Treatment of COVID at home can be very effective, but only if you know what to do. There is a good chance you don’t know the best way to take care of yourself once you test positive for COVID. Ok, you have put yourself in isolation, but that measure is to protect others. How about yourself? Are there any vitamins you can take? Is there a drug treatment for COVID-19? What else can you do to take care of yourself once you are diagnosed with COVID?
The good news is you can treat COVID at home if you have mild to moderate symptoms. In fact, most people who test positive for COVID develop only mild to moderate symptoms, especially with Omicron variant. Their best treatment option is to stay at home. Start an aggressive COVID treatment instead of just lying there in isolation and hoping to get better.
Research shows that comprehensive treatment of COVID at home can be very effective. For example, Monoclonal Antibody treatment can cut down the risk of hospitalization and death by an impressive 85%. 1
In addition, Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Magnesium may prevent hospitalization. Then, there are some drugs including FDA’s recently authorized oral pill, PAXLOVID, as another tool for the treatment of COVID at home. Also be ware that steroids must not be used in the first week of COVID. Their use may do more harm than good if used early in the treatment of COVID.
Comprehensive Treatment of COVID-19 at Home
You can treat COVID at home if you have mild to moderate symptoms. The acronym for this at-home treatment for COVID is SNEVM, which is as follows:
- Stress management
- Nutrition
- Exercise – Rest – Sleep
- Vitamins – Minerals – Herbs
- Medications
Stress Management For COVID Treatment
Stress – physical as well as emotional – wreaks havoc on your immune system. Therefore, stay calm and take common-sense actions such as:
Do not watch news filled with fear. Unfortunately, most people in quarantine due to COVID end up watching sensational news which is so counter-productive. Instead, you can watch comedy shows, listen to meditation music, watch soul-lifting movies.
Be aware of your own busy mind. Watch how your mind creates fearful scenarios one after another. Take your attention away from these thoughts. Instead, pay attention to what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Instantaneously, your worrisome thoughts disappear as well as their harmful effects on your body including your immune system.
Click here to get more details on how to treat anxiety due to Covid
Nutrition When You Are Home With COVID
Good nutrition is extremely important for your health when you are sick with any infection including COVID-19. Use plenty of fruits, vegetables, eggs, carbohydrates, meats and nuts. Use a lot of lentils and beans instead of meats if you are a vegetarian.
Drink plenty of liquids especially if you have a fever.
Drink Z-tea to boost your immune system.
Avoid alcohol completely as it drains you of magnesium and zinc, two important minerals for the health of your immune system. In addition, alcohol directly impairs your immune system. For these reasons, excessive alcohol consumption may increase COVID-mortality, according to my recent study.
Exercise – Rest – Sleep for COVID-19
Conserve energy by minimizing your exercise level to just minimal walking and talking. Many people don’t realize that talking consumes a lot of energy. Similarly, avoid mental work. You may not be aware that your brain consumes an incredible amount of glucose, especially when it is doing mental work.
Rest a lot. Get at least 10 hours of sleep per 24 hours.
Listen to your body. Fatigue is a common symptom which often lingers on. People who rush to their usual physical activities – despite fatigue – often find themselves struggling with COVID symptoms for a long time.
Vitamins for Home Treatment of COVID
Vitamins are extremely important for the normal functioning of your immune system. Therefore, vitamins are crucial part of treatment of COVID at home. Scientific studies support the use of the following vitamins when you have COVID-19
Vitamin D for the Treatment of COVID at Home
Vitamin D is the most important vitamin when you are taking care of yourself with COVID. Why? Vitamin D not only boosts your immune system, but it also prevents Cytokine Storm – one of the main reasons why people die from COVID-19. Unfortunately, most people are low in vitamin D.
