Tag Archive for: coronavirus

High Blood Pressure and COVID-19

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If you have hypertension, commonly called high blood pressure, and you’re taking a medication called an ACE inhibitor (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor), make sure you take it regularly. It may—and I repeat, may—provide some protection against the COVID-19 virus. I’ll spend the rest of the week explaining why, but I want you to have that information first because you have no idea what you’ll be exposed to between now and Saturday.

What prompted this urgency? I read a Research Letter in JAMA Network that reported the comorbidities of people who died in 21 hospitals in Wuhan, China, between January 21 and 30, 2020; comorbidities are the simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases or conditions. The first indicator of morbidity (death) was age and try as we may, we can’t change that. The top modifiable morbidity was hypertension; half the people who died had high blood pressure. The second was diabetes.

Near the end of the short paper, the authors noted that hypertension is not a typical risk factor for sepsis, the uncontrolled immune-system response seen in the most serious cases of COVID-19. They commented that prior research had demonstrated that ACE receptors were discovered in the lungs; perhaps ACE inhibitors could be used as a potential treatment for the COVID-19 infection. More research is needed. I’ll examine this issue the rest of the week.

Insiders, remember there’s a Conference Call tomorrow night. I’ll explain this research and address some of the outlandish claims being made by so-called experts about cures for COVID-19 as well. If you’re not an Insider, go to the Store at drchet.com to check out how you can become one now.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: JAMA Network Open. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.5619

Adjusting to Your New Normal

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Today is the end of the month; it’s also the end of the first quarter of the year. I would guess that due to COVID-19, you may have to set new and perhaps different goals. I know I am; my seminar schedule has blown up completely—for now. The challenge is that we really don’t know how to set business or work goals because we don’t know what the new normal will be, but we’ll adapt.

However this is the perfect time to decide what you want your new normal health to be like.

What changes do you want to make? Lose weight? That’s on nearly everyone’s list, but there are many other potential health goals, such as to get more flexible, gain muscle, increase stamina, increase strength, lower blood sugar and HbA1c, do 50 consecutive push-ups, lower blood pressure, and more such as building the best immune system you can. We may have to “Stay Home and Stay Safe” and we may have to work from home, but we get the one thing we all want more of: time. Time to cook better. Time to stretch. Time to learn more about how to be healthy. Time to exercise, because that’s one thing we’re allowed to do outdoors. As you set those goals, set your health goals for the new normal for you.

Let me suggest one area to start: prepare yourself mentally. This is going to be a long, drawn-out process, and it’s not going to be over soon. There may be repeated periods of “Stay Home and Stay Safe” coming. You have to be ready for that.

The normal you know today is gone. It will take time to develop a new normal. It will be different than this one, and it won’t be the final one, but there will be a new normal until a real treatment is found that works quickly and prevents outbreaks and a vaccine is developed. Let’s get there together.

Back to the idea of time to learn more about how to be healthy; as you’re listening to podcasts, add a Dr. Chet MP3 or CD to your playlist. Or now that you have more time to cook, get the Real-Life Detox book or e-book to give your body a better chance to be healthy. This week we’re offering a special discount: use the code virus to get 19% off any two items. That’s 19% in addition to the Member and Insider discounts.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

What Should I Do?

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At this point, it seems that writing about anything other than COVID-19 is doing you, the reader, a disservice. But it also seems wrong to continue to talk about the topic you can’t escape hearing, talking, and thinking about, so I’m going to head back to reviewing research and health headlines next week.

For today, I’ve got some ideas about what you should be doing right now. We’re facing a new reality every time we step out our door. In fact, we may not be going out the door. It’s time to take control of those things we can control. But first, a slightly different view of what the next six months could be like.

A Solution Will Be Found

As you read this, someone is testing a new way of trying to treat the people who’ve acquired the COVID-19 virus. Someone else is trying to develop a faster way to test for the virus. For sure, there are many people working on a vaccine for the virus. That’s a logical order when you think about it. We need to be able to treat the people who have the disease now. Slow it down. Find a way to help the lungs resist the bacteria. It may be a drug approved for another purpose or it may be something brand new. That’s what we hope happens first. It will happen. We just want it to be sooner.

