How to be a leader in the time of COVID-19

Even two months into this global ordeal, there seems to be so much noise out there about COVID-19.

You can’t really turn anywhere without confronting it: It comes from your television, your radio, the friends and family you can’t see (or in some cases, the family you wish you weren’t seeing so much of), the internet… and so on.

There’s even “noise” in the quiet that surrounds you when you go outside—like in the landscapes littered with boarded-up store fronts, which have left millions of people unemployed and shuttered within their homes.

This pandemic has affected all of us, to some degree or another. And no doubt, the tales will be passed down through generations.

As for me, I’ve found ample opportunity to consider this historical event from a scientific perspective. After all, I’ve been trained to anticipate this day. (As you may recall, I have an advanced degree in public health, too.)

So, today, I thought I’d share a few observations I’ve made along the way…

History repeating

Back when I was studying public health, we were at the very beginning of the AIDS epidemic. And everything we learned from that epidemic should have been used to prepare us at the first hint of a novel, unknown virus headed toward our shores (like COVID-19).

When the AIDS epidemic started, we didn’t know anything. We were unsure how the HIV virus was transmitted, how many people were carriers, or even how many would die. The questions were very much the same as the ones we have today.

Of course, the response from the government was quite a bit different. (I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about why that was so.)

Still, people were dying everywhere you looked. And the hospitals were over capacity. Now, it’s too early to say how today’s pandemic will play out. Only history will tell the story. But to me, the way things are unfolding is eerily familiar.

To date, 98 million people have been infected with HIV—43 million have died worldwide since the virus first emerged. As of this writing, we’ve reached 2.5 million cases of COVID-19 AND 175,000 deaths.

Of course, there’s no saying yet how high those numbers will ultimately reach. But the only thing I can say with any certainty right now is that we will survive it.

The opportunity of a lifetime

 While doctors, nurses, and all health care practitioners deserve and appreciate your thanks and support, it’s important to understand that this is exactly what we train for.

We don’t really need to be hailed as heroes. We need calm in place of panic. We need rational thought in place of fear. And we need the resources and equipment to do our jobs safely and efficiently.

I do pray, however, that we all learn something about ourselves and about how we treat each other—not least of all, how we take care of our health—from this extraordinary experience.

I could go on. But for now, let me wrap this up with a few of my most pressing thoughts, starting with this one…

Vaccination against viruses is notoriously tricky. We all know how pathetic the flu vaccine is, ultimately reaching only 50 percent effectiveness in a good season. So, especially if this novel coronavirus mutates similarly, I would rate the odds of manufacturing a “magic bullet” against it to be pretty low.

The good news is that we might not need one. As with SARS-CoV-1 (an earlier version of coronavirus), this latest version (COVID-19) will likely become milder and milder as it moves through the population.

We still don’t know the actual mortality rate of COVID-19—and we won’t until widespread testing becomes a reality. But preliminary data already suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is much less lethal than its predecessor (SARS-CoV-1). Which means the mild cases of COVID-19 (which the majority have been) will only get that much easier to handle.

Nevertheless, this virus isn’t going away anytime soon. And we’re simply going to have to adjust our actions and expectations accordingly.

In the meantime, we all have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be true leaders. And to guide the way out of this pandemic—and any other that might come after it—through better nutrition and a healthier lifestyle. And these are things I routinely talk about both in my Reality Health Check e-letter, and in my monthly Logical Health Alternatives newsletter. (If you aren’t yet a subscriber, all it takes is one click!)

So please, don’t let this opportunity go to waste.

P.S. I’m thrilled to let you know that I’ve added a brand new product to my NuLogic Nutritionals supplement line: PhytoSelect Drops. This product contains the highest quality, full spectrum hemp. And you can adjust the dosage to your own personal needs! Plus, it’s one of the only CBD brands I currently prescribe to my patients. To learn more, or to try it today, click here now!