Several studies from all around the world have discovered that vitamin D deficiency clearly increases your risk of dying from COVID-19. On the other hand, a good level of vitamin D helps you to recover from COVID. For example, researchers from Teheran University, Iran discovered the rate of mortality from COVID-19 was 70% less in patients whose vitamin D was 40 ng/mL or higher as compared to those whose level was less than 30 ng/ml. 2
In addition, a good level of vitamin D – above 50 ng/ml – may cut down your risk of even catching COVID – by 50% – in the first place, as was documented in an excellent study in the summer of 2020.
How Much Vitamin D for COVID Treatment
Based on treating thousands of patients over a fifteen-year period, I recommend a daily dose of vitamin D supplement as 5000 IU per 100 Lbs. body weight as a maintenance dose. If you develop symptoms of COVID, you may double the dose for about two weeks and then go back to the maintenance dose.
As an example, if you weigh about 200 Lbs., you may take 10,000 IU per day as your maintenance dose. You may increase the dose to 20,000 IU per day as soon as you develop symptoms of COVID. Then, you can continue this dose for about 2 weeks. Afterwards, go back to 10,000 IU per day. Make sure to get your physician’s approval for this high dose of vitamin D.
I have not encountered any case of vitamin D toxicity during my extensive clinical experience. But it may happen.
Learn about vitamin D toxicity.
Vitamin D should be taken with vitamin K2, because these two vitamins reinforce each other’s actions.
Please refer to my book, “Power of Vitamin D” to learn more about Vitamin D.
Vitamin C for the Treatment of COVID
Vitamin C has long been used to treat the common Cold, flu and other respiratory illnesses. And it makes perfect sense because vitamin C is important for the normal functioning of our immune system. It is also an antioxidant and may prevent excessive inflammation. During an upper respiratory illness, your immune cells rapidly use up the available vitamin C which leads to a relative deficiency of this important vitamin. Therefore, it is crucial to take a high dose of vitamin C, at least 2 – 4 grams per day when you treat COVID at home. These short-term high doses of vitamin C are safe. In fact, researchers in China safely used much higher doses (12 grams every 12 hours) of vitamin C intravenously in their hospitalized patients with COVID-19.3
Zinc Supplements in the Treatment of COVID
Like Vitamin C, Zinc is a known remedy for the common Cold, flu and other infections. It is well established that Zinc plays an important role to fight off viral infections including coronaviruses. Zinc has direct antiviral properties. It also strengthens the lining of the respiratory tract. In addition, it prevents excessive inflammation.4 It is interesting to note that Zinc deficiency is common in the elderly, the obese. diabetics and alcoholics. These individuals are also at high risk of contracting COVID-19 and and dying from it. Therefore, Zinc is a excellent mineral for the treatment of COVID at home.
Numerous studies all around the world show the beneficial effects of Zinc to treat COVID-19 patients. In one such study, a researcher from George Washington School of Medicine, Washington DC, reports four cases of COVID-19 treated with high doses of Zinc lozenges. All four showed remarkable improvement within a 24 hour period. 5 The total dose of Zinc in the study was about 150 – 200 mg per 24 hours.
How much Zinc to Treat COVID-19
The recommended daily dose of Zinc (for maintenance of health) is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women. However, when dealing with acute illness such as COVID, you need much higher doses such as 150-200 mg per 24 hours. However, these high doses should be used only for a few days to a couple of weeks.
ZINC Toxicity
In general, Zinc is considered to be safe. Zinc toxicity is rare, but it can happen with extremely high doses. The symptoms of Zinc toxicity include nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, lethargy, and fatigue.
Zinc in excess of 60 mg per day for longer periods may cause Copper and Iron deficiency which may cause low count of red blood cells, white blood cells and lowering of HDL cholesterol. Therefore, it is a good idea to use a combination of Zinc and Copper if you use a relatively high dose of Zinc for a longer period. Also take an Iron supplement and keep an eye on your HDL levels.
