Important information regarding COVID-19 and immune support
We’ve had a number of enquiries from people asking us about COVID-19 so we have created this page to provide support and information to help you navigate your way through this challenging time.
What is Coronavirus / COVID-19
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus.
The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. You can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding close contact (2 meters or 6 feet) with people who are unwell.
Coronavirus disease spreads primarily through contact with an infected person when they cough or sneeze. It also spreads when a person touches a surface or object that has the virus on it, then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth.
People may be sick with the virus for 1 to 14 days before developing symptoms. The most common symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. More rarely, the disease can be serious and even fatal. Older people, and people with other medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), may be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill.
People may experience:
- cough
- fever
- tiredness
- difficulty breathing (severe cases)
There’s currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) or medication to treat it.
There is no specific medicine to prevent or treat coronavirus disease (COVID-19). People may need supportive care to help them breathe.
Call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if you have any symptoms and have been recently been overseas or have been in close contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19.
Protecting yourself from COVID-19
You can protect yourself and help prevent spreading the virus to others if you:
- Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
- Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or flexed elbow when you cough or sneeze
- Avoid close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with other people (mandatory during lockdown)
- Stay home and self-isolate from others (mandatory during lockdown)
- Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth if your hands are not clean
PLEASE NOTE: This is for informational purposes only. Consult your local medical authority for advice.
Source: World Health Organization
What can I do to be proactive and support my immune system?
My Remedy makes no claim to diagnose or cure COVID-19, the following is for information on how you may be able to support yourself throughout this epidemic, and to be as well as possible.
REMEMBER: Call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if you have any symptoms and have been recently been overseas or have been in close contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19.
The World Health Organisation recommends the following tips for self-care:
“If you have mild symptoms, stay at home until you’ve recovered. You can relieve your symptoms if you:
- rest and sleep
- keep warm
- drink plenty of liquids
- use a room humidifier or take a hot shower to help ease a sore throat and cough”
For informational purposes only. Consult your local medical authority for advice.
Source: World Health Organization
Additional immune support to consider:
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is a vital nutrient for health. It helps form and maintain bones, skin, and blood vessels. It occurs naturally in some foods, especially, fruit and vegetables. Supplements are also available.
It is recommended to consume 200 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C each day to keep us from “deficiency”. This is not hard. To achieve 200 milligrams, you can consume 2 gold kiwifruit, or 3 oranges (juiced is great), or a cup of frozen blackcurrants – and of course, more is best so don’t limit that beautiful fruit.
Vegetables are also an excellent source: One raw red capsicum contains 240 mg, while kumara (66 mg/cup), cooked broccoli (93 mg/cup) and raw red cabbage (50 mg/cup) are all reliably high. Herbs are also a great source of vitamins and minerals so load them into every meal or make teas from them.
However, Bananas, apples, carrots and spinach, on the other hand, are all relatively low in vitamin C.
If you want a boost, particularly if you are feeling poorly, a supplement may be beneficial.
We recommend:
Vitamin C: 1000 mg daily for good immune maintenance during the winter “flu” season.
For Acute symptomatic support, increase to 2-3000 mg daily until bowel tolerance, eg. you have loose stools, then reduce to 1000 mg daily again.
ZINC
Zinc is a mineral that’s important to the body in many ways. Zinc keeps the immune system strong, helps heal wounds, and supports normal growth. Some studies have found that zinc supplementation may reduce the duration of cold, perhaps by a day or so, and may reduce the number of upper respiratory infections in children.
Your recommended daily allowance should be able to be achieved by including red meat, chicken, oysters, some fortified cereals, whole grains, beans and nuts. Some people may require supplementation such as those on strict vegetarian diets, breastfeeding women and those with certain digestive problems such as IBD.
With a cold, or during cold and flu season, additional supplementation is well indicated. To avoid irritating the stomach, take zinc with food.
Please see the following charts for guidance.
Daily maintenance: (usually from diet) Acute support:
| Age | Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of Zinc |
| CHILDREN | |
| 7 months to 3 years | 3 mg/day |
| 4-8 years | 5 mg/day |
| 9-13 years | 8 mg/day |
| FEMALES | |
| 14-18 years | 9mg/day |
| 19 years and up | 8 mg/day |
| Pregnant | 14-18 years: 13 mg/day 19 years & over: 12 mg/day |
| Breastfeeding | 14-18 years: 13 mg/day 19 years and over: 12 mg/day |
| MALES | |
| 14-18 years | 11 mg/day |
| Age (Children & Adults) | Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of Zinc |
| 0-6 months | 4 mg/day |
| 7-12 months | 5 mg/day |
| 1-3 years | 7 mg/day |
| 4-8 years | 12 mg/day |
| 9-13 years | 13 mg/day |
| 14-18 years | 34 mg/day |
| 19 years and up | 40 mg/day |
HOMEOPATHY
For those who utilise homeopathy, the following remedies are the most recommended for the symptoms of flu with emphasis on the symptoms being recorded for COVID 19. We recommend utilising homeopathy to support early symptoms and if symptoms do not improve, seek immediate medical attention.
