I hope you all had a peaceful and safe holiday. I apologize that it has taken me some time to write this, but information is constantly changing and you all are keeping me busy:)…..I’m thankful for all of you as patients. Information IS changing on almost a daily basis. I want everyone to keep that in mind. There are so many opinions and supposed “FACTS” being released. It is difficult to sift through all of it. So please try to be patient with the zigs and zags that are made as far as recommendations, as the medical world tries to figure this out. Unfortunately, much of what we are basing recommendations on is NOT all “Evidence Based Medicine” with years of vetting. That is our present situation. So we all need to weigh pro’s and con’s and try to get the best information, so that we can make an educated decision (as much as can be done at this point).
I am going to touch on A LOT of information in this email. Please read all the way through and save..
1. If you or your family are exposed to someone with COVID or COVID symptoms…OR have tested POSITIVE for it, please contact me and we can do a virtual visit to personalize the best care for you to have the best outcomes possible.
2. Which TEST is BEST?
- It seems there is still some misunderstandings about testing. As I have said in previous emails, the testing is far from 100% accuracy…Especially if you get it immediately after being exposed or developing symptoms. I realize how inconvenient it is to quarantine (exposure) or isolate (you have symptoms). BUT IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO DO THIS, EVEN WITH A NEGATIVE COVID TEST!
- Rapid Tests are less effective (most of time). The PCR/Molecular Rapid is likely more accurate than the Antigen Rapid Test.
- In general, The PCR “send out tests ” are better, depending on the lab evaluating. I find that when these are positive, it is likely accurate (if done by a reputable lab). If it is negative, there are still some factors that might make this a FALSE NEGATIVE.
These are not absolutes., but the longer you wait to have the test, especially around 5-10 days, the more accurate it will be. But it still does NOT mean you should break quarantine or isolation.
3. How long should I QUARANTINE if I have been exposed?
- The CDC has said 14 days …and the CDC has said 10 days. Everything that I have seen in data collection has shown a person can start showing symptoms up to the 14th day. In my practice, THIS month alone, I have had 3 patients not have symptoms until the 12th or 13th day. I don’t know why the CDC shortened their recommendations, but I find this very much against the evidence that is available.
4. How long should I ISOLATE if I have symptoms?
- If you have mild symptoms that have dissipated by the time you get to the 10th day, that should be enough.
- If you have had severe symptoms with or without ER/Hospitalization, you need to extend that likely another 10 days.
5. Do I need a NEGATIVE COVID TEST to return to work or school?
- YOU SHOULDN’T! Remember, viruses live in our cells. We shed dead viral particles for a long time after infection. Some people shed for months! This does not mean they are still able to spread the virus. The test just picks these particles up. So I highly recommend NOT waiting for a negative test. However, any private company can have their own mandates. But this isn’t based on the science we know at this time, or the current recommendations.
6. What are the symptoms I should be looking for?
- This is very important and one of the biggest areas of frustration that I have because most people think COVID symptoms are high fever, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea and loss of taste/smell.
- While those are symptoms, I can’t remember the last time I had a patient with COVID who had a fever. I have several patients who just have a severe headache or severe fatigue for a few days. I have patients have sinus symptoms. Many people don’t lose sense of taste/smell. However, if you do, that makes diagnosis easy. Please be cautious about being around others if you have any of the above symptoms, until you fully know what is going on.
7. What preventive measures should I take to boost immune system?*
- Vitamin D has been proven time and again to impact recovery and severity of symptoms
- Vitamin C has been proven to impact recovery as well
- N-Acetyl Cysteine and IV Glutathione – help with “free radical ” damage caused by the immune attack. This greatly impacts recovery.
- B complex with methylated folate (NOT folic acid)- All of the above vitamins help make glutathione
- Zinc and Quercetin -Quercetin helps get Zinc into cells and Zinc kills the virus. (Especially with these. The doses and routes need to be adjusted on an individual basis. More is NOT always better, as with any of the vitamins mentioned, especially given in supplemental form)
- Melatonin – (this depends on sleep and fatigue levels)
- Magnesium Glycinate/Threonate/Malate
* (The doses and routes need to be adjusted on an individual basis. More is NOT always better, as with any of the vitamins mentioned, especially given in supplemental form)
8. What Pre-Exposure or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Measures can I take from a medicinal standpoint?
