I contracted SARS-CoV-2. RAYS’ recommended approach to address COVID-19

(Image credit: CTV News, Edmonton, https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-records-over-1-000-new-daily-covid-19-cases-for-first-time-surpasses-400-deaths-1.5189311)

Dear friends, last October I suddenly contracted COVID-19. Below is a summary of its development and how I got rid of it in less than 48 hours. Given the importance and gravity of the current situation, I decided to share my experience, confident that it can help countless people.

• October 19th, Monday.

In the afternoon I experienced the onset of a dry cough.

In a few hours, I developed continuous headaches, body aches, and dizziness, together with fever, which kept raising to 38.4 ºC. At that point, I took 1000 mg of paracetamol, which stabilized the temperature at 38.2ºC and allowed me to sleep a few hours.

• October 20th, Tuesday: I woke up in the same condition as I was during the early night. Therefore, I went to get tested at North York General Hospital. The day after, I received the COVID-19 positive result.

• My taste and smell went slightly off on Thursday (Oct. 22nd), for two days.

• However, on Monday, as soon as my cough began, I immediately started taking my 20 supplements-protocol, which I had designed since the beginning of the pandemic, by researching the scientific literature and collecting experiences from physicians for months.

The cough was gone in less than 6 hours that same day.

On Wednesday morning, at about 6:00 am, I woke up: all the initial symptoms were gone and I was feeling great. No aftermaths.

• On Friday (Oct. 23rd), I stopped taking all the supplements and switched to the basic supplementation as always. That was a mistake, I thought the body had already eradicated the virus. Instead, after interrupting the protocol, on Saturday I got up with an onset of a cough again and was feeling feverish. Evidently, the virus was still trying to take over. Therefore, I immediately re-started the entire supplementation protocol and also added 3 Aspirins 325 mg (morning, afternoon, and evening) on Saturday and Sunday, to boost the anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning effects of the protocol (since, having interrupted it, I wanted to kick-start it again and quickly). On Sunday the symptoms were all gone and didn’t return.

I'd like to thank Mercy Halder for motivating me to write this post.

THE PROTOCOL

ENGLISH DOWNLOAD - PDF: 2020-10-22 double protocol for COVID

UPDATE: 3rd English version: 2022-06-15 double protocol for COVID_v3

SCARICA IN ITALIANO - PDF: 2020-11-05 doppio protocollo per COVID

AGGIORNAMENTO: 2a versione italiana: 2021-01-15 doppio protocollo per COVID_v2

I was already on a diet and a basic supplementation protocol (I will share it below) for general health and to make sure the body was more ‘prepared’ to deal with COVID-19 in case of infection. The diet is very simple: I don’t eat grains, beans/peas, dairy, nightshades, and their derivatives or by-products of any sort. When the first symptom appeared, I immediately switched to the full supplementation protocol. What mechanisms are targeted by these strategies?

1) The protocols include a variety of supplements with broad antiviral effects. For example, it contains high doses of Glucosamine (at least 3000 mg/day), which have shown the ability to fight RNA virus-infections by boosting the type 1 interferon response. The mechanism consists of promoting the activity of the mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS). I combined other supplements that can further amplify the signaling functions of TLR7 and MAVS in stimulating type 1 interferon response, such as N-acetyl-L-cysteine, selenium, lipoic acid, and zinc.

2) Quercetin: In a study on mice it has shown a specific anti-coronavirus activity. I know, it’s not a human clinical trial. However, it is a safe, very healthy, and popular supplement. Numerous studies have shown quercetin’s ability to promote immune defenses and antiviral effects, both in vitro and in vivo.

3) Broad anti-inflammatory effects

4) Blood thinning agents and other substances that favor cardiovascular health and efficiency

5) Neuroprotective agents

Why points 3, 4, and 5? Protection. The mechanisms behind COVID-19’s most serious complications (for example, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological) involve excesses of inflammatory molecules and vascular-circulatory impairment. Furthermore, neurological complications also occur in some cases. Therefore, promoting anti-inflammatory actions, cardiovascular health and efficiency, and neuroprotection via a multifactorial combination of healthy compounds, could usefully stop COVID-19 on its tracks before it causes serious damages using the above-mentioned mechanisms.

