by Kerry Lutz
Financial Survival Network
Leading up to New Year’s Day, I spent a week in the hospital fighting Covid-19, together with a case of walking Pneumonia. It was a very challenging experience, but quite enlightening and beneficial as well. From the pandemic’s very beginnings, I made no secret of my belief that governments and politicians at every level were mis-handling the pandemic. Covid 19 is quite serious, especially when the elderly and those with comorbidities are affected. While the absence of underlying illnesses or those of younger ages does not guarantee immunity from the coronavirus, it greatly decreases the mortality rate and the likelihood of serious residual effects.
From the pandemic’s start, I made a pledge to lead my best possible life, all the while taking basic precautions against the disease. I engaged in continuous handwashing, confining most of my social activities to the outdoors and taking a preventative course of HCQ, vitamin D3, Zinc and other supplements.
I never believed that I would get Covid. Going back to the early days of the Diamond Princess cruise ship experience, less than 20 percent of the crew and passengers actually got Covid, despite their constant exposure and lack of social distancing. In hindsight, I understand that even if 70-80 percent of the population is immune (a fact in contention) it is still very possible to be one of the 20 percent who contract the disease. It’s a fact of life that we have no way of knowing which group we’re in until you either get it or the pandemic ends and you haven’t gotten it. Clearly, the majority of the population hasn’t gotten and isn’t getting Covid. This is a fact.
We can argue the science all day long, there is no question that the disease is real and taking a toll. How much of a toll is due to Covid and how much is due to the misbegotten public response is really the issue. There certainly are a number of people who had underlying illnesses that have passed on due to Covid. The actual number is subject to debate, however, people can and do live many years with high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic diseases. Covid, at least in its early stages, was the intervening cause of death, regardless of what the death certificate might indicate. Then there are those hapless souls with no underlying illnesses who contracted the disease early and perished, a relatively low percentage.
Other deaths caused by the lockdowns and response to Covid have been under-reported and are appallingly high. Accidental drug overdoses, suicides have risen exponentially. In addition, during the lockdowns and the effort to flatten the curve, extremely serious non-covid patient procedures were classified as elective and thereby delayed. How many treatable heart issues and cancer diagnoses became untreatable as a result? We will never know. And many people, especially the elderly, avoided going to the hospital under any circumstances in an effort to avoid potential Covid exposure.
For all these reasons and more I chose to ignore the histrionic-based response of the government and the medical profession. I could have been hiding under my bed for 1 year and still contracted the virus. And then what? I would be no better off than attempting to live my life in a somewhat normal way. In fact, this is exactly what happened to a very close friend of mine. She became a virtual recluse for a year and still contracted Covid around the same time as I did. Who had the better life during the past year? It wasn’t her. The end result was the same.
Thoughts of death. Based upon my age and health profile, I determined early on that I probably had a 1 percent chance of dying from Covid. That’s 99 to 1. Those are pretty good odds. Insurance companies get very wealthy dealing with such risks. In life, we are never certain what’s going to happen, but I felt pretty confident that Covid was not going to be my demise. However, like Mike Tyson said, a plan is great till you get punched in the face. Illness and disease often take an emotional toll. Covid was no different. It was as if I was swimming in a sea of emotion. Even though the nurses and doctors assured me that I would likely make a full recovery, I was on an emotional roller coaster. The first 2 days of hospitalization were definitely my personal low. My breathing was hindered and I was psychologically very down. Finally, I hit bottom and was sure I was getting ready for the ultimate exit. The nurse reassured me that even though I was on oxygen, I was receiving very little. My temperature was going down and my condition had stabilized. Finally confirmation came in the form of an improving chest x-ray. While I had gotten Covid, it was the Pneumonia that had really slammed me.
My breathing improved daily and Covid’s low grade fever went away. Every day I was feeling better and stronger. My blood pressure was very high, but aside from that my condition was improving. Finally, after 7 days, it was time to leave. One of the best nights I spent in a long time was in my bedroom watching videos and relaxing.
The Lessons of Covid
First, whether you have the mildest symptoms or almost none at all, treat any illness as if you have Covid. Contact your doctor or hospital immediately and start getting treated. My refusal to accept I was suffering symptoms was a major error of judgment. I probably could have avoided hospitalization altogether, if only I had acknowledged the real possibility I had gotten Covid.
The faster you get treated, the less likely you’ll have breathing and other issues. When in doubt, get tested. Go for the rapid test, you’ll know that much sooner If treatment is required. One or two days can make all the difference. The faster you get treated, the better. Next, don’t panic. From my hospital experience, the vast majority of Covid Unit patients are being successfully treated and discharged. Unless you have really serious underlying issues. or comorbidities, the odds are high that you’ll be waking out there too. Just use your head and stay optimistic.
Finally, don’t make mistake. Regardless what vitamins, supplements and drugs you are taking to prevent Covid, it’s still possible that you can contract it. However, like I said, I would not have lived my life any differently in the past year. I do believe that Vitamin D3 and Zinc make it much more likely you’ll survive the experience. I’ll share a couple of links on studies that seem to back this conclusion.
Now it’s time to get back to work and help people prepare for the next event, which no doubt is coming soon. Good luck all! Thanks for the massive outpouring of support and I wish you all only the best!
Regards,
Kerry Lutz
from Kerry Lutz Podcasts – Financial Survival Network https://ift.tt/2M43WkQ
