His name was Dr. Li Wenliang. He was a dedicated ophthalmologist from Wuhan, China who discovered COVID-19 and was disciplined by the Wuhan police “for making false comments” on a Chinese social media app about the possible outbreak of an illness that resembled severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Dr. Wenliang was forced into silence and returned to work only after authorities made him sign a letter that stated his original claims about the virus were false.
He died on February 7, 2020, after contracting the virus from an infected patient. He was 33 years old. Dr. Wenliang was among eight other doctors who were reprimanded by Wuhan police for warning people on social media about the threat of the virus. The Chinese government later exonerated Dr. Wenliang and offered a “solemn apology” to his family. His mother has continued to honor his name and was quoted by Microsoft News as saying, “We won’t give up if they don’t give us an explanation.”
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause various illnesses. Some versions are limited to common colds and others can cause more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The last known case of SARS was in since 2004. The symptoms for SARS included fever, dry cough, headache, muscle aches, and difficulty breathing. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, which means that they are transmitted from animals to people.
The COVID-19 Dr. Wenliang discovered is classified as a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans.
Coronavirus or COVID-19 has everyone scared because currently, there isn’t a known cure. Anyone can catch the virus but the people who are at high risk of dying from the virus are the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. At one point, Italy had the highest fatality rate. This is due to the country having the second- highest population of people over the age of 65, according to The New York Times. Many of the deaths have been among people in their 80s, and 90s; and although these deaths have mostly occurred among the older population, many news reports point at the country’s frequent socialization of youths and elders as a reason for the rapid spread. Some youths may not get the virus but they still can pass it on to someone who is more susceptible to getting it or dying from it.
Another group of people who are more susceptible to getting coronavirus are those who suffer from severe asthma. The following is a list of other preexisting conditions that may put someone at higher risk of catching the virus or dying from it; according to the World Health Organization and other medical sources.
- Cardiovascular Disorders
- Chronic Respiratory Diseases
- Diabetes
- Immunosuppression due to medication or to HIV infection
- Oncological Conditions
- Chronic Haematological Conditions
Coronavirus has everyone on the edge and so it comes to no surprise that a lot of news outlets are reporting a rise of people suffering from anxiety and depression. People with increased anxiety and depression may act out in behaviors that might make them more susceptible to contracting the virus.
“Fear of the virus and all the changes it’s causing are driving anxiety levels up for everyone, but for people who have an anxiety disorder it’s so much worse,” Gail Saltz, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at the NY Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of medicine and host of the upcoming Personology podcast from iHeartRadio, tells Health magazine. “Anxiety also worsens depression, particularly those whose depression is of the ‘agitated’ variety, a subtype of the illness characterized by jittery, anxious, irritable behavior.”
Every news outlet is reporting on the coronavirus. It’s all over social media. With so much bad news about the virus, we are left panicked and confused, not knowing if we will ever be able to go back to a normal life. But there’s hope above the dark clouds.
Recently, the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail newspaper reported that “Chinese province of Hubei reports NO new coronavirus cases for the first time since the deadly outbreak began there.”
Other signs of hope included an appearance by Dr. Oz on Fox News. He talked about doctors in France who are using a powerful drug called hydroxychloroquine to treat patients who have the virus. Italy’s Higher Institute of Health government organization has authorized the use of ozone therapy to treat COVID-19 cases. Clinical trials have shown “the effectiveness of ozone in killing the SARS virus in monkey cells, and in clinical experience of the benefit found in patients with bronchopneumonia.”
“The best defense is a good offense” is a common saying amongst the sports world and renowned athletes but because there isn’t a known cure for COVID-19, medical experts and health professionals are advocating for people to boost their immune system to best defend themselves from getting the virus. In addition, their advice is to also practice social distancing, which basically means limit yourself from physical human interaction as much as possible- is at least six feet away from everyone. One should also practice other daily health habits such as eating a healthy diet, avoiding stressful situations and taking supplements to boost the immune system.
Vita-Health Acupuncture and Wellness Center has various options to boost the immune system such as ozone therapy, antioxidant therapy, major autohemotherapy, ozonated saline and IV glutathione with high-dose vitamin C. Our various immunity boost treatments provide excellent defenses to protect your body from getting sick. We advise you to always consult a medical professional before taking on any health or medical treatments.
Our doctors at Vita-Health Acupuncture and Wellness Center are highly trained health and medical professionals. We are currently offering free over-the-phone consultations for patients who would like to inquire about our various services and treatments. In order to continue to serve our community, we have decided to cease our walk-in policy for the time being and only taking on new patients after conducting consultations over the phone. We also sanitize and clean our facilities on a daily basis because keeping our patient safe and healthy is the heart of our business. Stay safe. Stay healthy. We will get through this together.