Colds, Flu & COVID-19

We've all seen it. Someone coughs, and everyone fans out in opposite directions to get away as quickly as possible. Is it an allergy or something more? Here's what you need to know about the differences between colds, influenza, and COVID-19.

Since 1889, there have been six major worldwide influenza pandemics. Spanish flu (1918-19) was the deadliest, infecting nearly one-third of the world's population. Five hundred million people became infected, fifty million died worldwide, and about 675,000 of those individuals died in the United States.

In 2015, H1N1 caused the highest death rate due to secondary bacterial pneumonia and cytokine storm. In 2009, the Swine Flu, a novel version of H1N1, the CDC estimated that 151,700-575,400 died worldwide during the first year the virus circulated. Between January 2020 and May 8, 2021, COVID-19 has killed 3,283,422 million souls worldwide (and still counting).

Additionally, since the pandemic began, doctors have reported a rise in herpes breakouts in those living with Herpes Simplex Virus. Knowing that traumatic experiences and ongoing stress are primary HSV triggers, this was no surprise to me. Why? Because the herpes virus sees this as an invitation to erupt. Furthermore, the ongoing fear of contracting COVID-19 causes cortisol imbalances, which further cause inflammation. Consider it normal if you've been experiencing more breakouts in the wake of COVID-19.

The information on this page informs you of the differences between cold, influenza (the common flu), and COVID-19, what you can do to ease symptoms at home, and when to see a doctor.

Colds

What is the Common Cold?

Approximately 3 million people in the United States contract a common cold each year, an illness caused by Rhinovirus, which infects the nose and throat (the upper respiratory tract). Children under six are at the most significant risk of catching a cold. Adults can have up to two or three colds each year. The incubation period for a common cold is 1-3 days.

How is the Common Cold Spread?

The common cold spreads quickly through other's coughs and sneezes (airborne respiratory droplets), by sharing beverage containers, touching a contaminated surface (countertop, doorknob, light switch, gas pump, grocery store checkout apparatus, blankets, and linens), kissing (saliva), and by skin contact (holding or shaking hands, touching).

The Common Cold FYI

Gradual nset
Common symptoms are runny nose, nasal congestion, and sore throat.
People sometimes experience loss of appetite, fatigue, shortness of breath, and respiratory issues. Coughing becomes a symptom of respiratory problems.
People rarely experience body aches, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Symptoms of a Common Cold

Itchy, watery eyes
Red, runny nose
Sneezing
Congestion or sinus pressure
Headache
Postnasal drip
Irritated throat
Swollen lymph nodes
Loss of smell and, perhaps, taste
Cough (usually with phlegm, but not always)
Body aches, fatigue, chills
Fever

You may experience any or all of these symptoms.

NOTE: Symptoms of the common cold and allergies often mimic each other. If you develop a high fever or any severe symptoms, you should be seen by your doctor.

How to Ease Symptoms of the Common Cold

Most colds are self-diagnosed and self-treatable. Recovery typically takes 7-10 days. If you smoke, your symptoms could last longer. Colds are usually harmless, annoying, but harmless.

Home remedies work well for the common cold. Over-the-counter medicines, such as Tylenol, can help to relieve fever and aches. A fever is the body's way of heating the virus, which can't survive in higher temperatures.

With the recent events of COVID-19, doctors speculated that Advil and Ibuprofen caused the coronavirus to become more severe and even lethal in some cases. However, it has been deemed safe to take Tylenol (acetaminophen). Still, over-the-counter NSAIDs, including acetaminophen, can cause worse symptoms and lower antibodies.

Do not give a child under 18 aspirin for a fever. It could cause Rye's Syndrome, which can be fatal. Willow bark may be equally dangerous because it's what apirin is made from. Instead, use lemon balm tea, which helps to gently calm the body and encourage more peaceful sleep.

Blot, don't blow your nose with a soft tissue or cloth.
Clear nasal passages with a Nettipot
Suck on natural throat lozenges that contain zinc.
Eating garlic can help to thin and expel mucus.
Silver therapy might be worth looking into, although no studies support silver working when taken internally.
Use over-the-counter elderberry syrup or make your own.
Steam your sinuses using essential oils.
Diffuse essential oils in the bedroom at night or any other antiviral essential oils.
Gargle with mouthwash containing antiviral and antibacterial essential oils.
Drink hot tea (hot beverages help break up mucus) and 8-10 glasses of pure water daily. Tea can count for some water intake (marshmallow root, peppermint, catnip, or lemon balm). Adding lemon and honey can help with a sore throat. A pinch of ginger can stave off nausea. Don't give peppermint to children or those with heart conditions or acid reflux.
Take a warm sea salt bath containing essential oils to relieve aches and open sinuses.

Influenza (Common Flu)

What is Influenza?

Influenza is the common flu. Flu viruses (influenza) attack the nose, throat, and lungs. There are over 3 million flu cases in the United States each year. Flu viruses can be deadly, especially in high-risk groups, such as the young and the aged, pregnant women, and those with chronic diseases or weakened immune systems.

What are Common Flu Symptoms

Symptoms are abrupt. Flu symptoms include the same symptoms as the common cold: runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, headache, cough (dry or with phlegm), sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, fever, and fatigue. Symptoms of flu may include loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pain, fever, chills, sweating, chest pressure, respiratory issues, and shortness of breath. Some forms of flu cause loss of appetite, stomach pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

How is the Flu Spread?

The flu spreads quickly through other's coughs and sneezes (airborne respiratory droplets), by sharing beverage containers, touching a contaminated surface (countertop, doorknob, light switch, gas pump, grocery store checkout apparatus, blankets, and linens), kissing (saliva), and by skin contact (holding or shaking hands, touching, hugging). The incubation for common flu is 1-4 days. For COVID-19, it is 1-14 days and, typically, about 5-7 days (see below).

Stomach Flu

Contrary to what most people think, stomach flu is not the flu. It is Rotavirus (in children) or Norovirus in adults. Stomach flu can also be caused by bacteria, such as escherichia coli (E-Coli) or campylobacter. It is sometimes confused with food poisoning.

How Are Flu Diagnosed & Eased?

The flu is usually self-diagnosed and primarily remedied with plenty of fluids and rest at home. The idea is to allow your body time to fight viral infection. The flu typically resolves on its own within days. However, depending on your flu type and how strong your immune system is, it could take weeks to recover fully.

Many flu symptoms can be remedied with the same ingredients used for the common cold (see above). Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers, such as Ibuprofen and Advil, have been known to help with symptoms. However, since COVID-19 arrived, it has been noted that these products have caused COVID-19 to become more severe and even deadly. Doctors suggest taking Tylenol instead. Still, over-the-counter NSAIDs, including Acetaminophen, can cause worse symptoms and lower antibodies. As mentioned under Colds (above), a fever is the body's way of heating pathogens, which can't survive in higher temperatures. Don't give Aspirin to a child under 18, as it could cause Rye's Syndrome, which can be fatal.

COVID-19

Symptoms come on gradually. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever and dry cough (although 33% of people have a wet cough). Shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest, respiratory issues, and fatigue can be more severe symptoms to watch out for. People sometimes experience headaches, nasal congestion, runny nose, a sore throat, loss of appetite, digestive complaints, diarrhea, profuse sweating, and body aches. Additional symptoms are poor clotting, stroke, COVID Toes (like frostbite), rashes, and repeated shaking. To learn more about cold and flu-causing coronaviruses, visit The Tisserand Institute.

COVID-19 reactivates ALL other viruses that are dormant in the body. If you have contracted had any type of Herpes Simplex Virus (cold sores, genital herpes, Shingles, Mono, etc.), you can expect the virus to reactivate. Even if you don't know you have a dormant herpes virus (because you've never had any symptoms) you can expect it to activate.

The long-term effects of COVID-19 are yet to be understood entirely. Individuals may experience symptoms indefinitely and organ damage due to contracting COVID-19 or receiving a vaccination.

As of August 2020, it is now known that contracting and recovering from COVID-19 is likely. However, recovery doesn't necessarily guarantee immunity from further contraction. Furthermore, while vaccinations have been made available, there is an ongoing debate regarding their effectiveness.

Complications of the Common Cold, Flu (Influenza) & COVID-19

Dehydration due to fever, diarrhea, and not enough fluid intake
Pneumonia is due to the air sacs becoming inflamed and filling with fluid or pus. Pneumonia is treated with antibiotics.
In infants and children, Bronchiolitis may develop due to bronchial tubes becoming inflamed, which causes coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
Shortness of breath or trouble breathing due to mucus build-up in the bronchial tubes and lungs.

So far, the most effective methods for reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19, or any other cold or flu virus, are:

Social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other individuals).
Wearing a proper mask (in public and around ill people).
Washing hands often with hot, soapy water for 20 seconds.

It's essential to maintain lung health now that COVID-19 is something to be concerned about. Here's an article that offers an exercise you can perform for healthier lungs and make your lungs better prepared to take on any respiratory illness. Breathing exercises also calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and improve immune function. Vitamins and supplements may also be of help (see below).

The Jabs

By now, the world is aware that COVID-19 jabs (vaccinations) are not vaccinations. Vaccinations must contain a minute amount of a virus or bacteria that isn't enough to overwhelm your immune system but enough to make your body create antibodies. For example, influenza (common flu) vaccinations contain some flu viruses. COVID-19 vaccinations are not vaccinations because they don't have any virus to develop antibodies against. MRNA changes your cellular operation to have your body attack spike proteins. They are gene-modification shots that need to be more thoroughly studied. Why? The lasting results are not in because people receiving these jabs are lab rats.

