What’s Up With COVID-19? Preparing for What May Come

I wanted to post a quick article about SARS-CoV-2 (I will call it COVID from here on out), a virus we are all quite familiar with. Recently, I have noticed an increase of infections among clients and friends, amid late spring with longer days and increased sunshine exposure. Getting a cold is not necessarily uncommon during off-season periods like late spring or early summer, but the pattern of COVID does not align with what numerous experts and health officials say, nor is it simply like a common cold or flu.

We now know that far more evidence suggests that COVID was likely produced in a lab as part of gain-of-function research (no, it is not a wild conspiracy theory anymore; although a simple Google search on this topic might convince you otherwise). This is now the official stance of the White House on its website. This is a positive shift in the narrative, though there are clear political motivations behind the current administration taking this stance, which should not be surprising (hello, politics).

Of the medical experts I have followed and listened to since the start of the pandemic, many of them are very concerned about potential long-term ramifications of repeat infections and what they're seeing the virus do (and what the research is showing). In very basic terms, COVID appears capable of creating a lot of immune dysregulation and other potential long-term damage to many bodily systems, even with mild infections.

I still test for COVID whenever sick, treat it aggressively, and I immediately take a post-exposure protocol if I know I've been exposed. Check out the Independent Medical Alliance's protocols (formerly the FLCCC), read their material, and watch some of their videos. Decide for yourself. Their protocols are very effective, and I know numerous people they have helped (myself included).

I will of course, for myself, modify with herbs in both active and post-infection situations. I will often use herbs like Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia), Elderberry (Sambucus nigra), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), and Chinese Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) (all in tincture form), but it depends on symptoms and severity.

Also, please note that modifications are wise with certain herbs in the case of autoimmune or rheumatic conditions. Very high-risk individuals should be treated by a healthcare professional. You can find many physicians through the Independent Medical Alliance who work with their protocols and research. Also, if you have any fears of Elderberry, read my article about it from last year and learn how to make a simple tincture of it (or any dried herb!). Elderberry, when prepared properly, is not a concern.

Check out Stephen Harrod Buhner's book Herbal Antivirals, especially the 2nd edition he published before his passing. Buhner was a genius herbalist who had incredible foresight with COVID. He was very concerned about the long-term impacts it would have early on in the pandemic and speculated on much that is now becoming mainstream.

Buhner was a true herbal visionary, and we are blessed to have his COVID protocols from the 2nd edition. He also wrote several essays that are available on his website. I think his book and the Independent Medical Alliance protocols will be hugely helpful resources for the near and distant future.

Also, of course, keeping a baseline of health as much as possible is essential. Eat a broad, whole-food diet (ideally mostly organic), exercise regularly, spend more time outdoors, and get moderate, consistent sunlight exposure (15 minutes or slightly more daily on exposed skin, especially during the coming summer months in the early afternoon).

*If you need help with strategizing your way to a better health baseline with safe herbs, nutrition, and lifestyle adjustments, my Herbal Clinic Counsultations are a great resource. I also offer a low-income option for those in very low-income demographics (no proof of income required!).

Unfortunately, public health and most biomedical practitioners are in the dark regarding COVID. This is partly due to an insidious profit-driven economic model that completely captured the media and pandemic response (and the entire medical system!). Now that there is no longer an effective blockbuster drug to market for this virus, we seem to hear less about it and far less concern. In my opinion, that is a grave mistake. We all need to take COVID very seriously.

Why? We have tampered with a deeply ingrained (and remarkably complex) evolutionary process and system. The level of hubris among the biomedical community with this virus is immense. I do not think we are out of the water just yet. It’s hypothetically possible that a tsunami of sorts is on its way. I do not say this to create fear but to motivate readers to question the mainstream conception (which, if you didn't realize yet, got almost everything wrong back in the early 2020s!).

I understand that most want to move on from a confusing and stressful time. However, I suggest you look at the strange patterns regarding COVID (and frankly, lots of other viral infections right now). The erratic nature of ongoing outbreaks does not indicate that the virus has entered into endemicity. That means we are still in the pandemic. Numerous experts disagree, but none of them can explain these strange patterns and rapid mutations. And if it’s true that the pandemic is still ongoing, why have we been in a pandemic for over five years? That is not how pandemics tend to go.

Recently, Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche spoke with Dr. Phillip McMillian. Dr. McMillan is physician in the UK who has focused very specifically on COVID's autoimmune impacts. Dr. Vanden Bossche is a highly experienced and credentialed expert in immunology and vaccinology and has been a vocal critic of the mainstream pandemic response and mass vaccination campaign. He warned the World Health Organization on numerous occasions about their approved strategies for combating the virus. I will not go too deep into Dr. Vanden Bossche's hypothesis here. It isn't easy to understand, even for someone with high immunological knowledge (which isn’t me by the way).

His book is not for a general audience, but it fleshes out his argument in meticulous, technical detail. He argued that mass vaccination would drive more infectious variants that would, over time, evolve to escape immune defenses resulting in a highly virulent future variant. According to Dr. Vanden Bossche, this future variant could cause a catastrophic level of disability and mortality among some segments of highly vaccinated populations. The timing of this, he has not been able to accurately predict, but after several years, he still argues this is what the evolution of the virus appears to suggest. It is important to understand that this is a hypothetical possibility, but one that cannot be written off given Dr. Vanden Bossche’s expertise, the meticulous nature of his argument, and his sophisticated understanding of immunology (I have come across several experts who claim his understanding of immunology is beyond anyone in the field. Dr. Mikolaj Raszek has several articles with very good critiques of Dr. Vanden Bossche’s work.)

However, if what Dr. Vanden Bossche is saying eventually comes to pass, and if I were in the demographic of individuals he suggests may suffer serious consequences, I would prepare myself, starting with the resources I have presented here. I think having some tools outside the mainstream approach, which at the moment, seems oblivious to this possibility, wouldn’t hurt. Hopefully, COVID will disappear someday or become a low-risk infection like a common cold. But for now, I don't think we're there, and we should all stay vigilant with these mutant viral variants that have persisted in sporadic circulation since early 2020. Better safe than sorry! Stay healthy, safe, and well.  

Chad Woodward provides educational content related to herbal medicine for informational purposes only. The information presented in his consultations or in any educational materials is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare professional or health practitioner of your choice. The content provided does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users of the any educational materials or suggestions are solely responsible for their health decisions and actions. Chad is not liable for any damages, losses, or injuries that may result from the use of herbal remedies or information provided.