All of our lives have been disrupted since mid-March by the Corona Virus (aka COVID-19 or SARs CoV-2). So many things have changed! Terms like, “social distancing,” “isolation,” and “self-quarantine” have become part of the daily conversation for all Americans. They way we work, the way we shop, the way we see friends, the way we go to school, the way we go to meetings have all changed.
We have changed at both pharmacies, too! As you know, we are providing curb side service only. We made the hard decision to not let customers in the store since it is difficult to know who has the virus due to the high number of asymptomatic carriers. We did this to try to protect our staff-who are ESSENTIAL workers during this time. (Many thanks to my staff for being nimble and embracing change!)
What are we doing to monitor staff? We are monitoring staff daily as they arrive at work to check for symptoms and fever. We are requiring all staff to wear masks all day at work. We are washing our hands or using hand sanitizer after every encounter with a customer. (Yes, we have hand sanitizer! We are making it if you need some, too!)We are socially distancing at lunch. We are asking staff (as well as their families) to practice social distancing when they are not at work.
We have heard about a lot of treatments for the Corona Virus! We are in the midst of an “infodemic” – an overwhelming amount of information regarding the virus and its treatments. I have been on hours of webinars listening to and learning from colleagues. Hydroxychlorquine, azithromycin, remdesivir, ivermectin, convalescent plasma are all therapies we have heard about. Here is a science based link that you can look up information about updates on therapies: https://covidprotocols.org/protocols/04-therapeutics-and-clinical-trials/ The bottom line is that we are really early in the research phase and we don’t know what we don’t know! If I were knowingly exposed or sick, there are therapies that I would certainly try for myself. Risk versus benefit has to be evaluated for each individual patient.
The major challenge for our future will be how to prevent catching COVID-19 and reducing the severity of the illness if we get it. We know that a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress management, plenty of rest and a healthy lifestyle are what truly promote a healthy immune system.
Currently, all of us are being faced with disruptions in our regular dietary habits, inability to visit the gym, excessively high stress, lack of sleep due to worry, and a lifestyle based on isolation instead of social interaction.
Many of the products we are able to find at the grocery stores provide long term storage capability but very poor nutritional value…and did I mention that a high sugar consumption can disable the immune system for 4-5 hours by reducing the reactivity of white blood cells?
Supplement thoughts:
I’d recommend daily dose of a high potency multivitamin such Activ Nutrients which will go a long way to supplying essential nutrition which may be absent at this time. It will provide a balanced vitamin/mineral/trace element formulation. We know many of these nutrients work synergistically so you need them all!
I’d recommend vitamin D3 for everyone. Vitamin D3 is very important to the immune system. There are reports coming out of countries in the southern hemisphere who get a lot of sunshine therefore have higher vitamin D levels that their Corona virus cases are lower. Oh, and here is a study Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVIS-19 infections and Death Click here to read
We have yet to see if supplementation with immune support products such as quercetin, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, melatonin, probiotics and various immune support combinations will truly have an impact in managing the spread of COVID-19 but there is interesting information coming from studies and some anecdotal information from very smart colleagues of mine. And I for one am taking each of those as part of my daily routine-but I have been taking most of them for a long time.
Prolonged stress is a major disruptor to a healthy immune system. So using a daily supplement to help support the adrenal glands such as Adaptenall/AdrenAll/Adrenal Complex/Adrenal Essence would provide support to prevent adrenal dysfunction/hypoadrenia and immune system break down. If stress and uneasiness is becoming a daily issue, taking a product that contains theanine or CBD would go a long way to address the stress most of us are feeling at this time.
Finally, GABA Complex helps with sleep and relaxation. Sleep is absolutely critical to staying healthy. The melatonin mentioned above may help that as well. However, watching 24/7 news feeds may make restful sleep hard to accomplish. provides a blend of nutrients that promotes soothing and restful sleep. The non-habit-forming ingredients promote healthy circadian rhythms and help relax tense muscles.
These are just a few, I could add more. The list can be long! The point is- nutrition is important! If you are not eating your 5-7 servings of vegetables and fruits per day then you need to supplement and you may need to even if you do!
When customizing a supplement protocol I would take in account your current medications, lifestyle, health conditions. It’s not a one size fit all. For information on a supplement regimen, call us or text us and we will be happy to have a conversation-call us or text us! We can help to create a supplement plan for you.
We all know that one day we will return to a world of calm and social interaction. However, keeping ourselves healthy until that time, should be a concern for all of us.
Be well!
Jennifer Burch, PharmD, RPh, CDE
You can text your supplement questions to me at 919-484-7600. We are happy to help!
