Hi Friend,
Happy Sunday! I hope you've had a great week.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns have felt a bit closer to home recently. It seems like it's the leading headline everyday. I've heard about (and seen) stores running out of certain items, conferences getting canceled, companies closing offices or sequestering employees, and a friend's parents in Italy are essentially on house arrest. It's on my mind and I figured it might be on yours too.
I'm certainly not panic-stricken about the illness, but unlike a regular flu season, it seems that daily life will likely be impacted as COVID-19 spreads through the US. I decided to do some stocking up this week, just in case. I've also been reading about prevention strategies from doctors and experts I trust.
I don't want to spread fear in any way. I'm just trying to be realistic and pragmatic--and of course we all want to stay well during this time.
Here is the best overview I've come across: Coronavirus (COVID-19): What a Pediatrician Wants You to Know. This is by Dr. Elisa Song, a Holistic Pediatrician I've been following for years. This is a great read if you're interested in learning more, regardless of whether you have young children. Over the past couple of days, I've actually seen other functional medicine docs I follow referencing this piece -- it's thorough and very well researched.
Here's what we're focusing on: Note: some of these are in line with regular cold & flu season precautions, the kinds of things I did when I had a newborn, and some are unique to current concerns regarding COVID-19. - Immune support: zinc, vitamin D3 (I take a D3/K2 combo), elderberry, clean eating (this post covers why I think home cooking is your best bet), fermented / probiotic-rich foods (sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt), prioritizing sleep, exercise, staying well-hydrated.
- Nose irrigation: Dr. Song and our SF pediatrician are big proponents of this practice (she recommends Xlear; he likes NeilMed). It's useful at the first sign of a cold or flu and after potential exposure (travel, school, daycare, etc.). Dr. Song says: "**Apart from regular hand washing, I believe that daily and frequent nasal irrigation is one of the MOST important things that we can do to prevent influenza and other viral respiratory infections from taking hold.** This is because after exposure to a virus, the influenza virus tries to invade and multiply in your nasal passages for at least 1-2 days before you develop any symptoms. Nasal irrigation can wash away viral particles before they have the opportunity to take hold, and thereby prevent many infections from happening in the first place!"
- Avoiding things that compromise the immune system: processed foods, sugar, stress (as always).
- Stocking up on essentials and healthy food: I want to avoid not being able to access what we need (toilet paper, diapers, healthy food); we also might opt to minimize time in places like grocery stores and restaurants. Our fridge, freezer, and pantry are full of good stuff! If you click to the last few pics of my Shopping Lists highlight, you can see what I got at Costco this week (my Thrive order's been delayed because they've been overwhelmed...).
- Humidity: we have a humidifier built into our HVAC system and cool-mist bedroom humidifiers. Here's an interesting read from Harvard on why the flu strikes in the winter.
- Lots of hand-washing: I'm still using Branch Basics, which I use for all of our household cleaning.
- Occasional use of hand-sanitizer: this is only when washing with soap and water is not an option - e.g. after playing at a park, after grocery shopping, when I pick my daughter up from school. Then washing with soap and water as soon as we get home. I use EO or the Whole Foods brand, which are 62% alcohol.
- Being more mindful about touching our faces: and keeping that to a minimum (really hard with young children, but I'm trying with our eldest).
- Having conversations about paid sick time. This could be a difficult time for hourly workers. Even though we don't have anyone who works for us full-time, I want our babysitters and housekeeper to know that they should stay home if they're not well, and relieve financial pressure that might impact their decision.
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