Catching COVID-19 Again and What You Shouldn’t Take When Infected
You can catch SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) even if you are vaccinated.
Immunity to coronaviruses that cause the common cold lasts between one and three years. This means that when you are re-exposed to the virus, your immune system produces proteins (called antibodies) that stops the virus in its tracks. Antibodies are essentially a little tag placed on the virus, marking it for destruction.
Research in China has shown that monkeys infected with this virus appear to be immune from reinfection, but we don’t yet know how long their immunity will last (i.e., if monkeys infected with this virus are immune after 12, 24, and 36 months). From our experience with Coronavirus SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, also known as SARS-CoV-1) 2003 pandemic, immunity reportedly lasted eight to ten years for some coronavirus infections but not all. Secondary infections are usually less severe and less contagious.
Bottom line: Immunity varies from disease to disease. It may be as short as a season, or in some cases may last decades. To illustrate the latter example, consider the measles epidemic in 1846 on an island 200 miles north of Scotland. Virtually everyone got it because measles is one of the most infectious diseases. After the outbreak, there were no cases of measles on the island for 65 years. Then measles came back, and again everyone on the island was infected, except those over 65 because they were still immune.
Leading experts in the integrative functional medicine world are recommending the following agents for prevention of COVID and after a full recovery:
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Isolated polysaccharide extracts from medicinal mushrooms
Echinacea angustifolia and E. purpurea
Larch arabinogalactan
Vitamin D
Preventing COVID-19 infection is in your hands.
We strongly recommend you follow these daily practices.
Hydrate adequately every day with WATER. Aim to have at least half your weight in oz or about 4 liters per day.
Avoid dehydrating beverages (i.e., alcohol, coffee, black tea, soda, fruit juices) since they deplete the immune system.
Use oil-based soaps such as Dr. Bronner’s Castille soap and water for handwashing.
Get plenty of sleep every night (i.e. 8 hours).
Intermittent fasting for 12 to 16 hours at night reduces pathogen load. This simply means have an earlier, lighter dinner or skip it altogether.
Avoid consuming animal protein such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. They are the biggest source of coronavirus and other antibiotic-resistance pathogen exposure since they have been proven to be transmitted through these foods.
Focus on consuming whole plant-based foods such as lots of vegetables, mushrooms, beans, and ancient whole grains (i.e., quinoa, millet, amaranth) dressed with fresh herbs, spices (i.e., turmeric), oil, and lemon. Enjoy an orange or apple a day (peel included).
Avoid nicotine and smoking/vaping any other drugs (i.e., marijuana).
Cut down to avoid taking your heartburn medications (i.e., PPIs/antacids) and NSAIDs (i.e., Aspirin, Motrin, Advil, Aleve) since they damage the immune system..
AUTHOR
Dr. Payal Bhandari M.D. is one of U.S.'s top leading integrative functional medical physicians and the founder of SF Advanced Health. She combines the best in Eastern and Western Medicine to understand the root causes of diseases and provide patients with personalized treatment plans that quickly deliver effective results. Dr. Bhandari specializes in cell function to understand how the whole body works. Dr. Bhandari received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1997 and Doctor of Medicine degree in 2001 from West Virginia University. She the completed her Family Medicine residency in 2004 from the University of Massachusetts and joined a family medicine practice in 2005 which was eventually nationally recognized as San Francisco’s 1st patient-centered medical home. To learn more, go to www.sfadvancedhealth.com.