There is nowhere you can go in Phuket without the COVID-19 coronavirus determining every aspect of your life, other than staying at home hoping not to become infected. Here is a reality check on what COVID-19 means in Phuket.

Dr Thomas Lodi is a wellness expert who has been practicing medicine for over 30 years. He now heads The LifeCo wellness centre located between Nai Thon and Nai Yang beaches, just south of Phuket International Airport.

For the first 10 years of his medical career, Dr Lodi worked in conventional settings as an internal medicine specialist, urgent care physician and as an intensivist in ICU and CCU departments of various hospitals throughout the US.

Subsequently, Dr Lodi continued his search for more effective and less toxic therapies by training with alternative health experts in Japan, Europe, Mexico and the US. He is licensed as a Homeopathic Medical Doctor MD (H) in Arizona and as an Allopathic Medical Doctor in the State of New York.

In 2018, Dr Lodi was featured in the acclaimed docu-series The Truth about Cancer and recently hosted seminars at the H.E.A.T Anti-Aging conference in Bangkok. He is the Founder and Medical Director of Integrative Oncology and Internal Medicine at An Oasis of Healing Center in Arizona. He is also the Founder and Chief Medical Consultant for the Institute of Integrative Oncology, Singapore and Director of Integrative Oncology and Integrative Medicine at The Lifeco Wellness Center, Phuket.

Here we ask Dr Lodi the simple, but most pressing, questions about living with the threat of COVID-19 in Phuket.

What are the real dangers of COVID-19, the best we know right now?

Respiratory failure and cytokine storm (excessive immune responses that damage lungs). The two cell types to which this virus attaches are mucus cells and cilia cells in the lungs. These cells together keep the lungs clean mucus is secreted to trap particulate matter and the cilia beat rhythmically outward towards the mouth like a conveyor belt. With these cells non-functional, the lungs will accumulate everything from microorganisms, waste products, toxins from the environment and so on. Also, the immune system gets turned on full blast and causes system wide inflammation.

Who is primarily at risk?

The elderly over 65 and those with chronic illnesses and compromised immune systems.

What are the symptoms and how bad are they for most people?

The symptoms are a dry cough, shortness of breath, aches and pains, weakness, no appetite and, of course, fever.

Most people will not know they have it: 81% of cases symptoms are mild (lungs); 14% become severely ill; 4.7% become critically ill; and the fatality rate is 3.4 %. Of course these figures may change as we learn more about the virus.

How is COVID-19 contracted?

Fifty percent of infections are hand to face (mouth, nose, eyes). Also, the virus can be airborne in droplets from sneezing and coughing.

Phuket seems to be the only place where people who come into frequent contact with strangers are the only ones wearing face masks. Everyday people going about their daily lives do not. Should people wear face masks? Who should? Why?

If you are not sick or around people, there is no need to wear a mask. Here are the WHO recommendations:

If you are being self-isolated due to one of the following circumstances:

You have travelled from high risk areas within the past 14 days; or

You have been in close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus;

then, you should use a surgical mask in the following circumstances:

You need to leave your home for any reason and be in public areas;

You are visiting a medical facility; or

You have symptoms and other people are present in the same room as you.

N95 masks filter out about 95% of all liquid or airborne particles.

People have expressed sincere concern about the fingerprint-scanning device at Immigration at the airport. Should people be concerned about this? What should people do about this, if anything?

They have hand sanitiser bottles next to the fingerprinting device. Use it twice: once before and once after.

People have also expressed their opinion that the normal everyday temperature in Phuket and elsewhere in Thailand has helped to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country. One senior health official has even said he expects COVID-19 to disappear as Thailand enters its annual hot season. Is there any merit in this understanding?

Not enough is known about this variant of coronavirus because it is new. The standard coronavirus that causes upper respiratory illnesses remains intact in cold weather and dies quickly at 58C.

Are the precautions the Thai government is taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19 reasonable? Or is it lacking? Or even an overreaction? Or a bit of both? Any there any examples that highlight your opinion on this?

The Thai government will do what all governments are doing Each government has had an initial different response, but now that the pandemic is without doubt, all governments will be requiring the same regarding social distancing and quarantines.

Now that COVID-19 has already reached around the world, do you believe travel bans should still be in place? Should people still travel?

Traveling makes no sense now since most countries are locked down, and it is safer not to travel at this point to keep the virus contained.

What can people do to help protect themselves against being infected with COVID-19?

Viruses are not really alive so they cannot be killed. Ultimately, it is our immune systems that develop an adaptive response to recognise any cell infected with the virus and eliminate it. Everything we that we need to do to avoid becoming ill must be geared towards strengthening our immunesystems.

Sleep early and at least seven hours.

Eat no more than two healthy meals per day with 18 hours between your last and first meals. During the window of time when the body is not digesting food, it has time to focus much more energy to the immune system.

Eat plant-based, whole foods rather than processed foods.

Eat at least 70% of your food uncooked and organic.

Meditate at least twice per day.

Vitamin C not only can treat active infection but can protect from getting infected. Vitamin C actually prevents viruses from entering cells. Take from eight to 15 grammes per day orally, depending on bowel tolerance, body size and stress levels

Vitamin A: 30,000-50,000 units per day with food until vitamin A levels in the blood are over 300 iu/dL

Vitamin D: 30,000 iu/day to keep levels in blood above 70, which contributes to enhancing immune response.

Zinc: 90mg per day

Selenium: 400ug per day.

Magnesium: 1,000mg per day. Best used as a transdermal spray applied directly to the body

Green tea: drink several cups of fresh-brewed green tea per day.

Keep your bowels clean with probiotic enemas and colon hydrotherapy and healthy food. Up to 60% of the immune system exists in the gut.

What else should people know about COVID-19 that has not been given enough attention in the media?

If it is not covered in the media, we probably should not discuss it.

In summary, how should people go about their daily lives now that COVID-19 has spread around the world and is now part of our daily lives?

For now, hang out with friends and family and avoid crowds and follow the rules above. Most will not get sick from this virus but you do not want to be the one who spreads it to someone who does not have the health you have and may become critically ill or die.

Dr Lodi and the team at The LifeCo Wellness Center located near Phuket International Airport have created basic and comprehensive immune boosting packages which are certainly appreciated at this time. Learn more at http://www.thelifeco.com/en/viral-infection-prevention-program/

Continue reading here:
Living with COVID-19 - The Phuket News

Amid ever-changing information around the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are experiencing heightened stress and anxiety.

Anxiety is not right, and it is not wrong. It is just part of the human experience, says Kristin Lothman, a mind-body counselor with Mayo Clinics Department of Integrative Medicine and Health.

Healthy anxiety calls us into action to be safe, to take care of the people that we love and to arrive at the present moment experience with resilience.

There are many strategies to manage anxiety, Lothman says. I recommend developing a self-care practice. Elements of that could include journaling, exercise, yoga, meditation and prayer.

Another way to cope with anxiety is to practice mindfulness, Lothman says.

Mindfulness is about paying attention on purpose to the present moment. And I believe mindfulness is a powerful tool we can use right now.

Lothman adds that mindfulness is about focus and awareness. The best way I can connect is to not be distracted, to bepresent, to engage in eye contact, she says.

To calm the body and mind, Lothman suggests a guided meditation _ a practice of relaxed concentration where you follow the instructions of a narrator related to breathing and imagery. Breathing exercises are also valuable, especially for younger children.

You might practice these three or four times a day. Maybe not the entire meditation but even if you can get in 10 breaths that may be enough to notice a shift in your inner experience, Lothman says.

Read the original here:
COVID-19: Tips for mindfulness and coping with anxiety - The Union Leader

Dr Bindiya Gandhi (Photo Credits: File Image)

Dr Bindiya Gandhi is double boarded by the American Board

Family Medicine as well as the American Board of Integrative and

Holistic Physicians, Shes also a certified yoga instructor and reiki master lets ask her few questions!

1.)Why did you choose to be a functional medicine doctor?

I am very passionate about medicine and helping people but I

knew there was more to medicine than conventional medicine that is when I learned about integrative & functional medicine. I

wanted to be able to provide other alternatives to patients and dig deeper than just prescribe medications. Also dealing with my own

personal medical issues over the year pushed me into this newer world of medicine.

2.) How is your practice different than other doctors?

I spend more time with patients. My job is to get to the root cause of medical problems. I don't just prescribe medication. I take a dynamic approach and incorporate nutrition, exercise, meditation, spirituality, energy medicine, herbs, supplements and more so patients can get the optimal results.

3.) Have you had any major failures? How did you recoverand learn from it?

Sometimes I feel like a failure as a business owner. Starting my

own business from scratch has been hard but I remind myself

why I am doing what I"m doing and I continue to push through and break all the boundaries for my patients and for the greater

purpose. I have had to make a lot of sacrifices and put in a lot of

work into my practice and I know as long as I continue to pursue

my passion and mission from the goodness of my heart, all will

work out!

4.) What are your major achievements?

That's a great question, I would honestly say to this day my two beautiful healthy babies are my greatest achievements. There was a time when I didn't even think I could pregnant and that I could even be a mother. So being a mother to two beautiful healthy girls makes me proud and grateful.

5.) What is your philosophy on health?

I absolutely love educating my patients. Not only do I spend a lot

of time educating them about their symptoms, conditions as well

as treatment plans, but I love empowering them and inspiring

them to do better so they can be healthier and in turn, fulfil their

lifes mission and purpose.

IG: @DrBindiyaMD

WEBSITE: DrBindiyaMD.com

More:
An Integrative And Functional Doc Explains Her Philosophy On Health And Wellness! - LatestLY

My first C, 38 years of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, braced me with the gift of resilience. But I guess no one can be prepared for my second C, Cancer and one of the toughest prognoses at that, triple-negative breast cancer.

After spending half a year learning, reading, talking and thinking about whether treatment made sense with CRPS, I started a high-dose regimen of my third C, the dreaded (a well-earned adjective) Chemotherapy. Im just starting week ten of fighting for my life.

Because my lot tends to read like Ahab battling the great white whale, OF COURSE that wasnt enough! While staying in a friends beach-front condo to take a weeks break from treatment due to severe pain, all hell broke loose not only in my world, but the whole damn world. Welcome, C #4, COVID-19.

Cynthia Toussaint

Im not much of a complainer, but going through chemo therapy with high-impact pain, a severely compromised immune system and a pandemic is, pardon my French, the sh*ts. In fact, during last weeks visit with my integrative doctor, he expressed deep concern that if I catch even a cold, I will likely end up with pneumonia in an over-crowded hospital with limited supplies and staff.

Already my weekly chemo infusions are much more difficult post-pandemic. Before I go in, I have mandatory screenings with the clinic staff about any symptoms John and I may be feeling and anyone weve come in contact with. When we get to the hospital, him pushing me in my wheelchair, we hit a barricade of fatigued masked and gloved healthcare professionals who are dead set on keeping the virus out. After more interviewing and temperatures taken, we finally get through the treatment doors. Johns only allowed to join me (so far!) due to being my pain caregiver.

When I hit the chemo chair, my nurse is unable to mask me per usual due to the expected supply shortage. I couldnt help myself last week when I asked Scarlett if she was comfortable doing her work and she replied, Honestly, Cynthia, I dont want to be here. Its too unsafe. Then she said, But cancer is so aggressive, at least I get to help the people who are worst off. That really shook me.

When I had the pre-infusion check in with my oncologist, he urged me not to miss another treatment as they dont know day-to-day whether the clinics going to shut down. Seriously, I may have to start this treatment all over again? And, if so, when and where? This whole thing is surreal.

Oh, and last week an old familiar pain friend dropped in more barbarous than ever. Good God, Ive never been so constipated in my life as opioids have nothing on chemo for plugging the pipes. After straining for two days and nights and almost passing out on the throne, John begged me to go to the ER. Any other time, but not now. Certain a hospital visit would deliver the virus, I lay awake on my side crying through that miserable night.

The next morning my oncologist prescribed lactulose, assuring me it would quickly do the trick. Ten hours and two doses (complimented with suppositories) later, I experienced my most painful movement ever. Vacillating between wanting to vomit and near fainting, I had a woman in pain friend on speakerphone (remember, six feet apart!) comforting me and John pleading to push. I felt like I gave birth.

Last evening whilst detailing this saga on the phone with my psychologist, I pieced together the BM culprit. You probably guessed it, the usual suspect western medicine caused my suffering. Heres the low down. My oncologist told me, time and again, to take my anti-nausea meds and I finally caved three weeks ago. Shortly after starting that med, I noticed my urine turned bright yellow. Now I see that signaled dehydration which, as we know, leads to constipation. Then get this; when I asked my oncologist what the side-effects are for lactulose, he said, There arent any. Well, lo and behold, nausea is the #1 side effect for this high-octane laxative.

Again, western medicine has set me up to be as miserable as possible. If I continue to follow my oncologists advice, Id be on a side-effect loop until the end of time (which, ironically, may be just around the corner.) Instead, I called my integrative doctor, and am going to go with a sensible constipation-busting regimen of magnesium and lots of daily dark green leafy veggies. Hello!!

On the good news front, my level 10 lower body agony has been easing. As you may recall from my last post, I was wrangling with my integrative center for weekly acupuncture to control my CRPS pain along with chemo-induced myalgia and neuropathy. My saint-of-a-doctor there put his foot down with the front desk, and is now treating me every week, come hell or high water. The pain let-up is achingly slow, but its no longer getting worse. Another massive help is that a friend is heating her outdoor pool for me to get my heavenly, healing laps in. I continue to find angels among these roiling Cs.

Curiously, the only familiar part of this ever churning epic is the self-isolation. Ive been socially cut off for the past four decades, so being separated from others is par for the course. I can imagine this is a real bear for the uninitiated and am grateful that in times of crisis we with life-altering chronic illnesses are generally miles ahead of the curve.

These high Cs are especially rough, but so far I find them navigable with a port-in-the-storm always within reach. We women in pain are paradoxically prepared for a crisis with endlessly mended sails to keep adrift. A rogue wave may hit us broadside, but instead of capsizing, we remain unsinkable.

Despite these unprecedented times, ladies, continue to set out for the horizon and never look back.

Follow this link:
Riding the Rough C's - National Pain Report

On March 18, 2020, I watched live via You Tube on how Doctors from China, who served on the front lines in the fight against coronavirus pandemic, share their experience of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with U.S. experts via a conference call. TCM has been proven effective in the treatment of an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in China, showing that the ancient system of healing plays a complementary role to western medicine in fighting the infection.

WHO chief said Wuhan provides hope to the world that even the most severe situation of COVID-19 can be turned around. Yang Xiao, a doctor working in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, believes that the diagnosis and treatment scheme of COVID-19 plays an important role in the battle. China has updated the diagnosis and treatment scheme six times from Jan. 16 to March 4 based on its accumulating treatment experience. As an effective guide for the medical staff fighting against COVID-19, the scheme contributes to a continuous decline in mortality from the virus.

"Every word in the scheme was written with great caution, which showed a responsibility for the patients' lives," said Yang." The scheme plays a guiding role, especially for hospitals in some counties and cities in central China's Hubei Province."

About 20,000 boxes of the instant TCM mixture, which has proved effective in combating COVID-19 in Wuhan, Hubei province, reached the Netherlands on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China experience in COVID-19 fight

Three kinds of experience are crucial in the country's battle against the virus, said Zhang Boli, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

In Hubei, TCM treatment has been given to 90.6 percent of COVID-19 patients.

Clinical observation showed that the TCM has proven to be effective in the treatment of over 90 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland, said Yu Yanhong, Party chief of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, at a press conference in Wuhan.

In Hubei, TCM treatment has been given to 90.6 percent of COVID-19 patients.

Medical workers massage patients' acupuncture points at the Wuhan pulmonary hospital in Wuhan. Photo: Xinhua

While many scientists are skeptical about its benefits, traditional medicine has official support and has been endorsed by President Xi Jinping. It has been credited with curing tens of thousands of patients during the outbreak and is also being promoted beyond Chinas borders, as an alternative medical solution and a source of national pride.

One of the treatments being used is ephedra, which has been used to treat respiratory complaints since the 13th century, and a special soup in which it is mixed with poria, blackberry lily, apricot kernel and gypsum can help alleviate symptoms, according to official guidelines from the Chinese National Health Commission. The use of Chinese medicine has been supported by the national medical authorities during most recent pandemics, including the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009 and H7N9 in 2013.

Chinese medicine mostly worked on the human immune system and could not replace invasive forms of treatment such as life support. Chinese health authorities have published a series of figures trying to prove the efficacy of Chinese medicine. Official figures showed that more than 50,000 recovered Covid-19 patients have been prescribed Chinese medicine in their treatment.

According to Hubeis provincial health commission, Chinese medicine has been used on 91.91 per cent of the patients as of mid-March. In the makeshift hospitals built temporarily to treat patients with mild symptoms, between 94 and 99 per cent of people were given Chinese medicine. For instance, Artemisinin is a globally recognized remedy for malaria derived from sweet wormwood, a plant used in TCM. Tu Youyou, the Chinese scientist who turned to ancient Chinese medical texts to find artemisinin, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015.

The studies:

In a clinical trial of 102 patients with mild symptoms in Wuhan, patients with combined treatments compared with the control group of patients receiving only Western medicine, Yu said. Their recovery rate was 33% higher, she added. In another study of more serious cases, patients receiving combined treatments also left hospital sooner than the control group and had greater levels of oxygen in their blood and a higher lymphocyte count -- an important indicators of the health of recovering patients, according to Yu.

In another study by Wang et al 2020, titled Clinical characteristics and therapeutic procedure for four cases with 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia receiving combined Chinese and Western medicine treatment published in the journal BioScience Trends Advance Publication. The authors report the clinical characteristics and therapeutic procedure for four patients with mild or severe 2019-nCoV pneumonia admitted to Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. All the patients were given antiviral treatment including lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra ), arbidol, and Shufeng Jiedu Capsule (SFJDC, a traditional Chinese medicine) and other necessary support care. After treatment, three patients gained significant improvement in pneumonia associated symptoms, two of whom were confirmed 2019-nCoV negative and discharged, and one of whom was virus negative at the first test. The remaining patient with severe pneumonia had shown signs of improvement by the cutoff date for data collection. They concluded that results obtained in the current study may provide clues for treatment of 2019-nCoV pneumonia

In another study by Zhang et al 2020, titled In silicons screening of Chinese herbal medicines with the potential to directly inhibit 2019 novel coronavirus published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine. The authors concluded that Chinese herbal remedies classically used for treating viral respiratory infection might contain direct anti-2019-nCoV compounds.

Chang et al 2020 study titled An Update on the Epidemiological, Clinical, Preventive and Therapeutic Evidence and Guidelines of Integrative Chinese-Western Medicine for the Management of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease published in the journal The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. According to the study authors: In China, Chinese medicine is proposed as a treatment option by national and provincial guidelines with substantial utilization. They had this to say : We reviewed the latest national and provincial clinical guidelines, retrospective cohort studies, and case series regarding the treatment of COVID-19 by add-on Chinese medicine. We have also reviewed the clinical evidence generated from SARS and H1N1 management with hypothesized mechanisms and latest in silico findings to identify candidate Chinese medicines for the consideration of possible trials and management. Given the paucity of strongly evidence-based regimens, the available data suggest that Chinese medicine could be considered as an adjunctive therapeutic option in the management of COVID-19

Yang et al 2020, study also titled Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Patients Infected with 2019-New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Review and Perspective published in the journal International Journal of Biological Sciences the authors also supported the fact that at the top of these conventional therapies, greater than 85% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in China are receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment.

Ling CQ, 2020 study titled Traditional Chinese medicine is a resource for drug discovery against 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine also asserted that in 2003, patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) who were treated with TCM benefited from shorter hospitalization, decrease in steroid-related side effects, and improvement of symptoms

Some TCM Formulas used

Three formulas and three medicines have proved to be effective in treating the infection, according to the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here is a list of them.

1. Jinhua Qinggan granule

The Jinhua Qinggan granule was developed during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. It consists of 12 herbal components including honeysuckle, mint and licorice and can remove heat from the body and detoxify lungs. It has a curative effect in treating patients with mild and moderate symptoms and can also improve the recovery rate of lymphocytes and white blood cells as well as lower the rate of worsening conditions.

A comparative experiment showed patients who took Jinhua Qinggan granule tested negative for coronavirus 2.5 days earlier than a group that did not take it. The group treated with the granule also took eight days to show improvement, while the other group took 10.3 days.

2. Lianhua Qingwen capsule/granule

Lianhua Qingwen medicine is a very common TCM used for the treatment of cold and flu. Composed of 13 herbal components, it has a curative effect in patients with mild symptoms and helps to relieve fever, cough and fatigue. It can also help prevent the disease from worsening.

3. Xuebijing injection

This injection was developed and marketed during the SARS epidemic in 2003. It consists of five herbal extracts, and its main function is to detoxify and remove blood stasis. It is typically used to treat sepsis. It is effective in suppressing systemic inflammatory response syndrome induced by infection in the treatment of severe and critically ill patients, as well as repairing impaired organ function. Initial clinical studies have shown the injection, combined with Western medicine, can increase the rate of hospital discharge and reduce the rate of disease deterioration. Basic research has also found it has a certain antiviral effect in vitro that can significantly inhibit inflammatory factors induced by novel coronavirus. A comparative experiment of 710 cases jointly conducted by over 30 hospitals showed the injection, combined with regular treatment, can reduce the mortality rate of severe patients by 8.8 percent and shorten intensive care unit hospitalization by four days.

4. Lung Cleansing and Detoxifying decoction

The lung cleansing and detoxifying decoction is derived from several classic recipes in a TCM book known in English as Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases (Shang Han Za Bing Lun), which was written by doctor Zhang Zhongjing some time before 220 AD. It has 21 herbal components and is mainly effective in improving symptoms of fever, cough and fatigue as well as lung conditions in severe patients, as shown by CT scans. Studies have proved the decoction can regulate multiple cell signaling pathwaysas cells communicate with each other by receiving and processing chemical signals in response to environmental changesto inhibit virus replication. Huang Luqi, president of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, said 1,264 patients in 10 provinces received the decoction and 1,214 have recovered, accounting for 96.1 percent, and no cases worsening.

5. Huashi Baidu formula

Huashi Baidu formula is a core recipe developed by the national TCM team from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Made up of 14 herbal components, the formula is based on the recommendations of the early national diagnosis and treatment plan as well as the experiences from clinical practice at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital.

Its main use is to detoxify, remove dampness and heat from the body and relieve cough to achieve an inner-body balance. It can be used to treat patients with mild, moderate and severe conditions. This prescription has a comprehensive treatment effect during different stages of novel coronavirus pneumonia. It can significantly shorten the length of hospital stays and improve clinical symptoms and lung conditions, as shown by CT scans and other examinations. Studies on guinea pigs found the formula can reduce lung viral load by 30 percent.

6. Xuanfei Baidu granule

Xuanfei Baidu granule, with 13 herbal components, originates from several classic TCM recipes. It can detoxify the lungs and clear dampness and heat, and is used for treating patients with mild and moderate symptoms. Research has shown the prescription can shorten the time it takes for clinical symptoms to vanish and for temperatures to return to normal. It can also effectively prevent patients with mild and moderate symptoms from deteriorating. -China Daily/ANN

Mr. President, I believe it is time to support the traditional Medicine industry and this is the right time to show your support. You could also invite these practitioners and appeal to them to find remedies to complement the conventional efforts by the Medical industry. This COVID-19 fight is not one sided approach; but needs an integrative approach to handle it. Traditional Medicine Practitioners and their centers are more in number than conventional centers and they also need training in testing in their various centers. In fact, they are the first line health workers patients visit before going to the conventional centers, so any efforts to do away with them could be suicidal in your efforts to deal with the pandemic.

Hibiscus Tea could bring hope

Mr. Prez, Traditional Medicine could support people under quarantine in Ghana. For instance, a well know hibiscus Tea has been proven effective in flu management and could also be incorporated as part of the integrative approach in the disease management for those affected by the disease. We can produce hibiscus Tea in large quantities to support the efforts. In a recent 2019 study by Takeda et al titled Antiviral Activities of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Tea Extract Against Human Influenza A Virus Rely Largely on Acidic pH but Partially on a Low-pH-Independent Mechanism published in the journal Food and Environmental Virology.

The authors analyzed the antiviral activity of hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) tea extract against human IAV and evaluated its potential as a novel anti-IAV drug and a safe inactivating agent for whole inactivated vaccine. The in vitro study revealed that the pH of hibiscus tea extract is acidic, and its rapid and potent antiviral activity relied largely on the acidic pH. However, hibiscus tea extract and protocatechuic acid, one of the major components of the extract, showed not only potent acid-dependent antiviral activity but also weak low-pH-independent activity. The low-pH-independent activity did not affect the conformation of immunodominant hemagglutinin protein. Although this low-pH-independent activity is very limited, it may be suitable for the application to medication and vaccination because this activity is not affected by the neutral blood environment and does not lose antigenicity of hemagglutinin. Further study of the low-pH-independent antiviral mechanism and attempts to enhance the antiviral activity may establish a novel anti-IAV therapy and vaccination strategy.

Also a 2016 study by High antiviral effects of hibiscus tea extract on the H5 subtypes of low and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses and published Journal Veterinary Medicine Science.

The authors screened the antiviral effects of 11 herbal tea extracts (hibiscus, black tea, tencha, rosehip tea, burdock tea, green tea, jasmine tea, ginger tea, lavender tea, rose tea and oak tea) against the H5N1 HPAIV in vitro. Among the tested extracts, only the hibiscus extract and its fractionated extract (frHibis) highly and rapidly reduced the titers of all H5 HPAIVs and low pathogenic AIVs (LPAIVs) used in the pre-treatment tests of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells that were inoculated with a mixture of the virus and the extract. Immunogold electron microscopy showed that anti-H5 monoclonal antibodies could not bind to the deformed H5 virus particles pretreated with frHibis. In post-treatment tests of MDCK cells cultured in the presence of frHibis after infection with H5N1 HPAIV, the frHibis inhibited viral replication and the expression of viral antigens and genes. Among the plants tested, hibiscus showed the most prominent antiviral effects against both H5 HPAIV and LPAIV.

Mr. President, taking into conclusion the possibility that hibiscus extract might prevent and treat life-threatening viral infection is all the more encouraging; especially considering that it is also known to have a very high threshold of safety. While the researchers did not speculate too deeply on the mechanism of action behind the observed ant-viral activity of hibiscus, noting only the possibility that its anthnocyanin pigment could be responsible, they suggested further studies should be conducted to identify the effectiveness components contained in hibiscus and to elucidate potential anti-viral mechanism in more detail.

They concluded:

"Our preliminary study showed that, in addition to the H5 subtype, hibiscus inactivated seven other subtypes (data not shown), whereas P. sidoides extracts inactivated human influenza viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) but not H5N1 HPAIV . Thus, hibiscus may be a promising candidate as a potent anti-influenza drug, irrespective of subtype".

Mr. Prez, this is the right time to involve practitioners of Traditional and Alternative medicine and Conventional Medicine Practitioners together to work as an integrative team to deal with the disease. Most of them knows their stuff very well and they may help in the fights against the pandemic. If China had done it, we surely can!

Thank You and God bless our home land Ghana!

The author is a distinguished researcher, practitioner and an honorary Professor of Naturopathic and Holistic Medicine-Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University, Ukraine, President of Nyarkotey Collge of Holistic Medicine and currently LLB Law/MBA student. He is the formulator of FDA approved Mens Formula for Prostate Health & Immune booster, Womens Formula for general wellness Nyarkotey Hibiscus Tea for Cardiovascular Health & wellness. Can be contacted by 0241083423/0541234556.

The rest is here:
Letter to the President on Containing the Coronavirus Pandemic - Modern Ghana

NEW DELHI: With a long road ahead for vaccines and drugs, scientists are now exploring age-old technique of passive antibody therapy as potential treatment for COVID-19, which has infected over 5 lakh people across the world and killed at least 24,000.

Antibodies are protein molecules released by the body when a foreign substance (like for instance, virus) enters the system. These molecules bind to the foreign substance and neutralize it. Simply put, they are the weapon used by the immune system to fight new infections.

In case of COVID-19, over 1.22 lakh people, including a large young population, infected with the disease have recovered globally. Now, some molecular laboratories and diagnostic companies in countries worst hit by the pandemic -- China and US-- are racing to develop effective tests which can detect and assess these antibodies in the blood of patients who have recovered from the illness and also analyse if the antibody laden plasma of these recovered persons can be infused in patients at early stage of the disease.

It is an age-old technique, a classical way of dealing with infections being used since early 19th century. When a patient is at an early stage of infection, he makes antibody after 5-7 days, but by then he/she gets sicker and its becomes difficult to fight the infection. Basically, your natural antibodies are coming too late to protect you. In this technique, antibody-laden serum from a previously recovered patient can be infused in a patient at an early stage, to prevent the progression of the disease," explains noted virologist T. Jacob John, who retired as Professor of virology from Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore.

The data is scarce and inconsistent about how effective the technique is against COVID-19 and concerns over any immunological reaction. Some clinical trials are underway, but it is too early to speak about its accuracy, experts said, but added that it may have potential".

While it is too early for India to experiment the approach, scientists in the country are looking at experiments with hope.

Such approach can be tested when the number of infections is very high, like for instance in China or US (where it has crossed 80,000). We are also looking at it, but currently we are not at the stage, where we have sufficient number of people who have recovered from this catastrophic illness. But clearly that is an area which is being keenly observed," said noted scientist Dr Anurag Aggarwal who heads the CSIR- Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi.

As on Friday, India recorded as many as 724 cases of COVID-19, out of which around 67 have recovered.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already classified it as an investigational new drug under an emergency approval system and clinical trials have begun. China too has been experimenting with the approach since early days of the outbreak, with modest success.

New York has announced its plan to use the therapy as part of its strategy to fight COVID-19 last week. If it succeeds, it may use it for their front-line health workers who may have been exposed to the virus.

A general principle of passive antibody therapy is that it is more effective when used for prophylaxis than for treatment of disease. When used for therapy, antibody is most effective when administered shortly after the onset of symptoms," says the study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

The intervention was also adopted during the 1918 HINI influenza outbreak. A large case study conducted on 1,700 patients who received blood serum from survivors showed low mortality. It also showed some modest results in the 20092010 H1N1 influenza virus. Its efficacy for the new coronavirus remains under investigation.

So far there have been no approved drug or vaccines for COVID-19.

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Can antibody therapy help fight COVID-19? - Livemint