The ability to test for the virus quickly will be developed. When I say quickly, I mean a test that can be done to get the results in ten, five, or even two minutes, without using exotic metals or difficult-to-produce chemicals. One that can be performed at schools, restaurants, and especially at places of business. You get tested once in the morning in a drive-through center that takes a swab and get notified by cell phone with a code that says you’re virus free for that moment. It won’t be perfect, but it will bring back some semblance of normalcy. A new normalcy. At least for awhile.

Would a business want to develop that test? With mass production, it could drive the costs down. Would a place of business invest in that to protect workers? Or maybe the new reality will see some of the things we take for granted go away. Maybe more people will work remotely. As a teacher, I want to see your eyes to see whether you’re getting it or not, but maybe that won’t happen every time.

The vaccine will be made. Maybe it will finally force those who oppose vaccinations to take a hard look at why vaccinations should be a part of our lives. We’ll leave that fight for another day, and it’s one that will be waged.

A solution will be found for each area.

But What Should I Do Today?

As the virus moves on, we’re being asked to avoid human contact, which is really the only way to stop the spread of the virus. We should be hunkering down, if we are non-essential personnel, in our homes. I guess the next question is what do we do with all of this time?

Start tracking your temperature every day. Just as I recommend for blood pressure, start taking the temperature of everyone in the house every morning to establish a baseline. When it starts to deviate, check it more often. This is one of the key signs of the virus, so track your temperature every day.

Disinfect the main touchable surfaces in your home as often as reasonable but especially after you or another family member get home from a visit outside the home. I was fortunate—I had a quart of isopropyl alcohol. I saturate a paper towel and I wipe every door handle, the refrigerator handle, light switches, faucets, and finally the flushing handle in every bathroom. It takes about five minutes because you can let it air dry.

We’re all relying even more on electronics, so clean the surfaces you touch all the time: your phone, keyboard, mice, tablet, and remotes. (Follow special instructions for cleaning your screens.)

Finally, start working on really boosting your immune system. Get more sleep. Eat more vegetables and fruit. Start walking more every day; you can find exercise ideas on drchet.com and many other websites, and even DIY exercise equipment. Your immune system isn’t determined by taking a few supplements, although they can help; it’s determined by the lifestyle you live. Your normal routine is gone anyway, so start changing your lifestyle now.

The Bottom Line

Life as we’ve been living it has changed, and we will end up in a new normal. Take the time you have now and get your body prepared for it. That’s what you should be doing right now. Your body. Your choice.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Open-to-All Insiders Conference Call

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First, Happy St. Patrick’s Day—everyone is Irish today.

Second, this is the login information for tomorrow evening’s Insiders Conference Call via freeconferencecall.com; the call is Wednesday night at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. You can listen on your phone, watch on your phone, tablet, or laptop. Because I can’t answer questions live once it’s started, if you have problems logging in, most of the time the issue is with the sound. If you cannot listen online, watch and dial in to listen. If your screen gets locked, close it and log in again.

Here’s the dial-in information:

Dial-in Number: (515) 604-9094
Access Code: 249-024-071

To watch on any device:

Online Meeting ID: 249-024-071
Online Meeting Link: https://www.freeconferencecall.com/wall/249-024-071

The first 20 minutes will be updated information on COVID-19 and what you can do to protect yourself in addition to avoiding crowds and washing your hands. Then it’s on to your questions. I’ve received some questions already, but if you have questions, email them today to [email protected] and I’ll try to answer them until time runs out.

One more thing, and this is critical: if you’re listening with a group of people on speakerphone, be sure you mute your end. The feedback is bad if you don’t.

I’m looking forward to talk with everyone tomorrow.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Everyone’s an Insider Wednesday Night

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The COVID-19 virus is on everyone’s mind based on the questions I’ve been getting. So here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to hold the regularly scheduled Insiders Conference Call on Wednesday night at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. The difference is that I’m going to open it up to my entire list of subscribers.

I know that’s short notice but I’ve wanted everyone to experience the Insiders Conference Call, so this presents the right time when we’re supposed to be staying home anyway. If you understand the benefit of hearing me cover a topic in detail, plus answer your questions, that may help you make the decision to become an Insider.

I’ll send out the log-in information in the tomorrow’s Memo. It’s a live event only, no replay for non-Insiders. Take the opportunity and join me for the conference call with Insiders on Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET.

