Sane. Responsible. Data-driven. Free of hype. These terms define the Goodell/Borrello plan for reopening upstate New York. Gratitude needs to be expressed to these legislators for their activist work. It is their analysis demonstrating great variation in regional risk status that should prompt immediate reopening of low-risk Chautauqua County and other rural counties.

The majority of COVID-19 reporting has been on: number of ventilators; testing; hospital admissions; drugs used; developing a vaccine; number of mortalities, especially among the elderly and nursing home patients; hand sanitizers; masks; number of unemployed.

Far less information has been disseminated that much of our health is in our own hands. Regularly we’re infected with hundreds of viruses which cause no illness, reminds Dr. Russell Blaylock, former neuro-surgeon, practitioner of alternative medicine who now writes “The Blaylock Wellness Report.” Poor nutrition, eating high omega-6 oils, foods high in sugar, carbohydrates, and processed food suppress immunity.

Obesity, underlying conditions, compromised immune systems, and being elderly raise red flags. As noted by others, the majority who contract COVID-19 are able to treat themselves at home. Fear is abated when we realize that there is much we can do to reduce the virus’s danger to our health. Taking adequate amounts of vitamins A, C, and D3 on an every day basis helps keep our immune systems strong. We still may get COVID-19 but it won’t kill us.

Andrew Saul, Ph.D., specialist in nutrition and vitamin therapy, says each year anywhere between 40,000 and 65,000 people die from influenza escalated to pneumonia. COVID-19 is serious, he says, “but it’s not worth shutting down the world for.”

Nursing home patients are at greater risk of dying because they have notoriously low levels of vitamins A and C, but especially D3. In studies performed, elderly people absorb less vitamin D through the skin when exposed to the sun. D3 must be supplemented with high doses throughout the year. The recommended daily amount (RDA) of D3 only is 400-800 IU, far too low to fight any type of infection.

Immune deficiencies can be corrected, says Blaylock. Even those with underlying conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and other serious medical conditions, can correct their immune systems with a combination of hydroxychloroquine and supplements. This would allow more to return to work faster. He recommends the following supplements to strengthen immunity (all are over-the-counter):

BETA 1,3/1,6-GLUCAN (BETA-GLUCAN). Made from mushrooms, he feels that this is the most preventive measure to take in increasing effective immunity. It is taken once per week, but twice per week during flu season.

ASTRAGALUS. This herb stimulates the production of lymphocytes. Those diagnosed with COVID-19 have very low lymphocyte counts.

HIGH-DOSE VITAMIN C. To the credit of some hospital physicians, they are using intravenous vitamin C to reverse the cytokine storm that kills. Those in quarantine need to take high doses of oral vitamin C as the body’s need escalates dramatically. Blaylock recommends nano-vitamin C, 2,000 mg to 5,000 mg taken every three hours to counter fever, fatigue, and aches. Another form is lypo-spheric vitamin C. Both forms are highly absorbable. For prevention, take nano-vitamin C three times per day between meals.

During the 1940s polio epidemic, Dr. Frederick Klenner, a small town physician in North Carolina, treated his patients with vitamin C. Not one of his patients experienced paralysis. There was much fear associated with polio as it mainly affected children. Fear now is abundant with the COVID-19 epidemic. Klenner called media reporting then “reckless propaganda.” Same reckless propaganda today!

VITAMIN D3. The evidence is powerful, says Blaylock, that those with low levels of vitamin D3 are “at a high risk of serious complications from COVID-19.” As noted, low D3 levels are found among nursing home patients, but many children also have low levels. D3 levels need to be in the range of 65 ng/mL to 100 mg/mL.

Other supplements also are recommended for prevention and treating virus infections: probiotics, because immunity starts in the gut; B-vitamins, especially thiamine (B1); and zinc.

Noteworthy is that “preaching” by the “vaccine enthusiasts” during the 1940s raised a level of alarm in Klenner. Eighty years later, many of us also experience alarm over vaccine enthusiasts. Both Dr. Fauci and Bill Gates push vaccines. Fauci wants to mandate carrying a vaccine card. Gates wants a national tracking system, even embedding vaccine records on our body. As one respiratory physician on the front lines stated, “You can’t vaccinate yourself for every little human ailment….” Vaccines carry their own dangers!

The situation has remained stable in low-risk Chautauqua county for many days (weeks?). What has become silly is the governor’s mandate that we all must wear masks now that the situation has plateaued and we are on the down side. In fact, one cannot enter grocery stores unless masked. Where was the mask order when the virus was on the upside — at its most virulent? And, as with most virus infections, many have the virus but show no symptoms.

It’s time to lose our fear, take our health into our own hands, build up our immunity, and put the Goodell/Borrello plan into effect.

Deann Nelson is a Jamestown resident.