NOTE: Whenever you have shortness of breath, trouble breathing, or a high fever, please see a doctor immediately.

COVID-19 Isolation FYI

If you test positive for COVID-19, staying away from other people is necessary to avoid spreading the virus. Remain isolated in a separate room behind closed doors for five full days. The day after you've tested positive is your first day. If you need to enter the rest of the home to use the kitchen or bathroom, wear a mask to prevent the spread of germs through coughing.

After five days (the 6th day), if you never developed symptoms or did but haven't had a fever (without taking NSAIDs) for 24 hours and your symptoms improve, you can end isolation but wear a mask for five more days. After testing positive, 31% of all people remain infectious after day five.

You can retest if you never developed symptoms (or if you did) but haven't had a fever (without taking NSAIDs) for 24 hours. If you're positive again, the CDC advises isolating for another five days until day ten. You may or may not be infectious after day ten, depending on how severe your symptoms were (but not always). Vaccinated and boosted people are usually apparent by day ten, but not always.

A negative test should be required before ending isolation after you've tested positive. However, a PCR test (the one that takes 2-3 days to get results back) can pick up traces of the dead virus for weeks. A Rapid Antigen Test (the one you take at home for instant results) reveals whether you are infectious enough to transmit the virus to others. If it's positive, you're still contagious.

Unless COVID-19 (or any of its variants) causes severe symptoms, most people usually have no more symptoms and are generally no longer infectious by day 20. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they won't continue to suffer from symptoms. In some cases, people start to feel better, and 6-7 days later, they are seriously ill. Long-COVID is a term used when someone only partially bounces back from COVID-19.

Long-COVID

Doctors are now recognizing the following symptoms as being associated with Long-COVID.

Loss of smell and taste
Thirst
Fatigue
Coughing or chronic cough
Shortness of breath
Headaches
Changes in vision
Exercise and exertional intolerance
Abnormal body movements
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Tingling in the arms and legs (there may be pain in the hands and feet)
Brain fog (trouble thinking clearly)
Dizziness
Gastrointestinal distress
Heart palpitations
Chest pain
Joint, nerve, and muscle pain

Listerine Mouthwash Disrupts COVID-19 In Seconds

COVID-19 catches hold in the oral cavities, the nose, and the mouth.

"In 1865, Dr. Joseph Lister, the son of a well-known physicist, first demonstrated the use of an antiseptic in surgery. Later, Dr. Joseph Lawrence refined his product and named it Listerine® after Dr. Lister." (https://edhird.com/tag/dr-joseph-lawrence/)

I believe it was Lawrence who suggested it be used for oral hygiene. Rinsing three times daily (as described on the label) is recommended.

"The study, published in the journal, Pathogens, found that (over-the-counter) Listerine and the prescription mouthwash Chlorhexidine disrupted the (COVID-19) virus within seconds after being diluted to concentrations that would mimic actual use. Further studies are needed to test real-life efficacy in humans." ~ Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

NOTE: The Captains Lady's Holistic Tarot isn't suggesting Listerine is a "cure" for COVID-19 or any other viral illness.

Iodine Nose & Throat Spray

Iodine and hydrogen peroxide inhalations have successfully reduced upper respiratory symptoms, which is done by adding one or the other to a saline solution or pure, distilled water and inhaling through a nebulizer. More information can be found here.

Azelastine nasal spray (Astepro Allergy), an over-the-counter medication) may decrease SARS-CoV-2 load.

An Interesting Fact About Nicotine

Smokers and chewers of nicotine are less likely to get COVID-19 because nicotine binds with nicotine receptors in the body, so COVID can't. Nicotine patches detoxify the body after contracting COVID or receiving a viral "jab". Contrary to what we've been told, nicotine is not toxic to the human body. Tobacco isn't either. It's the chemicals added to tobacco that are highly toxic. Nicotine is naturally found in some of the foods we eat, such as celery, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and cauliflower.

Nicotine can be used to help detoxify the body, along with EDTA, betonite clay, and apple pectin powder. I've included some resources for you directly below.

Vitamins & Supplements for Colds, Flu & COVID-19

While vitamins and supplements can help boost your immune system, they are not a cure-all for viruses and may not work for some people. Why? If your microbiome is dysfunctional, it can't signal or utilize supplements to boost immunity, which is why, even though specific vitamins and supplements can be advantageous to use in emergencies, supplements are not the answer to boosting immunity. Improving your gut bacteria has to happen first. Why? Because it's not what you eat it's what you absorb and if your gut microbes are unbalanced you're not absorbing all of your nutrients.

