Health & Fitness

In the U.S., even as the COVID-19 curve appears to have flattened, and death rates for some groups have fallen to almost zero,¹ dire warnings about an ominous "second wave" continue.

Likewise, Sweden, a country that has handled the pandemic differently than most of the globe, is being chided for its looser restrictions and lack of lockdowns, even as data suggest their refusal to implement a full shutdown of their society may have been the best approach after all.

While most other countries instituted stay-at-home orders and shuttered schools and businesses, Sweden did not. While high schools and universities closed and gatherings of more than 50 people were banned, elementary and middle schools, shops and restaurants have remained open during the pandemic.²

Now, news outlets are trying to use Sweden as an example of what not to do to fight COVID-19, citing a high death toll. "The country's mortality rate from the coronavirus is now 30% higher than that of the United States when adjusted for population size," CBS News reported,³ but this doesn't tell the full picture of how Swedes have fared in comparison to the rest of the world.

Sweden May Be Close to Reaching Herd Immunity

If a novel virus is introduced to a population, eventually enough people acquire natural immunity so that the number of susceptible people declines. When the number susceptible is low enough to prevent epidemic growth, the herd immunity threshold, or HIT, has been reached.

With SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, some estimates have suggested that 60% to 70% of the population must be immune before HIT will be reached, but researchers from Oxford, Virginia Tech, and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine⁴ found that when individual variations in susceptibility and exposure are taken into account, the HIT declines to less than 10%.⁵

Independent news source Off-Guardian⁶ cited data from Stockholm County, Sweden that showed an HIT of 17%,⁷ as well as an essay by Brown University Professor Dr. Andrew Bostom, who explained:⁸

"… [A] respected team of infectious disease epidemiologists from the U.K. and U.S. have concluded: 'Naturally acquired immunity to SARS-CoV-2 may place populations over the herd immunity threshold once as few as 10-20% of its individuals are immune.'"

And, as pointed out in Conservative Review:⁹

"… Naturally acquired herd immunity to COVID-19 combined with earnest protection of the vulnerable elderly — especially nursing home and assisted living facility residents — is an eminently reasonable and practical alternative to the dubious panacea of mass compulsory vaccination against the virus.

This strategy was successfully implemented in Malmo, Sweden, which had few COVID-19 deaths by assiduously protecting its elder care homes, while 'schools remained open, residents carried on drinking in bars and cafes, and the doors of hairdressers and gyms were open throughout.'"

Off-Guardian continues with Stanford's Nobel-laureate Michael Levitt, who is among those in support of Sweden's lighter restrictions. Levitt successfully predicted the trajectory of COVID-19 deaths in China, including when the deaths would slow, and has stated that the pandemic would not be as dire as many have predicted.

Have Sweden's COVID-19 Deaths Peaked?

What's more, in an interview with The Stanford Daily, Levitt stated in May 2020, "If Sweden stops at about 5,000 or 6,000 deaths, we will know that they've reached herd immunity, and we didn't need to do any kind of lockdown."¹⁰

As of July 17, 2020, there were 5,619 deaths in Sweden due to COVID-19,¹¹ and in a study released by Levitt and colleagues June 30, 2020, which analyzes COVID-19 outbreaks at 3,546 locations worldwide, it's predicted that Sweden's total COVID-19 deaths will plateau at about 6,000.¹²

So far, Levitt is spot-on, and it appears, indeed, that Sweden's COVID-19 deaths have slowed, peaking at more than 100 deaths per day and now, midsummer, tallying in the low teens. The intensive care unit at Stockholm's Sodertalje Hospital has also cleared out, housing 77 cases during the pandemic's peak and only four cases as of July 17, 2020.¹³

Sweden's Epidemiologist Calls Lockdowns 'Madness'

Sweden continues to stand by their handling of the pandemic, despite heavy criticism. The country's state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, even described the rest of the world's lockdowns as "madness," considering the steep side effects they ultimately cause.

Levitt suggested that not only did lockdowns not save lives, but likely cost lives due to social damage, domestic abuse, divorces, alcoholism and other health conditions that were not treated.¹⁴ Bloomberg reported:¹⁵

"'It was as if the world had gone mad, and everything we had discussed was forgotten,' Tegnell said in a podcast with Swedish Radio … 'The cases became too many and the political pressure got too strong. And then Sweden stood there rather alone.'"

Tegnell stated that shutting down schools was also unnecessary during the pandemic, and scientists from the Institut Pasteur in France indeed found that there was no significant transmission of COVID-19 in primary schools, either among the students or from students to teachers.¹⁶

"The study also confirmed that younger children infected by the novel coronavirus generally do not develop symptoms or present with minor symptoms that may result in a failure to diagnose the virus," study author Bruno Hoen added.¹⁷

Meanwhile, while Sweden has encouraged its citizens to engage in social distancing, mask usage is another story, and Tegnell has stated that there's little evidence for wearing face masks.¹⁸

Stanford Expert Slams Lockdowns

Outside of Sweden, other experts, including epidemiologist Dr. John Ioannidis of Stanford University, have also spoken out against statewide lockdown measures in response to COVID-19. Ioannidis suggests that 150 million to 300 million people may have already been infected globally and may have developed antibodies to the virus, and the median infection fatality rate has remained low at about 0.25%.¹⁹

As continues to be demonstrated, the elderly and those with underlying health problems appear to be most vulnerable, and protecting such populations should have been a priority. But lockdowns for young, healthy people are far more questionable. Speaking with Greek Reporter, Ioannidis said:²⁰

"The death rate in a given country depends a lot on the age-structure, who are the people infected, and how they are managed. For people younger than 45, the infection fatality rate is almost 0%. For 45 to 70, it is probably about 0.05-0.3%.

For those above 70, it escalates substantially, to 1% or higher for those over 85. For frail, debilitated elderly people with multiple health problems who are infected in nursing homes, it can go up to 25% during major outbreaks in these facilities."

Overall, Ioannidis said the mathematical models that predicted hospitals would be overrun by COVID-19 patients were "astronomically wrong," and although a handful of U.S. hospitals did become stressed, no health systems were overrun.

"Conversely," he said, "the health care system was severely damaged in many places because of the [lockdown] measures taken," while lockdown measures have also significantly increased the number of people at risk of starvation while leading to financial crisis, unrest and civil strife.²¹

What's more, one study even found that 81% of people not exposed to SARS-CoV-2 were still able to mount an immune response against it, which "suggests at least some built-in immune protection from SARS-CoV-2 …"²²

US Surgeon General Opposes Mask Mandate

With mask usage becoming an increasingly polarized debate, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams encouraged mask usage but spoke out against making them mandatory due to concerns that it could lead to rebellion.²³

In my interview with Denis Rancourt, Ph.D., a former full professor of physics, and a researcher with the Ontario Civil Liberties Association in Canada, we also discussed the controversial topic of masks. Rancourt did a thorough study of the scientific literature on masks, concentrating on evidence showing masks can reduce infection risk, especially viral respiratory diseases.

If there was any significant advantage to wearing a mask to reduce infection risk to either the wearer or others in the vicinity, then it would have been detected in at least one of these trials, yet there's no sign of such a benefit. He said in our interview:

"It makes no difference if everybody in your team is wearing a mask; it makes no difference if one is and others aren't. Wearing a mask or being in an environment where masks are being worn or not worn, there's no difference in terms of your risk of being infected by the viral respiratory disease.

There's no reduction, period. There are no exceptions. All the studies that have been tabulated, looked at, published, I was not able to find any exceptions, if you constrain yourself to verified outcomes."

This is another area where Sweden has stayed ahead of the curve, as they've resisted asking the public to wear masks based on lack of evidence of effectiveness and the risk that they offer wearers a false sense of security. Tegnell did state that officials are considering whether to recommend masks during use of public transportation, but stressed masks "definitely won't become an optimal solution in any way."²⁴

Sweden Speaks Out Against WHO Warning

In late June 2020, the World Health Organization counted Sweden among European countries at risk of seeing a resurgence of COVID-19. The warning was based on WHO data showing Sweden had 155 infections for every 100,000 inhabitants in the past 14 days, a higher rate than in most of Europe.²⁵

Tegnell, however, said that this was a "total misinterpretation of the data" and WHO was confusing Sweden with countries just at the outset of their epidemics. Instead, any rise in infections is likely due to increases in testing, Tegnell said, adding, "They didn't call to ask us. The number of admissions to intensive care is at a very low level and even deaths are starting to go down."²⁶

Time will tell whether Sweden's strategy, which avoided lockdowns and widespread mask usage, turns out to be the right one after all, but some believe the writing is already on the wall.²⁷

"Dr. Michael Levitt and Sweden have been right all along," Off-Guardian reported. "The only way through COVID-19 is by achieving the modest (10-20%) Herd Immunity Threshold required to have the virus snuff itself out.

The sooner politicians — and the press — start talking about HIT and stop talking about new confirmed cases, the better off we will all be. Either way, it's likely weeks, not months, before the data of new daily deaths will be so low that the press will have to find something new to scare everyone. It's over."

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Have you heard the expression, “She died from a broken heart”? Doctors know it is more than a myth or an old wives’ tale. In fact, the condition is colloquially known as “broken heart syndrome.” The medical term for the condition is Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM), named after a pot used by Japanese fishermen to trap octopi.¹

The diagnosis was first introduced by a Japanese scientist in 1991. However, this was only the first time it had been described since people had been known to suffer from the condition. After the paper was published, several more cases appeared over the next 10 years, but it remained largely unrecognized outside of Eastern culture, as many of the papers were written by Japanese scientists.

After the earthquake in Japan on October 23, 2004, 16 people were diagnosed with TCM. This large number in such a short period of time drew attention from those in the West. The name “broken heart syndrome” was coined in the early 2010s, in reference to those who experienced the condition after the death of a loved one.

While doctors recognize TCM, no one knows for sure how or why it happens. Doctors know that it can be caused by serious physical illness, surgery or stressful situations that prompt extreme emotions.²

Broken Heart Syndrome Rising During COVID-19 Pandemic

The mounting stress and lack of control that have been hallmarks of the COVID-19 pandemic caused researchers from Cleveland Clinic to investigate the incidence of TCM in a population of people admitted to the main Cleveland Clinic campus and Cleveland Clinic Akron General.³

The cardiologists gathered a cohort of 1,914 patients who presented with acute coronary syndrome both before and after March 1, 2020.⁴ There were 258 in the group who went to the hospital between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2020; the others were seen before the pandemic was announced. These became the control group, which was separated into four groups by date. With the post-pandemic-announcement group, altogether there were five groups for comparison.

After an analysis of the numbers of individuals, the researchers found there was a significant increase in people who were evaluated for TCM during the intervention period. This reached an incidence of 7.8% versus a range of 1.5% to 1.8% seen before the pandemic, across the four groups in the control.⁵

In addition to the increased numbers of people being treated for this, the data showed that those who presented with stress cardiomyopathy during the pandemic experienced lengthier hospital stays but had no difference in mortality. Dr. Grant Reed from Cleveland Clinic, and an author on the study, was quoted in a press release:⁶

"While the pandemic continues to evolve, self-care during this difficult time is critical to our heart health, and our overall health. For those who feel overwhelmed by stress, it's important to reach out to your healthcare provider. Exercise, meditation and connecting with family and friends, while maintaining physical distance and safety measures, can also help relieve anxiety."

It May Feel Like a Heart Attack, But It Isn’t One

Doctors from Cleveland Clinic say people with TCM often experience symptoms that feel like a heart attack. These can include shortness of breath and chest pain. However, after testing and examination, their coronary arteries are open without any damage to the muscle from lack of oxygenation.

A person may also experience different symptoms, including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure and fainting. On examination and testing, doctors may find the left ventricle is enlarged. Doctors believe a physical reaction to emotional or physical stress increases the release of stress hormones that may briefly lower the heart's effectiveness at pumping blood.

Although stress cardiomyopathy and a heart attack may look similar, patients who experience TCM generally recover in a few days or weeks and the condition is rarely fatal. Occasionally, patients have presented with other, more serious cardiac and cerebrovascular events triggered by TCM.

Typically, physicians will treat high blood pressure and give medication to slow the heart rate. Additionally, Cleveland Clinic reports that medications may be prescribed to manage an individual’s stress level. Cardiologist Ankur Kalra led the study and said:⁷

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about multiple levels of stress in people’s lives across the country and world. People are not only worried about themselves or their families becoming ill, they are dealing with economic and emotional issues, societal problems and potential loneliness and isolation.

The stress can have physical effects on our bodies and our hearts, as evidenced by the increasing diagnoses of stress cardiomyopathy we are experiencing.”

One unexpected and famous case some have speculated could be attributed to broken heart syndrome was the death of actress Debbie Reynolds shortly after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher, who died from a heart attack in 2016.⁸

Although Reynolds died from a stroke, following a smaller stroke she’d had months earlier, the proximity to a major emotional stress lends credence to the potential that the cerebrovascular event was triggered by stress cardiomyopathy.

