This is a good time to relieve yourself of all martyrish thoughts, harsh work ethics, the need to be needed (unless you are a front line medical worker) and just stay at home.
As this is a Coronavirus it enters the throat, nose or eyes and then replicates in the respiratory tract and possibly the digestive tract. It produces a "cytokine storm" - an excessive immune response causing the release of inflammatory cytokines (chemicals released mostly by the white blood cells). In this type of infection, tissue injury and oxidative damage (by free radicals) also contribute to acute lung injury.
Secondary bacterial infections are likely.
What can you do?
Get your body prepared - eat well, support the immune system & tissues in your respiratory tract, stock up on necessities. Practice rigorous hygiene. If you are able, stay at home.
Vitamin C foods and drinks are important - citrus, kiwifruit, berries (blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, elderberries), blackcurrants.
Orange/yellow vegetables daily plus green leafy ones (include dandelion greens and chickweed)
Soups are good, especially chicken bone broth with a variety of vegetables and a little seaweed.
Exercise daily & avoid sugar.
Improve your resistance
Laugh daily!
Improve gut health as up to 90% of our immune function is stimulated in the digestive tract (gut). Eat plenty of onions, bananas, honey, garlic, leeks, artichoke hearts, burdock sauerkraut and anything containing chicory. These provide valuable fructooligosaccharides (FOS) which your digestive bugs love.
Stimulate immune function by using Echinacea daily and eating shitake (and other) mushrooms regularly.
Improve respiratory tract health and function
Lemon and Garlic - to the juice of a lemon and 1 tbsp grated rind, add 1 tsp of finely chopped ginger, 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 tbsp Manuka honey (or other honey), a pinch of cayenne pepper. Fill to the top with hot water, stir and drink or eat all.
Respiratory supportive herbs such as Elecampane, Mullein, Thyme, Marshmallow, Wild Cherry bark, Kumarahou, White horehound - soothe, expectorate & dampen down the cough reflex.
Herbal protocols drawing on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine are proving very useful in dealing with the virus itself. See the below link for more details:
