How I Avoided COVID Even Though My Husband Got It

It was a New Years Eve surprise to find out that my husband, Justin, tested positive for COVID. Happy 2022!!! Apart from a slight sniffle, he had no symptoms. We had simply tested before going to a party where guests were asked to test before coming. Change of plans: New Years was spent at home, masked, watching TV with our pets.

If I’ve learned anything through this whole COVID experience, it’s to roll with the unexpected rather than get too attached to how I’d ideally like it to go.

I immediately pulled out the kitchen cabinet of immune-boosting supplements---the ABC’s and D’s of vitamins along with things like NAC & Quercetin (see below for more details)---I figured that even though it was likely that I would end up getting it too, I’d do my best to stave off my chances and at least end up with a milder case. By the next morning, I figured there was no point in us masking around each other, since I’d already been exposed. So we went about our business, sharing cups, a bed, etc. In the meantime, Justin confirmed with a PCR test that he was indeed positive and noticed he couldn’t smell/taste as well.

A couple days later, I went to get my PCR test, assuming that the results would have changed from my negative test three days prior. I was shocked to see that I was still negative! It’s now weeks later and I never got sick, never lost my smell, and presumably, never got COVID.

In case you are wondering, we had both gotten our J & J vaccines seven months prior but neither of us were boosted. I want to be clear that I'm not anti-vaccine---I don't think Justin would have gotten as mild a case had he not been vaccinated originally---but I do think that in addition to N-95 masks and any other protective measures, that we also factor in that the strength of our immune system does matter, and boosting it with EXTRA SUPPORT at the time of a potential exposure, can make a huge difference. I’d like to also mention that I was careful to avoid most of the typically inflammatory, immune suppressing foods such as sugar, dairy, wheat, and processed foods.

I can’t promise that if you follow what I did, you won’t get it either, or that I’ll never get it, but I’ve had enough people asking me, that I thought I’d share my recommendations for what I consider to be the "earthquake kit" for COVID. Here it goes:

• Immune Support Packets—these contain everything including Vit C, D3, A, Zinc, NAC, EGCG green tea, Quercetin, Beta Glucans, astragalus, elderberry, medicinal mushrooms, and more. I consider it to be the Mary Poppins bag of immunity (minus the spoonful of sugar) and I keep these on-hand to take if I’m going to be traveling, if I’m feeling run-down, or the slightest inkling of getting sick.
  

• Vit D3 + K2—Even though the immune packets already contain 2,000 IU’s, for many people, this isn’t enough, and especially if you feel like you’re getting sick, you’ll want to keep some separate to load up on for short periods of time. I’ve heard that you can take as much as 100,000 IU’s for one day and then backing down to 50,000 for two days after if you think you have contracted it to help kick your immune system into gear, but I didn’t feel comfortable with dosing quite that high (because Vit D is fat-soluble) so I took 30,000 IU’s for 3 days when Justin tested positive and then went back down to my daily dose of 5,000 IU’s. *Ideally, you should test for Vit D levels every so many months and be in the 50-80 range. Everlywell has an inexpensive (~$50) at-home test which I recommend everyone take if getting bloodwork feels like a hassle.
  

• Quercetin + Vit C---This is a powder that you add to water. Quercetin and Vitamin C are also both contained in the Immune-Boosting packets, but there’s not enough if you are run down or potentially exposed to COVID. (It’s recommended to take 250-500mg of Quercetin 2X/day due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and around 1,000mg 2X/day of Vit C). Here's a PubMed study on the benefits of quercetin as it relates to COVID. There’s also an interesting/disturbing study from the 80’s where monkeys were given the equivalent of 400 cigarettes a day (!!!)---the control group was all dead within 3 months, whereas the group that was also given quercetin ALL lived. So yes, with the poor monkey’s in mind, I was loading up on quercetin, even though they say it’s best to take it with more regularity so that it builds up in the system. I now take it on the daily. If you prefer a pill form to powder, here’s a good one with the added benefit of nettles.
  

• Melatonin—Yes, this can be helpful for sleep, but what people don’t know is that it’s also super beneficial for the immune system. It’s been hypothesized that part of the reason why kids may not be quite as susceptible to COVID is because they have 6X higher levels of melatonin than adults. Suggested daily dose: 3mg-10mg or up to 20mg therapeutically. The one I'm recommending is time-released so it works better for staying asleep.

To order any of these, you’ll need to first set up an account (it takes 2 min) by clicking “signup” in the upper right. After you make your acct, you can search for the products above in the search bar and then “add them to your cart”. When you go to check in, you can use my promo code TREATYOURSELF for 20% off & free shipping!

There are so many others I could add, but what I like about the Immune Support Packets is that they already have so much of what I'd recommend anyways, so then you don't have 20 different supplement bottles to sort through!

If you are looking for a more detailed list of recommendations and dosages, I’d check out this link from the Institute for Functional Medicine. And if you want to schedule a one-on-one where I can do a more in-depth intake to learn more about your health and then put together specialized supplement packages to address your specific needs (not just COVID related), you can book it here.

In addition to supporting your immune system through food, supplements, and lifestyle another recommendation is sterilizing the nasal & throat passageways after a potential exposure. I had been doing this when I’d go on a flight, or come out of a particularly busy grocery store, but I had been doing it with straight iodine on a Q-tip to the nose which is too strong & eventually led to a nosebleed. Instead, I’d recommend diluting 2 tsp of this solution in 6 oz. of water, and putting in a nasal spray bottle where you can squirt it up your nose and even gargling with it. Here’s an article from the US Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health that shows the efficacy of a comparable povidone-iodine nasal spray for health care workers around the world working on the front line with COVID.

And if you’re into essential oils, the blend that makes up Thieves essential oil was critical during the black plague, so this can be rubbed between your hands, inhaled, and even a little rubbed in your mask for added protection. Doterra makes a comparable blend called On-Guard.

Even though it may be inevitable that we all get COVID at some point, and vaccines can help with the severity of symptoms, they are not our only line of defense. While immunity is incredibly complex and each of our bodies are unique and react in different ways to the virus, my hope is that these suggestions help you to either stave off COVID or to get a milder case. And if you've already gotten COVID, may these help minimize reinfection down the line and help prevent you from getting other colds and flus!

Let's all do our best to support each other through these unusual times. In health and love!!