Mix Margaret Dylan Jones

For next DRAFT:
https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/do-natural-remedies-or-supplements-prevent-coronavirus/natural-remedies-coronavirus/

Here's my personal checklist for the steps I take in handling respiratory tract infections. For full explanations see www.mixmargaret.com/colds-and-flu.html and
www.mixmargaret.com/voice-article-001-singers-cough.html.

DISCLAIMER: I'm no doctor or medical researcher, so you ought to check my information with your doctor. I have no idea if any of this will be relevant to the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2, which became a global epidemic in early 2020.

Please also check on the page at this link before taking ANY kind of cold or flu remedy, especially because some common ones can cause serious complications and even death if taken incorrectly: www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/natural-cold-remedies

My checklist:

Bed rest (with heat pack for head & neck). Right now! If you doubt the importance of this, see this article.

Sambucol (Sambucus nigra / Black Elderberry) capsules (anti-viral). Start taking this ASAP.

Keep warm, even in summer

Thermal underwear. Absolutely magic

Chicken soup (with real chicken, plus not too much garlic, ginger & salt, consumed hot but not too hot)

Warm salt water gargle

Hot drinks only. No cold drinks

Humming to clear your sinuses if you have sinusitis or want to ward off getting it. Humming a melody with your head in various positions helps to keep your mucus flowing.

Chew a small piece of garlic. Drastic but effective (or make a tea out of it).

Vaporiser / humidifier (see singers-cough.html)

Difflam (Benzydamine throat spray) (see singers-cough.html)

Hydrogen peroxide gargle and ear drops

Honey (for throat infections)

Vitamin C (no more than 500mg daily from all sources).

Vitamin D if deficient (tablets and from the Sun; it takes months to build up. Note that excessive levels of Vitamin D are also problematic.)

Hydration. Keep drinking (but too much water without food can be dangerous)

Food. Keep eating.

Vaccinations

AVOID:

Topical zinc in your mouth (suspected of deleting your sense of taste and smell, possibly permanently);
Cold dry air, eg from air conditioning (stops your mucus from flowing, and viruses perfer cold).

As at 30 March 2020 there is some controversy around using Ibuprofen (an NSAID sold as Nurofen, Advil, and Motrin) for mild fevers and COVID-19, so check with your doctor.

See my other articles:

Singer's Cough: Causes and Cures For Vocal Inflammation And Excess Mucus (Singing And Speech)

How I handle throat infections, colds & flus

Mobile phone: 0414 374 701.
(Outside Australia: +61 414374701).
Email: see my contact page. 

Margaret Dylan Jones, MusB(UWA), DipEd, LTCL, ATCL, AMusTCL, AMusA, is a composer, piano accompanist and voice teacher, whose first non-musical(?) hobby was examining old pianos at auctions with a torchlight and a tuning fork. (C) 2014 - 2020 Mix M D Jones. http://mixmargaret.com Note to webmasters: you're welcome to copy this article to your site, royalty-free, providing you keep the whole article intact from the title down as far as the resource box and this note.

Direct link for this article: http://mixmargaret.com/colds-and-flu-checklist.html