One more item: my Nutrition for the 21st Century seminar in Atlanta has been postponed. I’ll let you know when it’s back on the schedule.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reducing COVID-19 Stress

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On the way to the studio yesterday to record my radio show Straight Talk on Health, an Insider asked me about how to assess a hotel for whether he should stay there or not. Then last night, I heard an interview with David Ropeik, author of the book “How Risky Is It?”

After thinking about it, the common theme is that the risk presented by the COVID-19 virus has us in a constant state of stress. Should we go on a trip or not? Do we continue the book club meetings or go to swim class? Can we get enough toilet paper—something we seem to be obsessing about?

We are facing something that’s unseen. We don’t know exactly who has the virus or whether they’re infectious. We can do only what we can do. Wash your hands. Clean surfaces regularly. Cough or sneeze into your elbow. Those things we can control and so we should. What we should not do is worry about them. Impossible, you say? I know it’s difficult, but here’s the deal: worry leads to stress, and stress has a negative affect on the immune system. Just when you need your immune system to be at its optimal level, the stress causes it to be compromised. That’s not helping you get ready in case you’re exposed, and many of us will be. It’s our immune system that will determine how our body responds.

Control what you can, chill out, and take your supplements. Do things you can do at home that relax you and make you feel happy, whether it’s reading, sorting through your closet, watching a movie, or video calling your grandkids. Take a nap, pet your dog, do some yoga—never tried yoga? Now you’ve got time.

That’s the best advice I can give you to keep your immune system strong.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

New Theory: COVID-19 in the 30-50” North Parallels

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One of the questions that I’m frequently asked about COVID-19 is related to temperature: do I think that the virus will fade as the temperature gets warmer in the Northern hemisphere? My answer is still I don’t know. However, after Paula gave me an article to read, and then I read the scientific paper behind the news article, I’m going to change my answer to maybe, and here’s why.

Several virus researchers tracked the path of the virus as it has spread. They focused on a specific weather path within the northern parallels at 30-50 N”—the lime green path in the graphic that shows weather from November 2018 to March 2019 (assuming the weather has been similar this year). When you look at the clusters of cases within specific temperatures (41°F to 52°F) and humidity percentages (47% to 79%), it seems reasonable. It was interesting to me that it’s not a straight line around the earth; as the temperature and humidity vary slightly from location to location, so do the clusters. That doesn’t mean there are no cases outside of that area, but they may have been carried from the clusters out, called community spread, which is unpredictable.

The researchers have also predicted, based on weather projections, where the next clusters may occur as spring proceeds. They caution that this is an examination with just two variables: cases of the COVID-19 virus infections and weather factors. They include a chart where the weather conditions will be right in the coming weeks. That doesn’t mean it will happen; just that it’s possible.

Does that actually answer the question I’ve been asked? No, but it gives us a direction to look. We’ll know more as we move toward summer. Until then, keep washing those hands, taking your supplements, and disinfecting surfaces you and others touch all the time. I’m going to go sanitize the refrigerator handle!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: https://bit.ly/3cMhQ43

COVID-19 and Social Media

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A long-time friend and Insider asked if the following were true. I’m going to use excerpts because I don’t want someone to mistakenly think I endorse what’s being said. I don’t, and this Memo is going to point out where the lies exist. I can’t think of a nicer way of saying it because the people who write this stuff are not concerned about your health in the least. Maybe it’s just a bid for attention, I don’t know.

“The Self Test”

From the first social media post (Paula asked me to tell you the copy from social media hasn’t been edited; her appraisal is “Yikes.”):

“The new NCP coronavirus may not show sign of infection for many day. By the time they have fever and/or cough and goes to the hospital, the lungs is usually 50 % Fibrosis and it’s too late! Taiwan experts provide a simple self-check that we can do every morning: Take a deep breath and hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. If you complete it successfully without coughing, without discomfort, stuffiness or tightness, etc., it proves there’s no fibrosis in the lungs, basically indicating no infection.”

The problem with many of these hoaxes is they contain at least one element of truth. COVID-19 may take a few days, maybe up to a week, to begin to show symptoms, generally a fever. The issue is that unless someone already has a fever, the infection would not have spread to the lungs.

There is no self-test that I could find. If it were true, wouldn’t everyone know it by now? (And that’s always a good question when you see health news that’s too good to be true.) More than that, fibrosis doesn’t seem to be the result of getting COVID-19.

