COVID-19 & Other Viruses
Immunomodulation via Direct Skin Irradiation with UVB and UVA Energy Wavelengths
Let me tell you a story. A friend of mine, who grew up during the depression, pulled out his crisp looking wallet. It contained his ID, one credit card and a $100 bill. He said, “I always carry a $100 bill because I grew up poor. When I was young I realized that money is not everything, unless you don’t have any; in which case, money is everything.” When fighting death and hospitalizations from Covid-19, and any virus, Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D (in particular) and general vitamins and minerals are kind of the same way. Too much doesn’t help, but if you do not have enough before you get sick, it could cost you everything!
In order to reduce your chances of death and hospitalizations risk, from COVID-19 or any virus, it is extremely important that you maintain proper levels of Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Zinc, along with other daily recommended vitamins and minerals, including with supplementation, before you get sick. Though there is no cure for SARS-CoV-2, studies have shown that ICU usage can be greatly reduced from supplementation of Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D along with a complete multivitamin.
Take your Vitamins and Minerals to Help Prevent Death from Viral Infections
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There has been some interest recently in both immunomodulation and/or Vitamin D production via direct irradiation of the skin from the sun. Studies have demonstrated suppressive effects of ultraviolet radiation on immunity in the skin and internal organs of persons. Hypotheses have been formulated suggesting immunomodulation from the sun may be more important in preventing cytokine storm syndrome in COVID-19 patients than simple Vitamin D production. However, no confirmatory studies have been formulated or completed to test this hypothesis.
In order to initiate immunomodulation and Vitamin D production via direct irradiation of the skin with solar irradiation, follow these guidelines.
1. You must talk to your doctor before starting any immunomodulation therapy because when completed correctly, you will put yourself at a higher chance of forming skin cancer and you will be in direct contradiction of universal skin cancer sun irradiation avoidance recommendations.
2. After you have talked to your doctor, and they approve, do not use sunscreen. Using sunscreen prevents absorption of UVB irradiation and negates any positive effects of immunomodulation. Skin treated with sunscreen will not produce Vitamin D.
3. If the sun is too low in the sky, UVB radiation will not penetrate the atmosphere, immunomodulation will not work and you won’t make produce any Vitamin D. It is important that the sun is as high in the sky as possible, which is during solar noon. Look up the hourly UV Index, from NOAA, for your area, during each hour of the day. You will notice that the UV index will peak in the middle of the day. The UV index must be above a value of 4 in order to produce a non-trivial amount of Vitamin D.
Another good rule to follow is; always make sure your shadow is shorter than you are tall. If your shadow is longer than you are tall, the atmosphere has filtered the sun sufficiently so that it does not contain the proper amount of UVB radiation for humans to produce Vitamin D. During the winter times, it is extremely important that the UV index stays above 4, during your irradiation exposure. If this is impossible for your area, immunomodulation and Vitamin D production from the sun may be trivial or impossible during those months. Hypotheses have been formulated that claim a main driver of increased seasonal virus infections are linked to a diminishing UV index throughout the winter.
4. Expose as much skin area as possible. It is most important to wear minimal clothing (like a bikini, other swimwear or at a minimum shorts and a short-sleeved shirts) in the winter because the sun is so weak. It is already understood that that wintertime months are cold and therefore wearing swimwear or t-shirts, even at mid-day when the sun is strongest, may be cold. Unfortunately, that’s just how it is.
5. Positive and statistically significant results from immunomodulation via direct irradiation of skin from sunlight occur when 2 erythemal doses of light is received. (see references linked above) One erythemal dose of UV radiation is the shortest exposure that produces reddening of the skin (a moderate sunburn) within 1-6 hours and disappears within 24 hours. This differs depending on skin color and time of day and month of year, so you must experiment on yourself during the different months of the year to find your specific times. Once you know your erythema dose, double it for immunomodulation as replicated in the literature.
For example, a white skinned person, during solar noon, may produce a reddening of the skin within 7 minutes in the summer months and within 15 minutes in the middle of winter. Correct implementation of immunomodulation with direct irradiation of the sun, as reported in the literature, would consist of 2*7=14 minutes, in the summer time and 2*15=30 minutes in the winter time, both at solar noon, of exposure of the skin to the sun. Adjust, your specific irradiation time lengths after you have found your specific erythemal dose for your given time of year.
6. Immunomodulation and Vitamin D production has been shown to occur in all persons regardless of skin color, when following the above guidelines.
7. Does tanning with artificial lights accomplish immunomodulation? The short answer is probably no. This is because most tanning companies pride themselves on offering tanning beds that only produce UVA and not UVB irradiation. There are specific light bulbs that produce UVB (and UVA), but they are typically marketed as “reptile warmers” and not “tanning” lights. Immunomodulation, as tested in the literature, requires UVB irradiation.
Please download and show your doctor the current literature on immunomodulation for two reasons. Show you doctor these studies so they themselves may first become educated about the current literature on immunomodulation via direct irradiation of the skin with sunlight. Most importantly, show you doctor these studies so they can recommend the best possible treatment as well as quantify the very real dangers of this activity for their patients.