Although we know COVID-19 is highly contagious, we’re still learning about the illness, how it seems to be spreading, and how it’s not affecting every region in the same way. Microbiologist Kiran Krishnan joined Amanda on the FASTer Way podcast to talk about why this is and what we can do to protect our health. Listen to the full episode below or continue reading for a summary of their fascinating conversation!

The Symptoms of COVID-19 No One Is Talking About

We’re all familiar with the general symptoms that can take anywhere from 2–14 days to appear: fever, cough, shortness of breath. You may even feel a scratchy throat or dry, barking cough. These are symptoms driven by the virus itself. What most people don’t know is that there can be other symptoms caused by our immune response to the virus! 

Immune response symptoms (when the body’s immune system causes a reaction in response to the virus) occur in 53% of cases and can result in loose stool (diarrhea), cramping, or gut pain. 

It’s important to be on the lookout for both sets of symptoms, and if you notice them but aren’t sure if it’s COVID-19, just act as though you have it. Stay put at home.

How Does a Virus Work?

A virus is a very simple organism. It’s essentially a packet of genetic material—a fatty envelope that carries some RNA in it. It can’t even reproduce by itself, it relies on a host cell for that (in other words, our cells). Once a virus enters the body, it will find a susceptible cell and insert its genetic material. That genetic material has codes in it that take over the cell’s reproduction machinery. Simply put, it hijacks our cells in order to reproduce.

Our cells have something called ACE2 receptors, which are expressed in people with chronic inflammation or any kind of tissue damage. The ACE2 receptor system is the ant-inflammatory repair system in the body. These ACE2 receptors are where the virus enters the cell and takes over to begin multiplying in the body.

At this point, the immune system begins to recognize cells that look a little bit different, but because they’ve never seen this virus and we have no immunity to it, it takes time for our bodies to figure out what is. That’s why it can take up to two weeks to start experiencing symptoms! The trouble is, even if we’re asymptomatic, we’re still contagious if we have the virus. That’s why COVID-19 is so highly contagious—most people are spreading it to others days before they know they have it.

What To Do If You’re Sick

The seasonal cold and flu are much more prevalent right now than COVID-19. It’s also the start of allergy season for many people. The hard part is, all of these have similar symptoms. The safest thing to do is act as though you have COVID-19 no matter what kind of illness you’re experiencing. Isolate yourself as much as you can with the people you’ve already been around (because if you have it, they already have it—no need to further isolate within your home). Don’t go out. 

If you do have COVID-19, most of the symptoms aren’t a concern. The time to call your doctor is if you begin to experience shortness of breath. Do NOT go into the doctor or ER, call first. There are even COVID-19 hotlines you can call, search Google for your state’s number.

It’s Not Just Affecting Older People–Here’s Why

Younger Americans are proving to be more susceptible to COVID-19 than their counterparts in China and South Korea. And there’s a reason for it.

COVID-19 was branded as an older person’s condition because in China, the ones being hospitalized were typically over 65. In the US, we’re seeing a lot of 18–49-year-olds being hospitalized. New York reported that more than 50% of COVID-19 hospitalizations are people under 50.

And the reason? It all goes back to those ACE2 receptors on our cells. Remember, they’re expressed in people with chronic inflammation—which is much of our younger population. This includes people with poor diets (which tend to be highly inflammatory), plus those with diabetes, asthma, allergies, and autoimmune disorders.

Good Gut Health Is Key to Reducing Inflammation

About 80% of our immune tissue is in the gut, which means keeping the gut healthy is essential to improving resilience, as there is no treatment yet for COVID-19.

Tips to Improve Gut Health

• Practice intermittent fasting (great for cellular health)

• Whole-food diet (also supports cellular health)

• Moderate exercise (30-minute workouts are perfect)

• Spore-based probiotics (especially after antibiotics)

The best thing every one of us can do is to improve our health! The FASTer Way to Fat Loss teaches intermittent fasting, whole-food nutrition, and moderate exercise because it is our MISSION to help people get well, prevent disease, and fulfill their purpose with energy! Click here to learn more!