- All of the ABOVE! BUT dosages are adjusted accordingly
- In Addition, there is the option of adding Ivermectin and/or a few other medications based on your individual health history and risk. Please look at the I-MASK+ Protocol
9. What happens if I start having symptoms?
- ALL of the ABOVE! But dosages are again adjusted accordingly
- Anticoagulants have made a large impact on complication reduction. Outpatient, this equates to 81-325mg of Aspirin daily (with approval of physician).
- Steroids have also helped immensely (with approval of physician)
- The key is EARLY INTERVENTION! No matter if it is just nutritional or you decide to follow an antiviral medication protocol….The sooner you start, the better the outcomes.
- Ivermectin is also used in Early Outpatient Treatment . Please see I-MASK+ Protocol
- If you are wondering why this isn’t widespread…I can give you alot of theories about “there’s no money in promoting ivermectin” for big pharma, the politicizing of HCQ that caused it to be banned, etc. The powers that be wanted the vaccine to stay in headlines. And that may be fair. However, there is more and more data on how Ivermectin can be effective as a prophylactic as well as EARLY intervention medication. So Please schedule a virtual consult if you feel you would like to discuss this option after reading the available information. This site is the one of the best I have found: https://covid19criticalcare.com/ . :
- NIH Revises Treatment Guidelines for Ivermectin for the Treatment of COVID-19
- Ivermectin is Now a Therapeutic Option for Doctors & Prescribers!
- Jan 14, 2021 – One week after Dr. Paul Marik and Dr. Pierre Kory – founding members of the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) – along with Dr. Andrew Hill, researcher and consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), presented their data before the NIH Treatment Guidelines Panel, the NIH has upgraded their recommendation and now considers Ivermectin an option for use in COVID-19.
- Their recommendation has now been upgraded to the same level as those for widely used monoclonal antibodies & convalescent plasma, which is a “neither for nor against” recommendation. The significance of this change is that the NIH has decided to no longer recommend against the use of ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 by the nation’s health care providers. A consequence of this change is that ivermectin has now been made a clear therapeutic option for patients.
- It also includes the Statements from the Experts who are working to find already in use anti-virals to fight this disease and their statements on the use of Ivermectin to the SENATE:
10. Why do some people get worsening of symptoms AFTER to initial 10 days of infection?
- THIS IS SOOOOOO IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ!
- COVID Progression: This is a general outline of what typically happens with someone who is infected with COVID. Please understand that there is a lot that we have yet to learn about the disease. There is also a lot of variability of timing of symptoms. But, from what I have seen from my own patients, as well as from all of the physician consortiums that I have been a part of to share data, this is what typically happens. Initially with infection, the patient can have anything from no symptoms, to URI symptoms, to GI symptoms, etc. Sometimes fatigue and headache are the only symptoms. Some of this depends on where the virus first infects in the body, the amount of virus the patient has been exposed to, as well as underlying health conditions. This first phase usually lasts 1-2 weeks with some variation. Notice I did not say fever. Very many of the cases have little to no fever. Most people have no problem with this phase. If they can survive Influenza, then they would likely do fine during this phase barring anything that moves faster into the second phase (see next). The “Second Phase” as I call it is the real issue. This is typically 10-20 days after onset of symptoms/start of infection. This phase doesn’t happen to everyone. However, those with underlying immune issues, (auto-immune or immunocompromised), Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes and general “inflammation” are at greatest risk. This phase starts as the body starts developing antibodies to the virus. As it creates the antibodies, they start circulating around the bloodstream, looking for foreign invaders/Coronavirus. At this point, most people are done with the initial infection. They start to feel better. However, their cells now are recycling and releasing some of the viral particles (presumably dead particles). Once those viral particles are detected by the antibodies, the antibodies start attacking and mounting a huge immune response. Antibodies release a lot of substances that are meant to be helpful to kill viruses, but they also create a lot of inflammation/free radical damage in the body. The more this happens, the more likely our bodies “run out of steam”, so to speak. In order to “neutralize” the free radical/inflammatory damage, we use a lot of our nutrients. We exhaust our energy systems and our ability to detoxify. Therefore, if someone who has chronic health issues is in this situation, they likely don’t have a lot of cushion for when all of this goes crazy. So, several things happen once the body is in this overdrive mode. The antibodies bind with viral particles and those “complexes” can clog up our organs (lungs, heart, kidneys, liver). In addition, if we have run out of the antioxidants and nutrients that help keep inflammation down…..inflammation increases. And we have exhausted our “fuel” to keep on running. So during this phase, people have blood clots, their lungs/liver/kidneys can get clogged with the antibody complexes making it harder to breathe, or run the usual processes in the body. If someone does not bring in extra nutrient help at this point, along with the medications that we have seen that help (steroids, anti-clot medications, questionably antivirals and immunoglobulin – the person has an uphill battle to survive). Those who get through this second phase sometimes have long-term energy issues/severe fatigue, brain fog/attention issues/memory issues, vertigo, depression, etc. This is due to them not yet replenishing and replacing much of what was lost in the body. This is good food, health food. Supplementation often helps to push the healing along faster. Depending on the severity of this, we may even use IV nutrition to help.
