All the president’s meds
On Friday, President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19.
President Trump’s health is monitored constantly, and he is tested daily for the virus — which has taken the lives of more than 1 million people worldwide at the time of this writing.
He was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center over the weekend, reportedly with symptoms of fatigue, a hoarse voice and headache, coughing and low-grade fever, and was discharged Monday.
I think it’s a good idea that he spent time at the hospital, because he is in a high-risk category, being a senior and overweight. That said, he has an extraordinary amount of vigor and energy and doesn’t look or act 74 years old. He does not drink or smoke, two risk factors that would be detrimental for this condition.
Now, let’s talk about some supplements, and all the president’s meds:
Zinc.
Zinc deficiency will cause a person to fare worse if they get COVID19, due to immune suppression and higher amounts of inflammatory cytokines.
Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is thought to be able to reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and reduce the respiratory distress problems associated with the condition.
Baby aspirin.
Studies show that COVID-19 patients have thicker blood (a hypercoagulable state), so aspirin is an appropriate intervention.
Regeneron.
This cocktail of antibodies, given intravenously, “eats up” the virus, which reduces the body’s viral load and speeds recovery. It is in late-stage Phase III clinical trials for potential benefit in the treatment and possibly prevention of COVID-19.
Famotidine.
The use of this drug for President Trump may have to do with acid reflux, or perhaps from research conducted at Columbia University. Famotidine use seemed to lessen severity of the illness. Patients taking it were approximately 48% less likely to require a ventilator.
Melatonin.
The news outlets are reporting that this natural supplement is for sleep; however, melatonin is also a strong antioxidant and powerful immune modulator. I think it’s a brilliant adjunctive treatment during infection.
There are a few items that I would also recommend, using my background as a pharmacist. For one, I’d suggest a peptide given by injection called “Thymosin Alpha 1,” which has been studied for its effect on COVID-19. This requires a prescription and is often used for people with Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr virus, cancer, lupus and severe fatigue.
The POTUS would also benefit from vitamin C, due to its antioxidant benefits, as well as antiviral herbs such as olive leaf extract and andrographis.
Finally, a cup of matcha tea each day could help due to its strong immune-boosting effect. Probiotics would of course be useful, since COVID is known to hide in the intestinal cells of the body.
In closing, I’d like to reiterate that I do not have access to President Trump’s medical chart and I am providing my opinion here based upon the list of vitamins and medications that were publicly shared by his medical team. Please ask your doctor what is right for you.