Magnesium Supplementation for the Treatment of COVID
Magnesium is important for the normal functioning of our immune system. Unfortunately, most individuals are low in magnesium especially the elderly, the obese, diabetics, hypertensives, alcoholics and those who are stressed-out. These are the people who are at high risk of complications from COVID-19. Therefore, it makes sense to increase magnesium intake – or add a magnesium supplement – if you are treating your COVID at home. Is there any study to show the benefits of magnesium supplementation in COVID-19? The answer is yes. In a study from Singapore, researchers gave a cocktail of magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin B12 to their COVID patients over the age of 50 upon their hospital admission. The results were impressive: 80% reduction in the risk of deterioration and need for an ICU admission. 6
In Short
Vitamins and minerals play an important role in the normal functioning of our immune system. Scientific evidence supports the use of Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc and Magnesium in COVID patients.
Medications for Treatment of COVID-19 at Home
1. Relief of Symptoms
You can take Tylenol (acetaminophen) and/or Ibuprofen, Naproxen for fever and muscle aches. Mucinex (guaifenesin) can help relieve chest congestion. Vicks VapoRub is helpful to improve breathing through the congested nose. But it should not be used in toddlers under the age of 2. You should also avoid the Cold and Flu formulas which contain antihistamines and decongestants, as these ingredients may actually prolong your illness. Click here to learn in more detail why you should not use Cold and Flu formulas.
You can also drink Z-Tea , which helps to relieve symptoms of COVID. At the same time, it enhances your own immune system to fight the coronavirus that causes COVID.
2. MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
It is a very effective treatment against COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies can prevent you from getting sick – in the first place – if you are exposed to a person with COVID-19. For those who start to have symptoms, this treatment can stop the progression of the illness and prevent hospitalizations or death.
Monoclonal antibodies are a FDA-authorized treatment for COVID patients who have mild to moderate symptoms, but are at high risk for progression of the disease. These risk factors include diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, or over the age of 55.
Monoclonal antibodies work best if you get them as soon as possible after the symptoms of COVID begin. However, you can still get this treatment within 10 days of the onset of illness.
Treatment with monoclonal antibodies is not available to hospitalized COVID patients. They may actually get worse with this treatment. Therefore, timing is of essence. Early treatment can prevent you from getting worse and save you from hospitalization.
The FDA authorized the use of monoclonal antibodies in November of 2020. Unfortunately, it did not get much attention until recently when the Delta variant spread across the world. While vaccines are becoming less effective against the Delta variant, available monoclonal antibodies currently retain their effectiveness.
How Do Monoclonal Antibodies Work Against COVID-19?
Monoclonal antibodies are similar to the antibodies that your own immune system produces in response to the COVID-19 virus. These antibodies attack the virus and neutralize it. More specifically, monoclonal antibodies attach to the Spike protein of the virus. Consequently, the virus cannot enter the cell. In this way, monoclonal antibodies stop the virus in the trenches.
Which Monoclonal Antibodies Are Available in the U.S.?
Two preparations of monoclonal antibodies are available in the U.S.
- REGN-COV2
- Sotrovimab
REGN-COV2 is the brand name for a combination of two monoclonal antibodies: casirivimab plus imdevimab.
The study on REGN-COV2 was a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial – in the outpatient setting – with mild to moderate COVID-19. The participants were aged 18 or older who had one or more risk factors for severe COVID-19.
There were 736 participants in the REGN-COV2 group and 748 participants in the placebo group. The researchers found a 70% relative reduction in the risk for hospitalization or death among the recipients of REGN-COV2 compared to the placebo recipients.7
Sotrovimab
The clinical trial on Sotrovimab had similar settings: patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who were at high risk for progression to severe disease. In this trial, 291 patients received sotrovimab and 292 received placebo. There was an 85% relative risk reduction in hospitalizations or death among the sotrovimab recipients compared to the placebo recipients. 7
Administration of Monoclonal Antibodies Treatment
These drugs are typically given as one intravenous infusion in an outpatient setting: physician’s office, urgent care center, an infusion center, or ER of a hospital. It is important to monitor patients for at least 1 hour after the completion of the infusion for any reactions.