Now the details.

 

PRE-COVID-19 PREPARATORY (BASIC) AND GENERAL HEALTH PROTOCOL:

1) Vitamin C tablets with added bioflavonoids, for example, Natural Factors Vitamin C 1000 mg tablets with Bioflavonoids and Rosehip

1000 mg every 6 hours

2) Vitamin D3, for example, Natural Factors Vitamin D3 1000 IU soft-gels

10000 IU (10 soft gels) during the main meal (it needs dietary fats to be fully absorbed)

Please avoid D3 products based on sunflower, safflower, or soy oil.

3) Long-chain Omega3 from Molecularly distilled fish oil:

• Webber Naturals 900 mg Triple Strength,

• or Natural Factors RxOmega-3 900 mg Maximum triple Strength,

• or New Roots Herbal Wild Omega 3 660 mg EPA / 330 mg DHA

3 capsules during the main meal (it needs dietary fats to be fully absorbed)

The label must explicitly state “molecularly distilled”.

4) An advanced absorption Quercetin supplement, for example, Natural Factors Quercetin Complex

1 capsule every 6 hours, together with Vitamin C

Quercetin showed a specific anti-coronaviruses antiviral activity

5) Glucosamine, for example, Organika Glucosamine Sulfate GLS-500:

1000 mg x 3 times/day (morning, afternoon, and evening)

It can be taken together with Vitamin C

6) An optimized multivitamin-mineral supplement, such as:

• (1st choice) Life Extension Two-Per-Day tablets, to be ordered online:

https://www.lifeextension.com/vitamins-supplements/item02315/two-per-day-tablets

In Europe, search Two Per Day Tablets on www.lifeextensioneurope.com

• (2nd choice) SiSu Multi Vi Min

1 per day, during the main meal

7) Natural Factors Zinc Citrate 50 mg

1 tablet once/week

 

POST-COVID-19 INFECTION COMPLETE PROTOCOL:

1) Vitamin C tablets with added bioflavonoids, for example, Natural Factors Vitamin C 1000 mg tablets with Bioflavonoids and Rosehip

1000 mg every hour

2) Vitamin D3, for example, Natural Factors Vitamin D3 1000 IU soft-gels

30000 IU (30 soft gels) during the main meal (it needs dietary fats to be fully absorbed)

Please avoid D3 products based on sunflower, safflower, or soy oil.

3) Long-chain Omega3 from Molecularly distilled fish oil:

• Webber Naturals 900 mg Triple Strength,

• or Natural Factors RxOmega-3 900 mg Maximum triple Strength,

• or New Roots Herbal Wild Omega 3 660 mg EPA / 330 mg DHA

7 capsules during the main meal (it needs dietary fats to be fully absorbed)

The label must explicitly state “molecularly distilled”.

4) An advanced absorption Quercetin supplement, for example, Natural Factors Quercetin Complex

1 capsule every hour, together with Vitamin C

Quercetin showed a specific anti-coronaviruses antiviral activity

5) Glucosamine, for example, Organika Glucosamine Sulfate GLS-500:

1000 mg of NET glucosamine every 6 hours

It can be taken together with Vitamin C

6) An optimized multivitamin-mineral supplement, such as:

• (1st choice) Life Extension Two-Per-Day tablets, to be ordered online:

https://www.lifeextension.com/vitamins-supplements/item02315/two-per-day-tablets

In Europe, search Two Per Day Tablets on www.lifeextensioneurope.com

• (2nd choice) SiSu Multi Vi Min

2 per day, during the main meal

7) Natural Factors Zinc Citrate 50 mg

1 tablet per day, during a meal

8) N-Acetyl-Cysteine, for example, Natural Factors N-Acetyl-Cysteine 500 mg or 600 mg caps

500 or 600 mg every 6 hours, together with Glucosamine

9) An advanced-absorption type of Curcumin, such as:

• The best one: Life Extension Curcumin Elite. In the USA and Canada, search for Curcumin Elite on www.lifeextension.com ). In Europe, search for Curcumin Elite on www.lifeextensioneurope.com

• In Canadian stores: Natural Factors Theracurmin caps or SiSu full spectrum Curcumin Softgels

3 capsules during every meal

10) A blend of phytonutrients with antiviral and immune-stimulating activity, for example, Natural Factors Anti-Viral capsules (containing Astragalus, Reishi, Echinacea, and Licorice)

1 capsule with every meal

11) L-Glutamine powder, for example, Kaizen Fermented L-Glutamine

3 full teaspoons at wake up and at bedtime.

