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I think we have our own underreporting problems in the US. Here is a personal report I found at an article discussing the high rates of infection among our health care workers. Probably a result of fatigue, poor nutrition, and inadequate protective gear.

“Just had a long convo with my niece who is an administrator at a Long Island hospital. Oh, boy, that scared the hell out of me. Nurses and docs are not being given the proper protective equipment. More and more patients are coming in with the virus, crowding out other patients who are sent home...after they might have been exposed. Hospital beds are cut in half because virus patients must have a private room. Nurses are being repeatedly exposed, then not tested and told they cannot self-isolate without a positive test. Administrators behind computer screens are deciding which patients need to be isolated, against the recommendation of nursing staff. My niece says she’s never been so scared in her life. In her office, she sits one and a half feet from her co-worker, even though they are all aware of the 6 feet recommendation. Her brother works as an iron worker and she begged him to find her an N95 mask, which he stole from his job so she can have one at work...where they’ve been told they may not bring in outside masks. Doctors and nurses are going to die. Nursing staff is furious. In her opinion, under this f’d up system, the virus will never be eradicated. And very shortly they will be making the decisions that Italian doctors have had to make: deciding who gets a vent and who doesn’t. There is a twenty year old patient at the hospital on a vent now. This is all happening in the biggest/best hospital on Long Island, North Shore Hospital. What a tragedy.”

Since it seems more and more likely that more of us will be suffering on our own, here are things which we could do to protect our health that are not being advised on media. Since we might not be able to use a hospital or even a doctor, the interesting and promising drugs currently talked about would not be available. What is available is Vitamins and other supplements. Vitamin C and Vitamin D and zinc seem to be the most promising. Animals our size produce from 2 to 4 grams (2000 to 4000 milligrams) a day. Our government recommendation is 90 milligrams a day. For more than 45 years I have taken 3 to 6 grams a day in divided doses for my allergies—house dust, cigarette, cool weather molds, ragweed. I start the day with 1 or 2 grams. When my nose gets stuffed up or I start sneezing I take another gram, and 1 at bedtime. Typically the body uses it up in 5 or 6 hours, or excretes what is too much. This can cause burning urine or acid farts. I have taken as much as 24 grams in a day with a severe flu infection. No urinary or bowel symptoms of overdose. I once helped a woman who forgot her bee sting kit. Three yellow jackets had stung her neck, her eyes were swollen shut, and she was choking and breathless. I immediately gave her 10 grams of C crushed and in a glass of water. In twenty minutes her eyes were open and the choking had stopped. I gave her 5 grams of C an hour until at 8 hours she said she felt better and wanted to sleep. The next day she hiked 3 miles out of the campground. With a total of 50 grams of C in 8 hours, she had no bladder or bowel symptoms of overdose.

Regarding Vitamin D, it affects function of 2000 of our genes. Past recommendations have been to take 400 IUs a day. Recently this has been increased to double. My son who gets winter depression (SAD) was told by his doctor to take 5000 IU a day. I have started taking 2000 to 4000 a day. Zinc is also supposed to be helpful. It can be found in a good multivitamin/mineral daily tablet. It is also in Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc tablets. I take 1 multi morning and evening, also 1 or 2 C/M/Z a day. At 81, I am in good health and doing light construction work on my property. Hopefully I will continue in that condition. Don’t be afraid to help yourself if the medical profession is not available.