As an alternative, REGN-COV2 can be given as injection in the skin. However, according to NIH (National Institute of Health) guidelines, “this route of administration should only be used when IV infusions are not feasible or would lead to a delay in treatment.” 7
Are Monoclonal Antibodies Effective Against the Delta Variant?
EGN-COV2 and Sotrovimab remain effective against Delta variant at this time.7
Which Monoclonal Antibody is Effective Against the Omicron Variant?
Sotrovimab – and not EGN-COV2 – appears to be effective against Omicron, the latest variant, according to press release from its maker, GlaxoSmithKline.8
Side-effects from Monoclonal Antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are very effective in preventing hospitalizations and death. However, potential side-effects can happen. These side-effects include anaphylactic reactions, injection site pain and redness. Additionally, rash, itching, diarrhea, nausea, and dizziness have also been reported.
Monoclonal Antibodies Treatment in Vaccinated People
You can be a candidate for monoclonal antibodies if you develop COVID-19 within two weeks of receiving a COVID-vaccine. However, you should not get a COVID-vaccination for at least 90 days if you received COVID-monoclonal antibodies.
Is Treatment With Monoclonal Antibodies Experimental?
No. It is authorized by the FDA.
3. IVERMECTIN
Ivermectin is FDA-approved drug to treat parasites in humans and livestock, but it is not approved for COVID-19 treatment or prevention. However, researchers from Australia reported – in 2020 – that Ivermectin possesses antiviral activity against SARS- CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 9 but it was in the laboratory setting. Since then, there have been numerous clinical trials on Ivermectin in COVID-19 patients. Some of these studies show Ivermectin may reduce mortality in COVID-19 patients. For example, a study from Florida showed that Ivermectin treatment significantly lowered mortality in hospitalized patients.10
A study from Bangladesh showed that a 5 day-course of ivermectin reduced the duration of illness in hospitalized patients.11
The dose of Ivermectin is about 12 mg for an average adult. In clinical trials on Ivermectin, various dose schedules have been used. A usual regimen is 12 mg per day for five days in adults.
Please make sure you do not overdose on Ivermectin and use only Ivermectin tablets that are manufactured for human use.
In the U.S., some patients may get Ivermectin online which may be a highly concentrated form used for animals. In this way, patients may develop an overdose of Ivermectin which can be quite harmful.
Side effects from Ivermectin
According to the FDA, “some of the side-effects that may be associated with ivermectin include skin rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, facial or limb swelling, neurologic adverse events (dizziness, seizures, confusion), sudden drop in blood pressure, severe skin rash potentially requiring hospitalization and liver injury (hepatitis). Laboratory test abnormalities include decrease in white cell count and elevated liver tests.”
Ivermectin may also have potential drug interactions especially with blood thinners and immuno-suppressive drugs. Check with your healthcare provider and pharmacist before you take Ivermectin.
4. ASPIRIN
One of the major issues in COVID-19 is that your blood gets thick and may clot which can lead to severe complications such as a stroke, heart attack, lung failure, kidney failure and gangrene of toes and fingers. That’s why physicians often use blood thinners in hospitalized patients. Physicians use Aspirin, a widely available blood thinner, in many parts of the world in COVID patients. Several – but not all – studies show beneficial effects of Aspirin in COVID patients.
