Dr Joe Kosterich joined Botica’s Bunch to debunk all the ridiculous ‘remedies’ and myths out there around coronavirus.
Firstly, Dr Joe said that he was glad that this current climate was giving many of us the chance to catch up on some zzz’s.
“And apart from being important, sleep is something that people tend to not prioritise but is actually good for our immune system.”
HOWEVERRRRR…. He added that supporting our immune system isn’t the same as saying that you can’t get COVID-19… or that you can’t get the flu… or can’t get sick.
Dr Joe’s Top Immunity Tips
Exercise
“A little bit of regular exercise,” he said. “We’re still allowed to go for a jog or a walk around the park. Yes, if you see somebody make sure to give them a 1.5m berth, that’s fine.”
“Some people do have some weight set-ups, and if you can do push-ups or resistance exercise according to your abilities or what you’ve got.”
Laughing Often
“Managing your stress is important,” Dr Joe said.
“Laughter is still the best medicine, so if we can find funny things to watch on TV or listening on the radio or podcasts or even memes you can laugh at is going to be good for us.”
Eat Sensibly
“I’m yet to see the shelves empty of fruits and vegetables or of good quality meats and chicken – a sensible diet helps to support our immune system,” he said.
“Try and focus on what you can control, rather than on what we can’t control”
Lisa chimed in at this point: “It’d be nice if they stopped putting up the price of cauliflower to about $6 or $7, or whatever it is, for a half!”
Dr Joe Busts Some Myths
Myth: “Taking a hot bath prevents coronavirus”
Dr Joe: “No, it’s not going to prevent coronavirus. You might feel a bit better after a warm bath, but no, it’s not a cure or a guarantee you’re not going to get a virus”
Myth: “You can get it through food”
Dr Joe: “No, it hasn’t been shown. The one exception being if you’re sharing forks and somebody did have the virus and you have a mouthful off their fork then potentially that could happen but not just through food, no. It’s not like gastro.”
Myth: “It can be transmitted through mosquitoes”
Dr Joe: “No. There’s a lot of stuff that’s out there that people say ‘oooh, I think I know somebody’s cousin’s next-door neighbour somebody I used to work with said this was the case’, no it isn’t. Nothing shows it’s a mosquito vector. It’s spread by droplets, so it’s person-to-person via droplets.”
Myth: “Hair Dryers can kill the virus”
Dr Joe: “What we do know is that the virus prefers a cold rather than a warm temperature – it seems to like 4C, it doesn’t like heat and humidity. But ‘not liking’ is not the same as saying that’s going to get rid of it. So hairdryers won’t fix it, hand-dryers won’t fix it…. that said, washing hands on a regular basis and, if you don’t have hand sanitiser, soap and water is absolutely fine, it does make a difference.”
Myth: “Someone said to regularly wash your nose out with saline”
Dr Joe: “No, it won’t. Look, if you have a cold, like an ordinary cold or sinus congestion, saline sprays and washes are useful to some people, but that’s more if you’ve already got congestion. It’s not going to, itself, prevent you getting a virus.”
Myth: “Absolutely everyone should wear a facemask”
Dr Joe: “If you’re well and don’t have any symptoms, there’s no need to wear facemasks. For health professionals, the police and others, if they’re in close contact with people for at least 10-15 minutes, then masks are recommended – and we’re really wanting to conserve masks for those circumstances.
“If you’re well, you don’t need one. You just need to stay the 1.5m away.”
Hit PLAY below to hear the full chat!
Medical Doctor, author, speaker, media presenter and health industry consultant, Dr Joe Kosterich wants you to be healthy and get the most out of life.
Joe writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications, is clinical editor at Medical Forum Magazine, and is also a regular on radio and television.
Joe is Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis Company Little Green Pharma, Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association and sits on the board of Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases.
He has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health.
In 2024 due to public demand he commenced a podcast, Dr Joe Unplugged, which can be accessed via Spotify, Apple or YouTube.
Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.