“Serious Excellent Advice”

SERIOUS EXCELLENT ADVICE by Japanese doctors treating COVID-19 cases. Everyone should ensure your mouth & throat is moist, never DRY. Take a few sips of water every 15 mins at least. WHY? Even if the virus gets into your mouth…drinking water or other liquids will WASH them down through your oesophagus and into the stomach. Once there in tummy…your stomach ACID will kill all the virus. If you don’t drink enough water more regularly…the virus can enter your windpipes and into the LUNGS. That’s very dangerous.

Drinking fluids is important to your immune system, but there’s no relationship between your ability to drink every 15 minutes and killing the virus with stomach acid. Stop and think: this virus causes problems in the upper and especially the lower respiratory system. If water helps kill it, there are few places in the body more moist than the respiratory system.

“Spread the Word”

Pls send and share with family, friends and everyone about this ! Take care everyone n may the world recovers from corona virus soon. May all be well n happy.

There is always an appeal to share the posts, no matter which form of social media. I would recommend you not do that. These posts are misleading, and if your friends and family follow the advice and get sick… well. You get the point.

The Bottom Line

The medical news during a crisis is difficult enough to follow. Promoting people who post such nonsense slows down the process of educating people on what they really should do to protect themselves and reduce the risk of getting COVID-19. Part of helping others is not passing along incorrect information.

One More Thing

Dr. Chet’s seminar Nutrition for the 21st Century in Atlanta is in just two weeks! Reserve your spot today—when will you get another chance to hear me teach, live and in person? Check it out in the Dr. Chet store. Keep taking your vitamins and probiotics to keep your immune system strong, and I hope to see you there!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

There’s More to Know About COVID-19

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Someone just sneezed in an enclosed area such as an office or a plane. We know the potential for any virus to be in a droplet, especially if someone is sick. How many individual viruses do you have to inhale to get sick? In theory, just one will do it. After reading more details, it’s likely to take more than that, depending on the virus and with COVID-19, we just don’t know yet.

Are we toast? No, because it gets complicated. It depends on the strength of your immune system, and that includes whether you’ve had a coronavirus from a regular cold that was similar enough to have made antibodies to it. Then the virus has to penetrate cells to replicate; they can’t replicate by themselves. How many cells get infected will, in part, determine whether you get sick or not after exposure. Once the infection begins, your body will produce mucus to try to expel the virus, and thus the potential for infecting others continues, whether you get symptoms or not.

What’s the best thing to do? Keep your immune system strong. Take the supplements you typically use to boost your immune system, and don’t forget the probiotics (check out Immune Boost 1-2-3 on my Health Info page). Get enough sleep. Try to get your stress under control—like that’s easy—but most of us can find at least one stressor to eliminate or postpone, especially now when we have the perfect excuse to cancel. Slow and easy exercise. If you’re starting to feel sick, stay home if you can. If you’re sick and you must leave the house, that’s the time to wear a mask—to protect others. And for goodness sake, wash your hands with soap thoroughly and frequently. That seems to be the universal advice.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

P.S. This is the last week to get 20% off on The Optimal Performance CD Set and Workbook, so check it out now.

How Many Viruses in a Single Droplet?

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All news sources are reporting on the COVID-19 virus. We’ve had the first six deaths in the U.S. and people are concerned. I understand; as someone who travels for a living and meets with groups of people locally and around the country, the thought crosses my mind. Of all the things we can do, the most important is to try to limit the spread of the virus person to person. That’s not going to be easy.

In doing some research for an Insiders Conference Call, I wanted to know how many viruses could be in a single droplet expelled from a cough or a sneeze. With viruses being so small, even in relation to bacteria, I knew it had to be a lot, and it is.

In one droplet expelled by a cough, there may be 3,000 or so droplets. In a sneeze, the droplets could be as many as 40,000 or so. That’s a lot, but that isn’t the whole story. The question was how many viruses could be in a single droplet. For someone is symptomatic and infectious, there could be as many as 200 million viruses in a single droplet. So 40,000 x 200,000,000; you can do the math from there. It’s a lot of viruses if you happen to have droplets lodge in your sinus cavity or in your mouth.

But wait! There’s more—and I’ll tell you that on Thursday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet