We recently have gone through a Covid 19 infection, and got through without serious problems. It is a strange disease, I was surprised to notice that the symptoms that I, my husband and one of my daughters had, were all very different. Before catching the virus, I had already done a lot of research on possible ways to strengthen the immune system, beyond the vague ‘eat healthy and get enough sun’. Therefore I decided to share what I did in this article, in the hope that will help someone else to avoid serious long term effects!
The main thing that I did already some months before I got infected, is to take regular supplementation of Vitamin D. This vitamin that is actually a hormone, is made in the skin upon sun exposure. Vitamin D deficiency is very widespread, and several factors play a role in not being formed enough: being indoors mostly at the middle of the day, darker skin color, aging skin, using sun cream. And of course at our latitude the sun is not strong enough in the winter for sufficient vitamin D production. Vitamin D is most well known for its role in strengthening bones, but it has a lot more functions, notably in the immune system and in avoiding depression. Very high supplementation over long periods can bring some risks, so this should only be done under supervision of a doctor. A supplementation of 2000 IU vitamin D3 per day can however safely be done long term without supervision, and should be enough to avoid deficits. During the acute infection I temporarily increased my daily dose to 3000-4000 IU.
I had also prepared for a possible infection by stocking these supplements, and started taking them as soon as I realized that I might be infected (which was then confirmed by testing): Quercitin (800mg), Bromelain (165mg), Zinc (50mg) and Vitamin C (around 5g, taken spread over the day). These substances all have a positive effect on boosting defense against viruses, and this combination is also being tested in clinical trials with Covid patients with promising results.
Last but not least, rest and avoiding stress are also very important. Especially when you start to feel better, it is important to still take it easy for a few weeks! There are too many stories shared of people who went back to full activity after 2 weeks, and developed long lasting symptoms afterwards… The cause of these symptoms is not well known yet. Some factors that seem to play a role are the mast cell activation syndrome and bradykinin. Another interesting chemical that I have written about before and that is suggested to protect the young from severe COVID-19 complications is nitric oxide. So focus on breathing in through your nose to enhance NO supply to your lungs!