Warning: keep L-Glutamine away from steam and moisture. Store in the bedroom (no kitchen, no washroom). Use only perfectly dry hands to handle. When pouring the powder in the glass, make sure the scoop does not touch anything moist or wet, especially the glass or cup if it has been washed or used recently.

12) Oregano oil capsules, for example, Natural Factors Oil of Oregano 30 caps

1 capsule with every meal

13) Selenium, for example, Preferred Nutrition Selenomethionine capsules 200 mcg

1 capsule during a meal

14) Bee propolis capsules, for example, Orkanika Himalayan Bee Propolis caps

1 capsule with every meal

15) Concentrated Garlic Extract soft-gels, for example, Natural Factors Super Strength Garlic Concentrate

1 soft-gel every 6 hours

16) IF YOU EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS SLEEPING: Melatonin, for example, Natural Factors Melatonin 1 or 3 mg

Dissolve 1 tablet under the tongue, 30 minutes before bedtime (but make sure to go to bed early, before 11 pm)

17) Mineral Drops:

For example, ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops

Take 10 drops/day with water.

The products listed above cover inflammation, immune defenses, antiviral effect, anti-coronavirus specific activity, and cardiovascular health.

Since one of the main mechanisms of COVID-19’s respiratory complication is driven by vascular impairment, to further improve vascular and circulatory efficiency and anticipate the virus on its steps, these products can be added (which are also helpful for memory and cognitive health and performance):

18) Ginkgo Biloba, for example, SiSu Ginkgo Biloba 120 cps 90 mg

1 capsule morning, afternoon, and evening.

19) Taurine

1000 mg x 3 times/day, possibly before meals.

It can be found in supplements and health food stores.

Also, although neurological complications are rarer, they can happen. To anticipate COVID-19 on its steps in attacking the brain, these products can be added, they work particularly well synergistically:

20) Acetyl-L-carnitine, for example, Natural Factors Acetyl-L-Carnitine 500 mg caps

• 3 capsules at wake up, on empty stomach (postpone L-glutamine by 30 minutes)

• 1 capsule 1 hour before lunch, on an empty stomach

21) Alpha Lipoic acid, for example, Natural Factors Alpha Lipoic Acid 200 mg caps

• 200 mg at wake up, on empty stomach, together with Acetyl-L-Carnitine

• 200 mg 1 hour before lunch, on empty stomach, together with Acetyl-L-Carnitine

• 200 mg before dinner

Lipoic Acid also works synergistically with N-acetyl-L-cysteine, selenium, and high dose glucosamine, to exert the antiviral activity against RNA viruses by amplifying the signaling functions of TLR7 and MAVS in evoking type 1 interferon production. Therefore, it is good to take it not only for neurological and antioxidant protection but also for direct antiviral action. It also showed beneficial vascular effects and the ability to improve insulin sensitivity, effects that help with inflammations: two additional advantages in the case of COVID-19.

IS THE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE OF ONLY ONE PATIENT RELEVANT?

I know that one patient is statistically insignificant. However, I am not using my case to study something new. For example, if I had Addison’s disease, I hypothesized that Amlodipine could be used to treat it, and I experienced remission after taking it, my case would be irrelevant. A properly designed study, with a control group and a sufficient number of patients, would be required to draw reasonable conclusions on whether Amlodipine can really treat Addison’s disease or not.

