Steve and Bonnie: We encourage you to
read this piece which explains the tangled history of mRNA vaccines. Over the months, some have asked why one of the discoverers of mRNA technology, Dr. Robert Malone, is now unsupportive of the vaccines (even though he himself is fully vaccinated). This may bring them new perspective.
1 in 500 Americans Have Died of COVID-19
As of last Tuesday, nearly 664,000 people in the U.S. have died due to the coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In April 2020, the U.S. population was 331.4 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Whether or not we all agree upon what is considered a COVID-19 death, even if the total number of deaths were cut in half, it will still be the deadliest pandemic in modern American history, as it is nowhere near finished.
For perspective, here are some numbers from past pandemics in the United States:
1918 - Spanish flu - a quarter of the population caught the virus, 675,000 died. There was no vaccine available to protect against the virus;
1952 - Polio - 57,628 reported cases and 3,145 deaths;
1957 - H2N2 flu - 116,000 deaths;
2009 - H1N1 flu - 274,304 hospitalizations and 12,469 deaths;
To date, 75 million eligible Americans have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccination.
Do-It-Yourself Nasal Irrigation From Our Own Dr. Schuster
"Recently, Steve posted about the benefits of using store-bought, med-free saline nasal sprays for COVID-19. These are wonderful and easy to use. I also wanted to share how one can make their own saline solution to use in a neti pot or a nebulizer to rinse the sinus passages.
A neti pot is a nasal irrigator. It's designed to pour water into the nasal passages to flush out mucus, pollen, bacteria and other irritants. You can find them online or at your local health food store or pharmacy.
A nebulizer is commonly used to administer medication in the form of a mist. This devise uses oxygen, compressed air or ultrasonic power in order to break up the liquid medication into small aerosol droplets that are inhaled into the mouth and nose.
I personally use a hand held nebulizer every day as a preventative for this. I hold the area that gives off the mist up to my nose, my mouth and my eyes where viruses can enter. If one begins to have any respiratory issues, it must be used at least five times a day until all respiratory issues subside. I can tell you from helping a few patients over this past year, who had a hard time breathing, that this was very helpful for them.
To make the saline solution for the netti pot or for the nebulizer you will need a 16 oz mason jar. Fill it with filtered or distilled water and then add a teaspoon of finely ground sea salt. Put the lid on and shake the jar to help the salt dissolve. Put that into the refrigerator, where it can last up to 6 months. When you use the nebulizer, pour this ready made saline solution into the well of the nebulizer. Mine lasts about 20 minutes and has 2 settings for the strength of the mist. Always make sure to thoroughly clean the nebulizer or the neti pot after each use.
Another way to positively effect the sinuses and respiration is by running a humidifier. I also add a few tablespoons of 3% store bought hydrogen peroxide and 7-10 drops of store bought povidine iodine into the water. These two antiseptics and the humidity keep the air in your home as safe as possible all year long."
Breathing Therapy Critical Post-COVID-19
The rate of recovery from COVID-19 infection can be significantly increased by home-based inspiratory muscle training (IMT) as part of a patient’s rehabilitation program. In the study presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress (ERS) 2021, COVID-19 patients whose primary symptom was breathlessness who followed an 8-week IMT saw significant improvement not only for breathing measures, but also fitness and fatigue.
How Our T Cells Work Against Influenza Sheds Light As to How We Fight SARS-CoV-2 in the Future
CD8+ T cells, known as "killer" T cells, are the assassins of the immune system. Once they are primed, they seek out and destroy other cells that are infected with virus or cells that are cancerous. As long as these cells are primed properly via vaccination or contracting the infection itself, these cells remember how to keep us from severe death and illness if future infiltration occurs.
In the case of the influenza virus (the flu), these immune cells show up a few days after you're not feeling well and knocks out the infection in most of us. Scientists believe the same will occur with the SARS-CoV-2 virus once enough people have either been vaccinated or have contracted the virus.
The only persons in which this immune function is compromised or not functional are in severely immunocompromised individuals and/or those who have gotten a severe case of COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 often creates dysfunctional killer T cells. The one thing researchers have found to "rewire" killer T cell function is a dose of mRNA vaccine. This is why some long haul COVID patients have seen immediate relief after getting the vaccine.