11. Should I get the Vaccine?
- There are two vaccines approved for use right now – Moderna and Pfizer. The non-mRNA vaccine in the works is the Johnson and Johnson Vaccine.
- While I believe the current vaccines have gone through a rigorous process of quality controls and research, just like everything with COVID….they are new and we don’t have long term information.
- There are definitely groups of people without a shadow of a doubt, that I see the vaccine being beneficial, given the pro’s and con’s….I initially wrote this saying “Elderly”. Now I would say “Most Elderly”….There are enough VAERS reports of serious complications to make me say that anyone in this category should look at all the information that is out there.
- There are also groups that I feel the early information (which was limited, at best) showed that there were minimal adverse outcomes, have now shown more adverse outcomes due to more having the vaccine. Pregnant women would be at the top of my list for this. Even though the US trials for the vaccines did not include pregnant women, the UK had some in it. Also, some women became pregnant after the first shot or second shot in the US trials. So this data is available. But the jist is, there were several fetal deaths, miscarriages, and maternal complications, above the placebo threshold. … (updated) New study shows benefits for pregnant women to get it. So, again, it is information that is changing every week. But since we can’t give actual “full” data, is has to be a personal decision based on risk and benefit.
12. Does the Vaccine stop the spread of COVID?
- Most of you who did not think this was a question right now are probably saying, “What?” This is a good question. Most experts believe it will be proven. But it HAS NOT. They wanted to release the vaccine as quickly as possible under EUA. Therefore, they had to focus on what was most important. So they did NOT test high risk groups. They did NOT prove that you still cannot spread the virus if you come in contact with it after the vaccine. Therefore, everyone still needs to social distance, practice good hygiene and mask wisely.
13. Should I get the vaccine if I have ever had an anaphylactic reaction (to anything) and/or Multiple Allergies and/or Sever Allergy to medications?
- This is ONE group of people who should have an Epi-Pen with them if they decide to do the vaccine.
- If you have an anaphylactic reaction or a severe reaction otherwise, that is likely a contraindication to having the second dose. Anaphylaxis is an ABSOLUTE contraindication
14. Should I get the vaccine if I have had COVID?
- Just last month, there were a few very small studies done that showed that those infected with COVID have immunity beyond the 2-6 months they have “antibodies”. The researchers measured levels of other immune cells/branches of the immune system, and showed that post-infection….a person likely has protection for at least 6-8 months. THIS IS AWESOME! https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-covid-immunity-months-reveals.html
- With the above being said, many patients who have had COVID are having anaphylactic reactions with the vaccine, especially if they get it immediately after having COVID….This is my opinion, but if it is true that we have immunity for close to a year, and COVID causes HYPER immune reactions anyway….Maybe we should wait longer than a few weeks/months after infection to get the vaccine…just maybe.
15. Should I get the vaccine if I have “Hyper”-Immunity or Auto-Immune Disease?
- This is the group that makes me stay up at night trying to study more and find more information (again, censorship is a struggle with anything to do with adverse outcomes).
- This group likely would not do well with getting infected with COVID …Although I have had several autoimmune patients and diabetic patients do well with early intervention with my “Regimens”. The earlier the better. But this group may not do well overall with the vaccine either. So I won’t make any vast recommendations for this group at this time. I encourage you to follow the objective data. If you have any questions, Please reach out and schedule a One on One so we can discuss the pro’s and con’s either way.
To conclude, I realize this is a lot of information. But I hope you read everything when you get a chance. It really could prevent further infection and save some lives. Please let me know if you would like to schedule some time to discuss your personal circumstances. And remember, the best defense at this point is still social distancing, handwashing/good hygiene and the PROPER masks/masking wisely.
I wish you all a safe 2021!
Dr. Ohms