On the other hand, this case is different. It is indeed my personal experience with COVID-19, not a study performed with 500 patients. However, the products I included in the protocol were chosen based on abundant scientific literature and physicians’ clinical experiences, showing certain effects of those compounds. My case, although individual, accurately matched the ‘pattern’ of effects showed by those previous studies and clinical cases. To explain the concept by using an example similar to the previous one, I’ll go with Aspirin. If I had blood clotting issues, I took Aspirin, and I experienced a strong improvement, although I would be a single individual doing this little experiment, I wouldn’t be doing anything new. Indeed, there are already plenty of studies showing that Aspirin exerts blood-thinning effects. Therefore, it could be reasonably concluded that my improvement was due to it.

In this case, all the substances that I chose are backed by rich literature and abundant data. The only thing I did was combining them strategically and synergistically.

THE BOTTOM LINE

What’s the bottom line of this experience?

For the same virus, some people die, some people get severely sick, some people get moderately sick, some people get barely sick, and other people show no signs and symptoms at all even though they have contracted the virus (asymptomatic). We can see how the ability of the body to fight the virus and the better or worse efficiency of the immune system play a decisive role in the development of COVID-19. This is a key factor.

Unfortunately, it seems that most of the efforts and attention of the big players in this pandemic were focused on ‘perfectionism’: by waiting and longing for the ultimate weapon to completely eradicate the virus, a vaccine, maybe somebody forgot to look at something good that we already had at our disposal since the beginning.

Yes, sure. Supplements cannot eradicate a pandemic like a vaccine could. But, what if combining multiple antiviral, pro-cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective actions would have protected the population partially? Partially could mean fewer deaths, fewer griefs and families destroyed, less serious or permanent complications, fewer lives financially destroyed, fewer health expenses for governments and individuals, less strict lockdowns and limiting measures, less impoverishment of entire nations, fewer brakes to local and global economies.

Even if a supplementation protocol cannot completely eradicate a virus from the planet, still, if we could make the body and the immune system of as many people as possible ‘more similar’ to those of the people who healed well from COVID-19, why not?

Perhaps a motto that is popular among microbiologists deserves to be mentioned here: “The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything”. Yes, probably this motto isn’t completely correct. Indeed, the microbe is not absolutely ‘nothing’, as different microbes cause different problems. The microbe is definitely something. And, yes, the terrain is not ‘everything’. However, the terrain is certainly something, it can certainly make a big difference.

THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE UNIVERSAL ‘VACCINE’

What will happen in the next pandemic? And the next one? And the next one? Are we going to raise new lockdowns for months each time, waiting for a vaccine? Are we going to dry governments' balances again and again to support people that cannot work? At this rate, there won't be even shreds of economies left. How many people will die or be severely affected? Will we get to the point of having to get 5, 10, maybe 20 vaccines? We actually have a system that can adapt to every possible pathogenic microorganism that tries to infect the human body, theoretically. It's called "immune system". How do we get from theoretically to actually? By helping it, for example with a diet that excludes foods that weaken the junctures of the intestinal cells, so that we do not develop intestinal permeability and have a better barrier against invaders in our gut, and with a synergistic and scientifically advanced supplementation protocol. Used correctly, supplements are safe and helpful. They can do wonders. They deserve more attention, research, and respect. Even if they can neither be patented nor be extremely lucrative for the big players.

I understand the desire for a vaccine, but, people, what do we do in the meantime? Should we surrender our bodies to ‘fate’? We can modify our fate! Let us not wait passively for months, compliant, for a remedy that requires a long time to be released. Let’s get creative, strategic, and efficient! Let’s help people and countries. I wonder, how many deaths and tragedies could have been avoided?

Thankfully, some countries are now starting to explore similar paths. For example, the UK has recently determined the need to distribute vitamin D to the population. Holland is also discussing a similar measure. Studies are being performed on vitamin D, vitamin C (Even in combination with quercetin), zinc, and other promising natural compounds against COVID-19. Better late than never.

I hope this protocol can give a contribution and inspire scientists and researchers everywhere.

Nicola Di Pietro

About references:

I designed this protocol over eight months and the folder containing all the studies and reports shows 92 files. Hopefully, someday I will have time to add a nicely formatted list of references here, but that's a big hope. In the meantime, if anybody is interested in examining the scientific background, I can zip the entire folder and send the file.