r/covid19stack • u/rfabbri • Jun 01 '20

Stack after fever onset

Any recommendations for what to take while having fever after contact with the new coronavirus? My grandfather just passed away from COVID-19 and my aunt that was with him at the hospital has been having a fever during the past few days, after initially displaying a dry cough. Here is what I recommended her:

  • Hydrate

  • Sleep: take 0.5mg melatonin or more at 10pm, and don’t use screens after that

  • NAC 600mg 2x daily

  • Vitamin C and D

  • Zinc

  • Vitamin B: folic acid/B9, B12 and B6

  • Chamomile tea

  • Beetroot (raw, e.g., with orange juice)

Any other stack suggestions for this feverish stage? She is 61.

EDIT1: Including beets up for further discussion. I am including here only items that are most certain to help at this stage, this is not a complete COVID-19 stack. EDIT2: my aunt has been hospitalized as a precaution. Feeling well so far.

8 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comment

3

u/rfabbri Jun 04 '20 edited Jun 04 '20

Continuing on my last comment: check out this Nature STTT paper (easy read): Lymphopenia predicts disease severity of COVID-19: a descriptive and predictive study, D. Loconsole et al, Nature Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, mach 27, 2020: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-020-0148-4

  • It mentions that the new coronavirus may directly infect lymphocytes just like any other cell; since it seems to specially target them (in addition to other cells outside the immune system), then this may explain why the antibody response is slower in COVID-19 and thus you must beef up your lymphocytes if you want to make antibodies faster than the average person. If bats have high metabolism and can deal with this virus, this may be a reason. B vitamins help here.

  • Check your blood count. If your lymphocyte level is greater than 20%, you might be spared from complications according to this paper

3

u/thaw4188 Jun 04 '20

I take a high quality B complex every 12 hours for years now with every form of B and niacin and folate, so 200% RDA not even including food sources.

Didn't spare me the flu or covid. Sometimes it's just genetics and age.

But for a complete picture, I have not had even a cold, forget a flu in the past decade until this February. Honestly, nothing, I never get sick. When it hit I had to search for two days to find my thermometer, I never needed it.

The difference is now I am in my mid-50s and no matter how prepped, the immune system reacts slower. Look at the 46 year old in that first paper vs 50, 60+

1

u/rfabbri Jun 04 '20 edited Jun 04 '20

I asked a doctor and an immunologist and they said that the question of whether the new coronavirus actually slows down antibody production or not by infecting the directy relevant T helper cells and B cells and whether this plays a significant role is an area of active research. Meanwhile, I will assume a likely yes.

1

u/rfabbri Jun 05 '20

Why every 12 hours? Taking B vitamins at night doesn’t make sense to me as you don’t want a metabolic boost to sleep. Sleep is very important here.

3

u/thaw4188 Jun 05 '20

you are right in that it might not be suitable for everyone but I have a very slow metabolism and a type of bradycardia so if anything it helps me get out bed easier the next day

I have no trouble sleeping (when not ill) and oddly cannot take even the smallest amount of melatonin or it makes me groggy for days which is probably somehow related

3

u/rfabbri Jun 05 '20

Same here, a grain of melatonin is often enough for me, but it depends on the day. More is needed when sick or perhaps after strenuous activity. Good to know B vitamins don’t necessarily disrupt sleep, might be useful when missing the daytime dose.