COVID-19

Basic First Steps

The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from a licensed physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

These recommendations apply to COVID-19, all COVID-19 variants, and other viral infections.

Disclaimer: The supplemental dose amounts contained within this resource may exceed the upper intake levels established by Health Canada and other regulatory bodies. The dose amounts indicated in this section are supported by current scientific literature and/or empirical evidence derived from orthomolecular practice. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from a licensed physician or other qualified health care professional.

GENERAL IMMUNE SUPPORT

Nutrients to supplement daily

  • multivitamin/mineral or B-complex
  • vitamin A – 2000–4000 IU
  • vitamin C – 3,000 mg or more (in divided doses)
  • vitamin D – 2,000–4000 IU
  • magnesium – 150–200 mg
  • selenium – 100 mcg
  • zinc (20 mg elemental zinc/day)

Proportions of zinc in common formulations
• zinc acetate – 30%
• zinc gluconate – 14.3%
• zinc sulfate – 23%
• zinc citrate – 34%

Additional supplements to consider for immune support

  • omega-3 fatty acids – 1g/day fish oils
  • vitamin E – 400 IU/day
  • probiotics

Diet

  • Follow a Mediterranean-type diet with adequate protein and good fat to stabilize blood sugar.
  • Reduce or remove refined sugar and starches.
  • Reduce or remove foods that contain additives.

Substance use

  • Incrementally reduce alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
    An appropriate approach is to reduce and eliminate only one substance at a time.

Further steps to support immune health

  • Decrease stress
  • Decrease exposure to chemicals and heavy metals
  • Ensure good sleep
  • Get exercise

If you are taking medications

  • Research any associated nutrient depletions and consider supplementing those nutrients
  • Do not discontinue taking medications without consulting with your doctor.

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At the first indications of a viral infection (COVID-19 or other)

Virus infection symptoms:
 https://www.boystownhospital.org/knowledge-center/virus-vs-bacteria-symptoms-treatment

Supplements:

1. Four times a day

  • Vitamin C – 1000 mg (Reduce frequency if laxative effect)

2. Twice a day

  • Quercetin – 500 mg
  • NAC – 500 mg
  • Fish oils – 1 g

3. Once a day

  • Vitamin A – 50,000 IU for 3 days, then 10,000 IU for 1 month (Gröber & Holick, 2022)
  • Vitamin D – 50,000 IU for one day (Charoenngam & Holick, 2020), then 2,000 IU/day (Getachew & Tizabi, 2021)
  • Magnesium – 150–200 mg
  • Selenium – 200 mcg  
  • Zinc – 50 mg elemental zinc
  • Melatonin – 3 mg, 3 times a day (Farnoosh et al., 2022)


With established COVID-19 or other viral infections

1. Every hour 

  • Vitamin C – 1000 mg (Reduce frequency if laxative effect)

2. Three times a day

  • Vitamin A – 50,000 IU
    • Vitamin A has been used in the treatment of (Midha et al., 2021):
      • Ebola – 200,000 IU for 2 days
      • measles – 200,000 IU for 2 days
      • acne – 500,000 IU daily for 12 weeks (women 300,000 IU)
  • Quercetin – 500 mg
  • NAC – 500 mg
  • Fish oils – 1 capsule

3. Two times a day

  • Vitamin D – 10,000 IU
  • Magnesium – 150–200 mg
  • Selenium – 200 mcg
  • Zinc – 50 mg elemental zinc
  • Melatonin – 3 mg, 3 times a day (Farnoosh et al., 2022)

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Hydrogen peroxide

Adjunctive use of nebulized hydrogen peroxide has been shown beneficial in the context of COVID-19. With continued progression of viral symptoms or identifiable lung involvement consider:

  • 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide via nebulizer
  • 10-15 minutes, 4 times a day

More information on hydrogen peroxide nebulization:

› Hydrogen Peroxide as an Adjuvant Therapy for COVID-19: A Case Series of Patients and Caregivers in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8289588/

Rapid virus recovery (Book) See Resources section.

Seek qualified guidance

  • Consider working with someone trained in Orthomolecular practice for immune support or addressing viral illnesses.

The information provided in this segment may not reflect the current standard(s) of care in your jurisdiction, and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from a licensed physician or other qualified health care professional.

Please consult your regional public health authority for specific guidelines and resources pertaining to the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19.

Charoenngam, N., & Holick, M. F. (2020). Immunologic Effects of Vitamin D on Human Health and Disease. Nutrients12(7), 2097. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12072097

Farnoosh, G., Akbariqomi, M., Badri, T., Bagheri, M., Izadi, M., Saeedi-Boroujeni, A., Rezaie, E., Ghaleh, H. E. G., Aghamollaei, H., Fasihi-Ramandi, M., Hassanpour, K., & Alishiri, G. (2022). Efficacy of a Low Dose of Melatonin as an Adjunctive Therapy in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Randomized, Double-blind Clinical Trial. Archives of Medical Research53(1), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2021.06.006

Getachew, B., & Tizabi, Y. (2021). Vitamin D and COVID-19: Role of ACE2, age, gender, and ethnicity. Journal of Medical Virology93(9), 5285–5294. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.27075

Gröber, U., & Holick, M. F. (2022). The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – A supportive approach with selected micronutrients. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research92(1), 13–34. https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000693

Midha, I. K., Kumar, N., Kumar, A., & Madan, T. (2021). Mega doses of retinol: A possible immunomodulation in Covid‐19 illness in resource‐limited settings. Reviews in Medical Virology31(5), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/rmv.2204