As Stress Levels Soar, Failing Economy Raises Risk of More

The American Psychiatric Association conducted a poll in March 2020 and found that 36% of people living in the U.S. believed SARS-CoV-2 had a severe impact on their mental health and 59% believed there was a serious impact on their day-to-day life.⁹

Some of the top concerns were a negative effect on their finances, fears of running out of food, medicine or other supplies, and fears that the pandemic would leave long-lasting effects on the economy. As the Cleveland Clinic team found, successfully coping with stress is more important now than ever. Yet, according to the Annual Stress in America 2020 survey:¹⁰

"The average reported stress level for U.S. adults related to the coronavirus pandemic is 5.9. When asked to rate their stress level in general, the average reported stress for U.S. adults is 5.4.

This is significantly higher than the average stress level reported in the 2019 Annual Stress in America survey, which was 4.9, and marks the first significant increase in average reported stress since the survey began in 2007."

The psychological impact of the pandemic continues as the stressors that affect mental health, such as isolation and lockdowns, are replaced with apprehension about returning to public life.

A review of the research by scholars at King's College London revealed that during quarantines, people have heightened fears of infection, greater levels of frustration and boredom and inadequate information with which to make sense of it all.¹¹ Once the quarantine is lifted, this may shift to stress over financial loss and fears of being treated with suspicion or being avoided by others who are anxious about getting sick.

Experts also know there's a strong connection between financial challenges and mental health problems; this includes suicide. During the Great Depression, suicide rates reached an all-time high,¹² peaking again in 2008 to 2010 when at least 10,000 “economics suicides” happened.¹³

The mental health hotline run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration had a 1,000% increase in April 2020 as compared to April 2019.¹⁴ Benjamin F. Miller, chief strategy officer of Well Being Trust, a national foundation dedicated to mental, social and spiritual health, said:¹⁵

“Undeniably policymakers must place a large focus on mitigating the effects of COVID. However, if the country continues to ignore the collateral damage — specifically our nation’s mental health — we will not come out of this stronger.”

Stress Reduction Is Important to Overall Health

The effects of stress are felt throughout your body, from the damage to your heart to the arrival of gray hair. Although, from an evolutionary perspective, the stress response is lifesaving, chronic stress has the opposite effect. Data from a study of siblings show that people who have stress-related disorders are far more likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to siblings from the same family without a stress disorder.¹⁶

The term “cardiovascular disease” does not relate specifically to TCM, but, rather, it includes diseases such as ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart failure and arrhythmia conduction disorders. More interestingly, within the first year of being diagnosed with a stress disorder, the risk for cardiovascular disease rose even higher, to 64% greater than a sibling without stress-related health problems. The authors wrote:¹⁷

“Most people are, at some point during their life, exposed to psychological trauma or stressful life events such as the death of a loved one, a diagnosis of life threatening illness, natural disasters, or violence.

Accumulating evidence suggests that such adversities might lead to an increased risk of several major diseases (including cardiovascular morbidity, injury, infection, and certain autoimmune diseases but not cancer) and mortality, with the largest risk elevations usually noted among people who develop psychiatric disorders as a result of their trauma.”

Chaos Raises Stress Levels — Here’s How to Take Control

One major trigger for stress is the perception of loss of control.¹⁸ Whether it’s a loss of physical, mental or financial control, the chaos can increase your stress levels and drive physical illness.

You may reduce your stress levels by taking back a measure of control in your life. One of my favorite techniques to help reduce stress and increase creative problem solving is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). The process is also called tapping and it’s a tool that can help free your mind to fully address challenges without fear.

Taking control of the situation may mean learning more about how the pandemic affects your health and what you can do to reduce the potential risk of severe disease. You’ll find more about this on my Coronavirus Resource Page where you’ll find articles about fighting the illness, the signs and symptoms to watch for and what’s the latest in the news.

One of the strongest strategies you can currently use is to raise your level of vitamin D to between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL. You’ll find a great deal of information in my article, “The Most Important Paper Dr. Mercola Has Ever Written,” plus a link to download a free report to help you and your family effectively raise your vitamin D levels.

It is also important to avoid nonstop or excessive viewing of mainstream media. The news programs make their money on views and clicks. The more salacious and fear-producing the headlines, the higher the readership. However, what’s good for their bottom line is bad for your health.¹⁹

If you like staying up to date on the news, pick and choose your programs wisely and watch or read for a prescribed amount of time each day to keep your fear and anxiety levels to a minimum.

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Instead of protecting us, the immune system can sometimes go awry, as in the case of autoimmune diseases and allergies. A team has now dissected how mast cells regulate their calcium levels to keep the immune response under control.

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