REMINDER: Call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if you have any symptoms and have been recently been overseas or have been in close contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19.
First Considerations:
- Ferrum phos 30C (Generalised feeling of malaise before any symptoms occur)
This relieves low-grade fever with weakness and tendency to nosebleeds and earaches.
- Aconite 30C (Sudden onset of illness)
If symptoms such as headache or sore throat which come on suddenly – suddenly unwell. High fever of sudden onset, with a hot face and dry skin.
- Arsenicum album 30C (Often first symptom of becoming unwell)
A person who needs this remedy during flu feels chilly and exhausted, along with an anxious restlessness. The person may be thirsty, but often only takes small sips. If the flu is respiratory, a watery, runny nose with sneezing paroxysms and a dry or wheezing cough are often seen. The person’s head usually feels hot, while the rest of the body is chilly.
Main remedies for established “Flu-like” symptoms
- Camphora 30C (highly indicated for symptoms of COVID-19) collapsed state
For the first stages of a cold with chilliness and sneezing and extreme restlessness. Symptoms of Influenza; headache, with catarrhal symptoms (violent attacks of dry cough) sneezing, etc. Beating pain in cerebellum. Sudden inflammatory fevers alternating with cold sweat. Does not want to be covered even though body feels ice cold.
- Bryonia alba 30C (highly indicated for symptoms of COVID-19)
For relief of high fever with body aches improved by staying immobile.
- Eupatorium perf 30C (Consider if Bryonia not effective)
For relief of deep bone pains and body aches associated with flu and severe colds.
- Gelsemium 30C (highly indicated for symptoms of COVID-19)
For relief if flu-like symptoms with fever, headache, dizziness and general weakness.
- Lycopodium 30C
For short, rattling breathing worse lying on back. Cough; dry, tickling, teasing; day and night; deep hollow; as if from sulphur fumes, worse on deep breathing. Salty greenish-yellow, lumpy or foul expectoration. Unresolved pneumonia.
- Merc sol 30C (Pneumonia-like symptoms)
Colds with ear pain or infections with bad smell (often green discharge). Hoarse rough voice. Cough in hard dry bouts – sputum is yellow to green (often profuse). Respiration is difficult. Much sneezing and coughing. Sensation of bubbles or steam in chest.
Other remedies to consider (but not limited to)
- Kali carb 30C
Violent sneezing. Breathing difficult, asthmatic worse least motion or walking; may also have diarrhoea; vertigo. Cough is incessant, hard retching or choking, with futile cough; then may vomit. Whooping cough. Lungs seem to stick to the ribs. Stabbing chest pains. (Seek immediate medical attention).
- Nux vomica 30C
When this remedy is indicated in influenza, the person may have high fever, violent chills, strong nausea and cramping in the digestive tract (or a painful cough and constricted breathing if the flu is respiratory). Headache usually occurs, along with oversensitivity to sound, bright light, and odours. A person who needs Nux vomica is often very irritable, feeling worse from exertion and worse from being cold in any way.
- Rhus tox 30C
This remedy relieves fever with restlessness: The patient is continuously moving to find a comfortable position and relieve the body aches.
- Phosphorus 30C
When this remedy is needed during flu, the person has a fever with an easily-flushing face, and feels very weak and dizzy. Headache, hoarseness, sore throat, and cough are likely. If the focus is digestive, stomach pain and nausea or vomiting usually occur. A person who needs this remedy often has a strong anxiety, wanting others to be around to offer company and reassurance. Strong thirst, with a tendency to vomit when liquids warm up in the stomach, is a strong indication for Phosphorus.
We can supply these remedies as single remedies, in combination formulations, or in kits if you wish. We are available for online consultation if more specific guidance or consultation is required.
Call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if you have any symptoms and have been recently been overseas or have been in close contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19.
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If you need some ideas on how to stay safe and well through this time, we have heaps of ideas in our ‘Guide To Living Well Naturally’ booklet.
Check out the DIY Wellness section. It’s filled with handy wellness tips and recipes for you to try. Please feel free to share this information with friends and family.
DISCLAIMER
My Remedy does not provide medical advice or diagnosis in our publications or consultations; we advise this should be done by a doctor and therapies offered should not be substituted or replaced for doctor’s treatment and should be viewed as complimentary. Consult your doctor regarding your medical condition/s and symptoms for advice.
The Naturopathic, Homeopathic and natural health information contained on this article is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES only and is not meant to replace medical advice, diagnose or treat any disease. We do not assume any liability for your use of any information contained in this publication.
You are responsible for directing your own health care so please use any information at your own risk. Always consult with your health care practitioner/professional before starting any therapeutic treatments or supplements to assist you to make decisions about your health care program.