For example, in one multicenter study from the U.S., Aspirin use lowered the risk of serious disease and mortality.12
5. FLUVOXAMINE
Fluvoxamine is used to treat depression. However, physicians started to use it in COVID-19 patients and found it be beneficial. In one placebo-control study from the U.S., patients who recieved Fluvoxamine at home were less likely to become seriously sick.13
6. PAXLOVID
On December 22, 2021, the FDA gave Emergency Use Authorization to PAXLOVID, an oral anti-COVID pill by Pfizer. In the clinical Trial, a total of 1,039 patients received PAXLOVID, and 1,046 patients received a placebo. Patients were 18 years of age and older with a risk factor for progression to severe disease or were 60 years and older regardless of chronic medical conditions. All patients had not received a COVID-19 vaccine and had not been previously infected with COVID-19. There were 0.8% hospitalizations or deaths among patients who received PAXLOVID as compared to 6% of the patients who received a placebo, which translates into 88% efficacy of PAXLOVID against hospitalization or death. 14
PAXLOVID should be taken within 5 days of the onset of symptoms of COVID. Do not use it as a pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of COVID.14
Side Effects of PAXLOVID
The following side effects of PAXLOVID were observed in the initial clinical trial:15
- impaired sense of taste (6%)
- diarrhea (3%)
- high blood pressure (1%)
- muscle aches (1%)
Patients with liver and kidney disease should not take PAXLOVID.15
Drug Interactions of PAXLOVID
PAXLOVID is contraindicated – must not be taken – if you are any of the following drugs:15
- lovastatin, simvastatin
- sildenafil (Revatio®) when used for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
- triazolam, oral midazolam
- alfuzosin
- pethidine, piroxicam, propoxyphene
- ranolazine
- amiodarone, dronedarone, flecainide, propafenone, quinidine
- colchicine
- lurasidone, pimozide, clozapine
- dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine
- apalutamide
- carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin
- rifampin
- St. John’s Wort (hypericum perforatum)
Is PAXLOVID Effective Against Omicron?
The clnical trial for PAXLOVID that led to its Emergency Use Authorization was carried out before the arrival of Omicron. So, the logical answer is that we don’t know if PAXLOVID is effective against Omicron.
Should I Take PAXLOVID if I am Vaccinated?
In Pfizer’s own Trial, all patients who took PAXLOVID were unvaccinated.14
This study also excluded patients who had COVID-19 in the past.
7. STEROIDS (Not Appropriate for Treatment of COVID at Home)
Small doses of Steroids such as Dexamethasone or Prednisone are useful in treating COVID-19, but timing is important. Adding steroids may be useful only after 7-10 days of the illness and only if there is some evidence of lung involvement, decrease in oxygen saturation and blood tests that indicate Cytokine Storm.
On the other hand, if used early, steroids may worsen the disease. Why? Because Cytokine Storm – excessive inflammation – happens after about 7-10 days of the illness. During the first 7-10 days of illness, your immune system is fighting off the invading virus. Steroids may interfere with your immune system’s ability to fight off infection if used in this early phase of COVID-19.
The studies that showed the clinical efficacy of steroids in COVID-19 patients were all conducted in critically ill hospitalized patients.16
In one such trial, dexamethasone (a cheap, widely available steroid) significantly lowered mortality only in those COVID-19 patients who were on ventilators or on oxygen therapy.17
Side-effects from Steroids
Steroids use – even in short term – can cause a number of serious side-effects including worsening of diabetes, water-retention, congestive heart failure, and predisposition to bacterial and fungal infections. One such dreadful fungal infection is Black Fungus (Mucormycosis). Recent overuse of steroids in COVID patients has led to an epidemic of this deadly disease in India, which is otherwise a rare condition. Aspergillus, another rare fungal disease, is on the rise in COVID patients in the Netherlands and U.S, again thanks to excessive use of steroids. 18
In Summary
You can take good care of yourself if you test positive for COVID-19. Take action right away – the sooner the better. Take high dose Vitamin D with K2, Zinc, Vitamin C, and Magnesium. Arrange for Monoclonal Antibodies treatment. Start one Aspirin a day but only after checking with your physician. Ask your physician about Fluvoxamine. Add Ivermectin if available and after checking with your physician. Check with your physician if you are a candidate for PAXLOVID. Eat nutritious foods. Rest a lot. Get at least 10 hours of sleep. Above all, do not panic! Live in the NOW and don’t pay any attention to scary thoughts. Most importantly, stay in touch with your healthcare provider.
Click here if you want to participate in our Study On Vitamin D and COVID
Magnesium Deficiency – Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, COVID and more
