Wanderer’s Guide to: Coronavirus
"Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2" by NIAID is licensed under CC BY 2.0
[The following is a continuation of my last blog post Is the Microbiome Our Best Hope Against Coronavirus? You may consider starting there for full context, if you feel called]
“Right now we are experiencing a national forest fire of COVID that is readily consuming any human wood that’s available to burn.””
The planet is approaching one million deaths attributed to this virus, with the U.S. accounting for more than a fifth of those.
How can we help ourselves avoid becoming “human wood” for this fiery epidemic?
Wash your hands, wear a mask, and keep your distance. I’m really not going to waste a lot of time or energy on these basics. There have been numerous articles, thought-pieces, and social media memes about how distancing and masking up is a selfless act, for the benefit of the whole and vulnerable populations. I believe that. Here I will simply add a self-interested perspective on these measures:
It’s possible that this virus will spread through a majority of the population, just as other coronaviruses have done. While scientists, doctors, and humanity at-large are working toward a better understanding of what it is and how to treat it, it really is in our own best interest to buy ourselves time before contracting it. The best way to do that is to keep your distance and wear a mask.
While I embrace these tactics, I am aware they are informed solely by germ theory, the nearly centuries-old paradigm upon which modern medicine is based.
• • •
Wanderer’s Guide to Coronavirus
[IMPORTANT: The following is not medical advice. It should not be construed as personal health guidance. Again, I am not a doctor. This is simply what I am doing in addition to the prevailing epidemiological recommendations—my own guidance, according to my own beliefs, informed by elements of terrain theory, microbiome research, and my own intuition and knowledge of my body.]
1. I’m fostering a healthy, diverse gut microbiome through diet
How?
Avoiding alcohol: alcohol, even in small amounts, acts as a low-grade antibiotic in my gut, wiping out the very bacteria I rely on to modulate my immune response
Eating 30 different plant species each week: greens, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and especially root veggies (with the skin on). The prebiotic fiber in a wide variety of plants feed different types of bacteria in the gut, allowing you to foster a diverse and balanced microbiome. “Foods rich in fiber, such as apples, artichokes, blueberries, almonds and pistachios, can all help your Bifidobacteria thrive.” [10]
Eating lots of fermented foods: kimchi, sauerkrauts, kombucha. These foods are typically high in Lactobacillus strains and add to the diversity of good bacteria in my gut.
“As the largest immune organ of the human body, the intestine harbors approximately 10^14 bacteria. The gut microbiome is an indispensable functional organ and participates in immune response regulation, nutrient absorption and metabolism, and the control of infection. However, the homeostasis between the intestinal microbiome and the host immune system is impaired as viral infections, antibiotic use, and chemotherapeutic applications increase... There were significant changes in the intestinal microbiota in our cohort of patients with COVID-19, including a decrease in the number of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium... and an overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens such as Enterococcus (Ec) and Enterobacteriaceae (E), which are involved in disease severity.
—from Clinical Significance of the Correlation between Changes in the Major Intestinal Bacteria Species and COVID-19 Severity, in the journal Engineering, 08 June 2020.
Why:
As of my last microbiome analysis, I had antibiotic-induced dysbiosis, including an utter dearth of several species of immunoprotective microbes, but especially Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species. I encourage everyone to get a microbiome analysis to learn if they are replete with the specific bacteria needed to modulate their immune response.
2. I’m being mindful of my lung health, and learning about the “lung microbiome”
How?
Going for hikes. Getting out in nature, breathing fresh, clean air, and spending time around lots of plants.
Why:
To get away from lung-damaging pollution—some experts suspect this coronavirus binds to PM2.5 air pollution, acting as a carrier into the lungs. Air pollution also has the potential to damage the microbial community in the mucosal lining of your lungs—the body’s innate immune defense at this “second gate” of infection.
Breathing in a rich diversity of microbes and micro-RNA from flora and fauna adds diversity and strength to the lung microbiome.
“There's a growing consensus in the scientific community that the risk of getting the coronavirus outdoors is low. Experts generally agree that it’s safe to spend time outdoors, provided that people follow social distancing guidelines and practice good hygiene.” [11]
3. Exercise for lung health and gut health
How?
I’m doing at least 20-minutes of cardio two-three times per week.
Why:
To keep my lungs strong and in good working order
Some studies in mice have suggested that exercise may increase Bifidobacteria [10]
4. I am grounding (Earthing) everyday
How?
Skin-to-Earth contact, for 10-15 minutes, on natural surfaces that have not been sprayed with chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Often I do my daily meditation, exercise or yoga barefoot in the grass to achieve this.
Why:
To keep any systemic inflammation in check, and enhance my immune response.
“It is an established, though not widely appreciated fact, that the Earth's surface possesses a limitless and continuously renewed supply of free or mobile electrons… connecting the body to the Earth enables free electrons from the Earth’s surface to spread over and into the body, where they can have antioxidant effects. Specifically, we suggest that mobile electrons create an antioxidant microenvironment around the injury repair field, slowing or preventing… “collateral damage” to healthy tissue. We also hypothesize that electrons from the Earth can prevent or resolve so-called “silent” or “smoldering” inflammation.
— from “The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.” Journal of Inflammation Research. [15]
5. If I suspect contact with an infected person, I’m going to consider probiotics
How?
An OTC probiotic supplement with as many strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilli as I can find, but especially those species listed in the chart below.
Why:
To enhance my immune response, and lessen the likelihood of producing a “cytokine storm.”
“The gut microbiome has a critical impact on systemic immune responses, and immune responses at distant mucosal sites, including the lungs. Administration of certain bifidobacteria or lactobacilli has beneficial impact on influenza virus clearance from the respiratory tract.” [8]
• • •
Thank you for reading. In closing, if the only thing you take away from this article is to stock up on probiotics and eat kimchi, then I have failed as a writer and researcher.
The reason I decided to share this journey, is not to purport to know what others need or should be doing, but to encourage each of us to tune in to our own bodies, do our own research, and determine our own needs—and to tune out anything that doesn’t feel right to you.
The stories of “healthy” young people suffering greatly, or even perishing, after contracting this Coronavirus are presented as both heartbreaking and terrifying. But to me, even as one of these “healthy” high-risk young people, this is not the time for sorrow, worry, or fear—all emotions which serve to suppress the immune system [13, 14]. This is the time for introspection, compassion, and community—human and microbial alike.
I’ll conclude this article by sharing some sage wisdom about this era of pandemic. The Hopi have supported their population through their own healing traditions for at least 1,000 years, far longer than any practice employed in a modern hospital today. It seems they predicted this very moment in human history, more than 20 years ago:
• • •
You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered…
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for your leader.
Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, “This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word ’struggle’ from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
--Hopi Elders' Prophecy, June 8, 2000
P.S. If you’ve found this piece helpful or inspiring, please consider a donation to the The Hopi Foundation, or other indigenous community in need. The Hopi Emergency Assistance Fund was created to support emergency needs of the Hopi community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The effects of this coronavirus are especially drastic in the Hopi community for multiple reasons including:
Being enveloped on all sides by the Navajo Nation, which has one of the highest per-capita rates of positive COVID-19 cases
The lack of running water electricity, and transportation for many homes/families
Many Hopis are artists or vendors and are reliant on tourism and face-to-face interactions to conduct business
The threat to the older demographic is more devastating because our culture is dependent upon the knowledge our elders hold.