alternative to reaching for the antipyretic medications is to try taking a bath with 1-2 cups of Epsom salt or applying cool compresses for comfort. You can always use ibuprofen or acetaminophen if you are so uncomfortable that you cannot rest or sleep, but we do not recommend treating a fever just for the sake of treating the fever.

  • The biggest source of concern with fevers is that you must stay hydrated. Dehydration during illness can lead to serious complications. Adequate water intake and minerals from drinking broth are important to replenish body fluids lost from sweating.

Modified from Dr. Alexis Shields ND with permission