Just DOH it!

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

SOME people I know have survived COVID-19 following strict protocols laid down by hospitals. Some have recovered and recorded no relapse. Even with expensive medical treatments, recovery from the impact of the virus is not guaranteed. Others have moved on to another dimension.

In my family, a brother-in-law recovered, after an expensive procedure at a hospital outside Metro Manila. All hospitals within the city were full when he became ill, making it difficult to plan a support mechanism to alleviate the anxiety of those around him.

On Facebook, posts from a former colleague at the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA), Ricardo R. Casco, gave a detailed account of his ordeal, from the time he recognized the symptoms, to his being carried in an ambulance, up to his recovery.

These are recoveries from medical procedures approved by health authorities. However, it is a fact that hospitals are full, and those who have tested positive with mild symptoms are required to quarantine themselves for at least 13 days. The World Health Organization (WHO) states:

“Based on evidence showing the rarity of virus that can be cultured in respiratory samples after 9 days after symptom onset, especially in patients with mild disease, usually accompanied by rising levels of neutralizing antibodies and a resolution of symptoms, it appears safe to release patients from isolation based on clinical criteria that require a minimum time in isolation of 13 days, rather than strictly on repeated PCR results. It is important to note that the clinical criteria require that patients’ symptoms have been resolved for at least three days before release from isolation, with a minimum time in isolation of 13 days since symptom onset. “

COVID-19 is a novel virus, “a virus that has not previously been recorded. It can be a virus that is isolated from its natural reservoir or isolated as the result of spread to an animal or human host where the virus had not been identified before. “

Recognizing this peculiarity, it is not my intention to substitute established medical protocols with home remedies that have worked with patients exhibiting mild symptoms and diagnosed with COVID-19. However, it is important to note the remedies and procedures these patients have employed while under the required number of days for self-quarantine.

A friend who had a swab test and tested positive had been advised to isolate herself for 14 days from the date of her swab test. Here is the timeline she presented:

“Aug 25 loss of smell and taste, slight fever, lbm; Aug 26 no fever, lbm stopped; Aug 29 taste and smell back to normal; Aug 31 swab test; Sep 1 result released (tested positive, with no symptoms, prescribed to take 1 capsule of melatonin (3mg) daily for 15 days and 1 capsule of Conzace daily for 60 days. Also to sleep in a prone position at night and watch for shortness of breath)”

Her daughter did not have fever, but had lost her sense of taste and smell as well, and had difficulty breathing. In isolation beginning August 25, both members of the family boiled one liter of water with two tablespoons of salt and inhaled the vapor with their heads fully covered with a towel, ensuring that the vapor is inhaled fully. Aside from this, they pressed about 20 kalamansi (calamondin, Philippine lime) dipped in salt in their mouths daily for 4 days. As I write this article, both have recovered their sense of taste and smell. My friend recovered from her fever, and her daughter is now breathing easily. Both are completing self-isolation for 14 days, and will get another swab test after, to determine if they have fully recovered.

It is time the Department of Health (DOH) embark on a massive research on both medical and alternative remedies that consolidates traditional healing practices, previous researches conducted by health institutions on indigenous plants, and healing interventions implemented in other countries. We cannot rely solely on initiatives from China, the United States or some advanced countries who are more interested in selling vaccines, medical equipment, face masks and face shields. Fund the research, fund the scientists, dig deep into the reservoir of indigenous healing practices.  Just DOH it!

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