Supplements essential for healthy immunity are vitamin A, which multiplies T-cells (killer cells), vitamin C with bioflavonoids (1000 mg x 2 daily), vitamin D3 (5,000 IU and up to 10,000 IU daily for up to 5 months, although some are saying 10,000 - 20000 IU daily during acute illness), zinc (citrate or gluconate, NOT picolinate, 30-50 mg daily), and vitamin E (400 IU).

Many of you already living with the Herpes Simplex Virus will be happy to know that a 2021 study found that "...taking lysine in conjunction to eating a low-arginine diet, was effective in reducing the chances of getting infected by COVID-19 and a newly emergent strain of the influenza A virus." You can read more about the benefits of lysine and how to use it under Lysine Versus Arginine.

Other Supportive Vitamins & Supplements

N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC): NAC is a detoxifier and precursor to glutathione, which fights inflammation. However, if you suffer from Histamine Intolerance or Mast Cell Activation Dysfunction, you should know that NAC increases the release of histamines in the body (which stops when you stop taking it). NOTE: DO NOT take NAC with Tylenol, as NAC is used to treat acetaminophen overdose. It might interest you to know that when COVID-19 was at its pinnacle, NAC was removed from shelves throughout the United States. Your guess is as good as mine.

Take probiotics (bifido and lactobacillus: 10 Billion CFU daily) to maintain gut flora. Fructo-oligosaccharides are a probiotic (and fiber) that look and taste like sugar that helps keep children and older adults (those over 55) healthy from colds and flu. You can sprinkle it on and in foods and beverages. Here's the thing. Not just any probiotics will dowhen you suffer from inflammation. Many different kinds of probiotics can cause or worsen inflammation, which is a huge issue when dealing with viruses. I suggest taking spore probiotics, which reportedly don't cause or increase an inflammatory response. I discuss prebiotics and probiotics (and which ones are safest to take when you have histamine problems) under Vitamins & Supplements.

Quercetin is an antibacterial flavonoid theorized to boost resistance to infection and restrict histamine release. Quercetin also helps zinc get to where it needs to go. Green tea also transports zinc.

Melatonin (fights inflammation and aids sleeping while ill). If you can't sleep you can't heal.

Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation. However, there may be risks associated with taking this supplement.

Studies show that COVID-19 vaccinations deplete the body's mineral supplies. Selenium (200 mcg daily) and zinc play a significant role in fighting viruses, including the Herpes Simplex Virus, which both COVID-19 and vaccinations can trigger. Studies show that COVID-19 vaccinations also deplete copper.

EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) can help the body detoxify. I'll let Dr.Berg explain.

Drinking periwinkle tea or taking a Vincamine supplement may help with "sticky" blood issues (a problem after having contracted COVID-19 or receiving jabs) and improve ATP (cellular energy). Vincamine may also help with Vertigo, which is associated with Meniere's Disease.

It's now known that COVID vaxes contain venoms. Ashwagandha, chasteberry (Vitex), and licorice root bind to venom and metals. Glutathione, NAC, vitamin C, and EDTA all work to degrade venom. Betonite clay, psyllium husks, EDTA, and fulvic acid all help to clean out the body. Check The Tarotpothecary for resources.

AVOID iron supplements and foods containing a high amount of iron when you're sick. Pathogens thrive on iron! If you have symptoms you can't manage and believe you may have contracted COVID-19, please see a doctor.

Taking L-lysine may be of benefit in preventing or managing herpes breakouts assiciated with COVID, jabs, and resulting herpes breakouts.

Beneficial Herbs for Colds, Flu & COVID-19

If you've listened to the news regarding COVID-19, you've probably heard how the virus causes a cytokine storm (intense inflammation throughout the body). Not only does COVID-19 do this, but so do the vaccinations for COVID-19. Again, MRNA changes your cellular operation to have your body attack spike proteins.

A cytokine storm is an exaggerated immune response. According to David C. Fajgenbaum, M.D. and Carl H. June, M.D., the "Cytokine storm and cytokine release syndrome are life-threatening systemic inflammatory syndromes involving elevated levels of circulating cytokines and immune-cell hyperactivation that various therapies, pathogens, cancers, autoimmune conditions, and monogenic disorders can trigger."

Specific herbal adaptogens are cytokine regulators. Meaning they reduce inflammation. For example, olive leaf extract works for lung infections, turkey tail can help prevent and relieve cytokine storms, and licorice root protects from neurotoxicity. Also, see the recipes in The Herbal Remedies Recipe Guide for easing flu-like symptoms.

Hydrogen Water

Hydrogen water can help to neutralize free-radicals, supercharge the activity of minerals, heal the gut, and reduce systemic inflammation in the body.

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