By David Lee, L.Ac.
Use this simple 100-104° Fahrenheit (38-40° Celsius) therapy at the initial onset of COVID-19 and common influenza. With this method, the body is given more time to produce antibodies against the virus before the condition becomes severe. After being exposed to a cold draft, some of us had the worsening of cold/flu symptoms with chills and feeling out of sort. Even an exposure to only 5 minutes of a cold draft sets you back. And some of us had relief after being under a very warm blanket overnight or longer.
At the initial onset of fever, cough, and sore throat, constantly keep an overly warm body. This does not seem to be a big deal but has a tremendous impact for those who are infected. It is because virus easily multiplies in cooler parts of the body, such as under the skin and in the nasal passage.
Here’s how one can self-treat using heat therapy at home:
Drink warm liquid only. If one drinks water at room or cooler temperature, then the body will cool down momentarily. It will give enough time for the virus to proliferate. It takes a lot of heat to warm up water and your body takes time to generate needed heat.
Stay indoors. A cold draft will set you back quickly.
Wear a double layer of warm clothing to keep your skin from neck down overly warm. Constantly keep your body overly warm all throughout the day and even at night in bed with a blanket.
Wear socks and shoes in the house so that your feet do not touch the cold floor. Hands, and feet lose heat very quickly.
If you use sauna, jacuzzi, and hot tub, do not use it for more than 15 minutes to avoid exhaustion. Make sure to dry your skin thoroughly afterwards to prevent the moisture from cooling down the skin.
Keep your head cool while the whole body is immersed in high temperature. Then the brain is protected from its damaging effect.
In this way, you are giving your body the time for it to develop immunity while slowing down the multiplication of coronavirus.
Acetaminophen and ibuprofen, and aspirin cool down your body. This is why keeping your skin and stomach very warm can prevent cooling except your head. You are giving your body an opportunity to build up its immune system before the symptoms become severe. Please check with your doctor regarding which medication you can take.
World Health Organization seemingly has a contradictory view and my reply in parenthesis:
Taking a hot bath will not prevent you from catching COVID-19. (My reply – a hot bath is not used as a prevention.)
Your normal body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C (97.7° to 98.6), regardless of the temperature of your bath or shower. (My reply – the core temperature remains same but an increased heat to the skin and nasal passage slows down the viral replication.)
Taking a hot bath with extremely hot water can be harmful, as it can burn you. (My reply: 100-104° Fahrenheit cannot scald a skin.)
The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. (My reply: washing hands is for prevention but does not treat it.)
While I agree that Hot Bath Does Not Kill Coronavirus, I recommend that a hot bath and warm clothing MAY SLOW DOWN the replication of virus at the initial onset of fever and cough. For a severe condition with difficulty breathing, the patient will need an oxygen ventilator machine to sustain life. Even with a lack of medication, there is an opportunity for acupuncture and Sasang herbs to save lives. They will not only reduce the illness but accelerate the recovery.
In this pandemic of a new coronavirus with an unknown solution, 30 to 70% of global population will get COVID-19. At the initial onset, a simple heat therapy may actually be a simple solution until the immune system develops antibodies.
