(Updated 7th March 2022)
COVID is ripping through New Zealand as I write. It seems that every second person, vaxxed and non-vaxxed is infected with the rest about to be. Everyone in our household has had it and now, either fully recovered, or close to it (confirmed by +ve RAT test).
Important:
The following is not medical advice, I'm merely sharing with others what I do personally to keep one step ahead of the bugs!
So, what did we experience?
The youngest of our household appeared to have the mildest symptoms, whereas the oldest; myself, with a proviso, had the worst symptoms (refer to my comments about caffeine withdrawal below).
Symptoms began as an upper respiratory tract infection: stuffy nose, sore throat, tired and aching joints and muscles.
After about two days it had progressed to the lower respiratory tract, deep cough, headache, very sore throat, aching body and fatigue: Classic influenza symptoms.
Symptoms began to decline 4-5 days after the first symptoms and back into action by the 5th to 7th day with some residual fatigue and a cough.
I took the opportunity of being ill, not working or exercising, to detox from caffeine which I was seriously locked into. I'd been meaning to kick it in the head and this was the opportunity. But, boy, did I suffer: migraines galore and extreme fatigue and weakness! It was pretty close to my limits with COVID on top of it but I'm through to the other side. Whoopee! I'm going to write this up later. I'm convinced I'm one of those people who should never go anywhere near caffeine. My mother was one of these people who never had a caffeine drink. Perhaps there is a family sensitivity that I inherited from her? I should have listened to her.
What we did in response:
Went to bed for two days while ensuring the room was well ventilated.
Regular nasal and throat sprays using this product: https://www.garymoller.com/product-page/oh-beehave-nasal-spray-manuka-honey-50ml
Warm salt water gargles.
Drink plenty of fluid as needed.
Our first meal for recovery once appetite was returned: Homemade chicken soup with lots of added salt.
A few observations
For most people I have talked to who have had COVID, I think it is fair to say, for most people symptoms are similar to a mild or moderate flu; for many their symptoms are so mild they wonder if they have had it, for others, like myself, it was more obvious and put me in bed for a few days.
Nobody has told me they think the infection warranted closing down the country, spending billions and restricting individual freedoms in response.
Vaccinated people are catching COVID, and I don't see any evidence that they are in any way suffering fewer symptoms than the unvaccinated. This further confirms the opinion that the vaccines are a waste of money while causing immense harm that dwarfs any harms from the bug itself.
One of the keys to dealing with COVID is to keep the viral load as low as possible and isolated to the upper respiratory tract: Mask wearing encourages deep mouth-breathing which is exactly what is not wanted.
Protecting our health system
We are told now that the pandemic response is all about preventing our failing health system from collapsing. The first point to make is New Zealand now has two health systems: the Public Health System which is underfunded and understaffed: Then there is the Private Health System which is funded by insurance premiums by those who can afford it. The politicians and the bureaucrats who are making decisions about health policy, including funding are unlikely to be the ones who are reliant on the Public Health System for their healthcare.
The Government had two years to prepare for this by investing in the public health system, but they did not: Instead, they continued to underfund it and fire any health professional who failed to comply with their mandates.
When we got COVID:
None of us rushed off to the hospital, doctor, or the testing centre, where we might end up infecting weak and vulnerable people: This was the time to stay at home and rest. It was the time to cast aside the hype and relax: After all, it is a mild flu for most people. We followed the guidelines in this article and looked after ourselves for several days.
If you think you have COVID and have any doubts about what is happening, including your safety, ring your doctor and heed their advice.
What about Natural Immunity?
We can assume that most New Zealanders will soon have natural immunity. The quicker this happens the sooner we can forget this virus and get back to normal life. We will have achieved herd immunity, something the vaccine has failed to give us. While herd immunity is being achieved we need to protect the vulnerable, while encouraging the young and the healthy to get the infection naturally. In so doing, we eventually provide protection to the vulnerable who can then resume life as normal without fear of infection.
Natural immunity, unlike the ineffective vaccine, means we have immunity to the COVID variant that infected us, plus resistance to any variants that may come along, and this immunity will last for many years. We will not transmit the virus to others: Instead, we protect the people around us.
The End is Nigh!
Therefore, people who have had the infection do not need to wear masks anymore, or socially distance themselves from other people. Actually, all of the mandates should be scrapped right now, including mask-wearing, while encouraging the vulnerable to continue to isolate and wear masks (M95+ ones), while we quickly achieve herd immunity.
I'll finish on this positive note; after all, this is such a simple solution for how we escape the prison our leaders have created for us. If anyone can pick holes in this most simple of plans, please do so by posting in the comments below this article, thank you!
Let's do this together!