Tinkering with Colds (more coronaviruses stuff, Revision 1)

The infrared gun gives both the target
 and background temperature values.

If you look closely at how the components of our immune system work, the coronavirus, and other cold viruses, could be dispatched readily if you chose not to tinker with them.  We know more about viruses and their morphology than we did 60 years ago.  Our body has a very sophisticated system for dealing with pathogens and is worth looking at its advantages and shortcomings.

When you get a cold, a fever is one of the first reactions of the immune system. This raises our mean temperature to a level equal to the sensitivity temperature of most cold viruses. This is good because most cold viruses reproduce between 30-33 ⁰C and relative humidity (RH) 45%, slow reproduction significantly at normal core temperature, and meet their demise at > (38-39) ⁰C and RH>95%. The higher fever temperature will prevent the virus from doing damage to the lungs. Taking fever suppressants such as acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen will prolong the cold and may increase the probability of serious damage. Another point about fever is that it may suggest that you feel chilled.  It is best to add more covering, as fever is a high energy user, and this will help you to reach the higher needed temperature.

The immune system also increases the production of mucus. This helps to wash away some of the reproduced viruses and debris caught or created. Mucus can also plug your nose valves at the outer end of the nose. When this happens, the temperature will rise in the Upper Respiratory Tract (URT) to your core temperature. Also, the RH will be similar to the lungs, >95%.  This condition will cause the end of the viruses and probably the way people survived in the past. Breathing through the mouth can be uncomfortable but if you are engaged in any physical activity, that breathing through the nose is insufficient, breathing through the mouth is automatic. We tinker by clearing the nose too soon.

The immune system gets busy creating antibodies for the future and present. There is a race between the viruses and the antibodies and many factors cause the outcome. This is the portion of the immune system that pharmaceutical companies tinker with. Vaccines created are often immune system enhancers. They precondition the immune system by helping it create antibodies for specific viruses.

It is critical to treat a cold immediately on infection, to avoid damage to your major sensor systems, smell, sight, and hearing. Viruses can play havoc with the various tube openings in the URT, and mucus can plug these important channels, a shortcoming.  Any disturbance has a very short distance to the brain which may cause something unpredictable.

So, I propose to tinker positively. People that have tested positive (long haulers?) and have no fever, maybe reservoirs, and may have a high metabolic rate. It is still necessary to assume infection.  Adding heat as suggested or by a workout, or some way to increase the core temperature (38-39) ⁰C, then block the nose for an hour or so. 

If your old and have a core temperature of about 36.3 ⁰C like me, do one of the treatments adding heat with a heating pad or hand warmer as suggested in my previous post. A couple of repeats may be necessary or two short ones a day apart if you prefer. Add extra covering, hats, coats, sweaters, layers, etc.

Some other alternatives are hot tubs if you are accustomed to them. Or a sauna will work provided the temperature and humidity reach the demise criteria above.

How will you know if the treatment works? I did my treatment at night before going to bed and the colds were usually gone by morning. The residue if I waited too long to apply a treatment, took a few days to clear up. You should feel better almost when you finish.

What I would love to happen is a proper test in vivo, for efficacy, and parameter variations. If you are reading this you will note at the bottom there is a place to comment. There is only one comment, mine to see if it works. So I’m cruising blind and hoping I am helping and not causing any harm.  Please comment!

I’m in the process of writing a summary and putting all the posts about colds and COVID-19 as a download under my ski manual and video.  As an engineer, I apply science and don’t necessarily create it. Like pharmaceuticals, the treatments I suggest are also enhancements to our immune system  but applied after infection, not for prevention.

There are 5 pervious posts about COVID-19. You may have to click on older posts below to see all of them.