COVID-19 One Year Later: What We've Learned
One year ago, the World Health Organization had just declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic. What followed that announcement was something that none of us could have adequately prepared for. What began as people stocking up on essentials like food items, prescriptions, and paper products (we still don’t understand the deal with the toilet paper), led to lockdowns, stay at home orders, and a drastically different way of life for Americans.
There has been overwhelming amount of grief caused by the pandemic, and when we think about the number of lives lost, people impacted by long-term symptoms, and the sheer magnitude of job losses, business failures, and other devastating impacts of COVID, it’s hard to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But here we are, one year later, a lot wiser in many ways, and more resilient than ever before.
In today’s blog, we are taking a look back at the last 365 days, what we’ve learned, how gratitude has played a role in our ability to recover, and what we’re looking forward to in the months and years to come.
Lesson 1: We Can Strengthen our Immune Systems Naturally
In the weeks leading up to the World Health Organization's announcement, we spent a lot of time on this blog post outlining some of the best Huemn modalities to help boost your immune system. For a quick refresher, they were:
In addition to Huemn's evidence-based modalities that can help strengthen your immune system, we also published a series of live webinars, social media posts, and videos featuring free advice from top notch medical professionals. Click any of the graphics below, or check out our YouTube channel to get a refresher on excellent immune-boosting tips! We'll include some quick links below:
Lesson 2: The Link Between Vitamin D and COVID-19
In what was by far our most popular blog post of 2020, we took a deep dive into the evidence that supports Vitamin D testing and supplementation, especially as it pertains to COVID-19. Vitamin D has been extensively studied in a wide variety of viruses, inflammatory disorders, and immune system imbalances with pretty incredible results.
What we learned: there is not significant evidence that Vitamin D can treat active COVID infections; HOWEVER (and this is a pretty big caveat), Vitamin D levels are inextricably linked to COVID outcomes. What does this mean, exactly?
In studies linked in the blog, COVID patients’ Vitamin D levels were measured, and it was found that in the most severe infections, Vitamin D levels were extremely deficient. But why does this matter? If we can adequately restore Vitamin D levels to healthy lab values, then we can prevent severe infection from occurring. But this process must be proactive, not reactive. You can’t dramatically increase your Vitamin D levels overnight, especially when battling an active infection. The best way to figure out what you’re dealing with is to TEST, not guess.
Because of this, we began offering Vitamin D testing in store and for purchase online, so that our customers can measure their Vitamin D levels with a simple fingerstick. Based on your test results, you'll know whether or not you need to supplement with a high quality, preferably liposomal form of Vitamin D.
Lesson 3: The Value of Free Medicine + a Good Mindset
Free medicine: two words that very rarely seem to go together. Last year, when the world shut down and our members no longer had access to our immune-boosting and inflammation reducing modalities, we had to go back to basics. We wrote this post about the benefits of “free” medicine; meaning, the things that you already have at your disposal that can make measurable impacts on your overall health. Some of these “free” things include:
Eat real food—lot of plants, as fresh fruits + veggies provide an abundance of nutrients to the body.
Get some sun, as Vitamin D does wonders for strengthening the integrity of the immune system.
Connect with nature, as research shows that spending time in green spaces can enhance immune function.
Drink plenty of CLEAN water to keep your cells fully hydrated, and your body’s detoxification processes in optimal condition.
Increase fiber intake to keep your body regular. Regular elimination means regularly ridding your body of waste and toxins.
Focus on breathwork + meditation to calm the mind. Managing stress is imperative to maintaining good overall health.
Move your body—whether it’s a nice walk outside or a full blown workout, exercise is key to keeping the lymphatic system working.
Practice GRATITUDE every day! We’ve talked about the health benefits of gratitude in the past, but an attitude of gratitude scientifically leads to better mental AND physical health.
Lesson 4: Everything is Figure-outable
Exactly one year ago to the day, we opted to close Huemn temporarily, in order to fully assess the COVID situation, acquire proper PPE and sanitation equipment, and implement protocols that would keep our team members and community safe. In less than two weeks, Huemn was back up and running with modified hours, social distancing measures in place, hospital-grade sanitation equipment, and full PPE for our staff and members.
What began as a daunting thought process of "what are we going to do?" morphed into, "we're going to figure this out". We are so grateful to have not only survived the shutdowns, but to have also been able to adapt to so many changes in such a short period of time. Through all of these changes, our mission remained the same: to provide our community with a way to take control of their health, fight pain and inflammation, and feel their very best.
Lesson 5: The Value of Community
For those who may not know, Cryo Recovery went through a major rebrand at the beginning of 2020. We announced this rebrand at our VIP event last February; the last major event that we hosted before the world changed. It was a crazy time to unveil the transition from Cryo Recovery to Huemn, introduce our new services, and to plan for the future, but we pushed through, and boy—did our members support us!
We just want to take a moment to thank all of you who have been on this wild ride with us. Because of our community, we've been able to not only remain open for business, but we've also been able to introduce new services, supplements, and even a new location that is in the works! Some of the exciting new offerings that we made available in 2020 include:
Lab Testing: we introduced several lab testing options that will allow you to further optimize your health. Vitamin D, Inflammation (CRP), Baseline Testing, Comprehensive Health Panels, and more are available both in store and online.
Food Inflammation Testing (FIT Test): one of our most exciting new offerings this year is our FIT Testing. This is different from any other food sensitivity test that exists, as it tests for the body's inflammatory reactions to certain foods. It has been a game changer for many of our members!
PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy): our newest modality at Huemn is quickly becoming one of our most popular! Fight pain, fatigue, inflammation, cellular damage, and bone degeneration with PEMF! Read more here.
Body Scanning: our 3D body scanner is the gold standard in health assessments. With medical-grade accuracy and DEXA-quality body composition, our members are loving this new service!
Liposomal Glutathione: the body's master antioxidant; great for detox support, immune health, aiding in inflammation reduction, and overall wellbeing. Read more here.
NMN: learn all about Nicotinamide Mononucleotide and how it can increase NAD+ levels to combat the aging process here.
Senolytics: an absolute game-changer in anti-aging, these naturally-derived substances can help rid your body of senescent (zombie) cells! Read more here.