The mainstream media and many politicians are attempting to create in you and in the general population an irrational fear over the latest strain of the coronavirus, COVID-19, also known as the Wuhan Virus. You cannot turn on the radio or television news without hearing dire forecasts about this virus from China that is going to cause a devastating worldwide epidemic.

In parts of the U.S., school, sporting and public events have been canceled. The city of Austin canceled the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival that was set to begin on March 13.

Last week, Governor David Ige of Hawaii declared a state of medical emergency even though there had not been one case of the coronavirus there. He recommended that everyone have a two-week supply of food. There was pandemonium at the supermarkets.

This is mass hysteria and it is occurring around the world.

Take a deep breath. Think accurately and rationally. Use common sense.

There have been numerous strains over the years of the coronavirus (CoV). It is a type of virus that is transmitted between animals and humans, a zoonotic virus. Some coronaviruses simply cause the common cold, while others cause more serious illnesses. This is not the first time a strain of the coronavirus has caused a health scare.

The SARS-CoV coronavirus was the cause of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002. The MERS-CoV coronavirus caused the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012. Remember the Bird flu in 2005 and the Swine flu pandemic in 2009? Then there was the Ebola virus panic between 2014-2016 and the Zika virus scare in 2018.

During each of these infectious disease outbreaks, the media put on their “Chicken Little” costumes and beat on their chests and cried out, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” That is what is happening again.

The current coronavirus, COVID-19, pales in significance compared to the annual influenza epidemic. Don’t let the media and the politicians treat you like sheeple and stampede you over a cliff.

Let’s look at the facts and put this current coronavirus strain in perspective.

According to the CDC, there have only been 164 cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of March 7, 2020, with 11 deaths. Compare that to upwards of 45 million cases of the flu in the U.S. already this year and 46,000 deaths.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that last year in the U.S. alone 35 million people contracted the flu. That is million with an “m.” That means that one in every 10 Americans had the flu. There were 490,000 hospitalizations and 34,000 people who died of the flu in America during last year’s season. That was an annual flu epidemic.

So far in the United States this flu season, from October through February 22, the CDC estimates there have been upwards of 45 million cases of the flu in the U.S. Again, that’s million with an “m.” There have been between upwards of 560,000 flu-related hospitalizations and upwards of 46,000 flu deaths. This is another annual flu epidemic.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to produce an effective flu vaccine, because there are several strains of flu viruses that mutate every year. This is one of the reasons why there is an annual flu epidemic. Vaccines effectively eliminated polio and smallpox, but not the flu.

As of March 6, there have only been 100,000 reported cases worldwide of this new strain coronavirus, COVID 19, with 3,600 deaths, and 80,000 of these cases were in China. The first case was reported on December 29. During the past two months there is estimated to have been only 80,000 coronavirus cases in China. The population of China is 1.5 billion. Only 1 in 20,000 Chinese have contracted the coronavirus, so far. Around 150 million Chinese would have to contract the coronavirus illness to reach the same proportion of Americans—10 percent—who had the flu last season.

The Congress has passed an $8.2 billion bill to “fight” the coronavirus.

The federal government cannot stop the coronavirus any more than it can stop the flu virus. Already, there have been upwards of 45,000 Americans die of the flu in the past 4 months. The annual flu epidemic kills approximately 50,000 Americans and upwards of 1 million worldwide every year.

If we were to react to the flu epidemic the same way we are reacting to the coronavirus, then during the six months of the flu season, from October through March of every year, we would stay at home, and no one would go to work, school, church services or public events.

If you can believe the data on the coronavirus from the Chinese government, then it appears to be significantly less contagious than the current flu virus. How do we even know that those Chinese had the coronavirus and not the flu, since testing for this virus is just now being developed?

Remember, China is a Communist country with most people living in Third World conditions, which means poor hygiene, poor diet, poor medical care, poor reporting. Only the sickest seek medical care. There are probably hundreds of thousands of Chinese who had moderate symptoms and did not seek medical care. They didn’t want to be quarantined. This means that the mortality rate would be significantly lower, more on the order of the flu, 0.1-0.15 percent.

The symptoms of the coronavirus and the flu are similar; fever, body aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, sinus and chest congestion, and in some cases, shortness of breath. For most people who get the flu or the coronavirus, the symptoms usually resolve within a week. The infirmed elderly and those who are debilitated health-wise, with severe lung, heart disease, or diabetes tend be the individuals who experience serious problems when they contract the flu, or the coronavirus.

If you have these symptoms, then the odds of your having the coronavirus are slim and none. You have the flu until proven otherwise.

Several labs have developed their own coronavirus tests. The CDC has had difficulties in developing and producing adequate amounts of standardized tests for the coronavirus.

Currently, if someone is suspected of having the coronavirus, then their blood must be sent to the CDC for final confirmation, which takes up to a week.

There is no specific treatment for the coronavirus other than supportive care. You have been exposed to millions of viruses and bacteria daily since you were born. You have an immune system that makes antibodies to fight off these infectious organisms.

Now we are in spring tree pollen season. Allergies can lead to secondary sinusitis, bronchitis, and asthma with fever and chills. This will just make the situation more confusing for you and your doctor.

If you keep yourself healthy, then the chances of you contracting a severe case of a viral illness are significantly decreased.

To build a healthy immune system, I recommend an “ABCDZ program” to my patients, consisting of high doses of Vitamin A and B complex, Vitamin C and Vitamin D3, and Zinc. This will help prevent them from getting the flu, coronavirus, or any other viral or bacterial infection.

Use common-sense hygiene, like washing your hands. By the way, the surgical masks you see people wearing don’t protect you from viral infections.

You should also have a healthy, whole-food, yeast-free eating plan with the elimination of sugar and simple carbs like grain, corn, potato and rice products which are quickly converted to sugar in our digestive tract. Yeast in the colon grows on sugar and produces toxins. These toxins and sugar both depress your immune system. Make sure that you are replenishing your natural thyroid, sex, and adrenal hormones, treating your allergies with allergy immunizing drops, taking vitamin and mineral supplements, and exercising.

You have a sound mind. Think accurately and rationally about the Wuhan Virus. Use common sense and take charge of your health.