The life of hoteliers is nothing but colorful. You are up when everyone else is asleep, and sleep while everyone is awake, while some of us might not have had any sleep at all since COVID-19 began.

Hotelintel.co reached out to Dr Erik Fleischman,  a surgeon and physician specializing in Infectious Diseases and Regenerative Medicine with experience in 25 countries during some of the biggest worldwide epidemics, who has some useful medical advice to all hoteliers during this critical time.

Here are the Five Great Tips to Keep Hoteliers Healthy during COVID-19.

Sleep

If you aren’t getting 7 hours of sleep a night (or a day, if you are a night-shift worker) you are likely having more than drooping eyes at work. Less than 7 hours of sleep causes suppression of the immune system and increased chances of depression, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and even cancer. Sleeping pills are not the answer either. Chronic use of prescription sleeping pills have their own problems such as loss of cognitive function, lowering sex hormones, and hangover.

“I recommend using Melatonin 1-3 mg (Melatonin production drops 1% per year in your body after age 40) or L-Tryptophan or Ashwaganda or Valerian Root.  These will give you 7-8 hours of good sleep while supporting your immune system and brain function,” said Dr Fleischman.

Vitamin C

The debate for scientific proof that vitamin C is good for your immune system has gone on for over 60 years, yet it continues to be used worldwide to treat and prevent bacterial and viral infections. Scientific studies show that infections deplete your vitamin C levels in the body very quickly, so as a treatment it seems essential.

Dr Fleischman recommends oral 1000-3000 mg intake of vitamin C per day.

“I have had amazing success for over 10 years with high dose intravenous vitamin C when treating patients with severe viruses and infections such as HIV/AIDS, H1N1, H5N1, dengue fever, and malaria,” he commented.

This treatment is now being used in several countries to treat COVID-19.  It makes good biological sense as a preventative.

Vitamin D3

‘Vitamin’ D3 is actually mislabeled. It is really a hormone and has great responsibility in many critical functions of the body.

  • Immune Function:  Vitamin D improves the effect of immune T-cells, the cells responsible for clearing ALL viruses from the body and killing them before they become an infection.
  • Anti-Depression:  Low vitamin D levels have been implicated as a major contributor to clinical depression.
  • Hormone Function and Sex Drive:  Men and women with low vitamin D levels do not produce optimal levels of sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone) and vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in early menopause in women and erectile dysfunction in men.
  • Heart, Bone and Muscle development and more.

“The only foods that provide it are fatty fish - not overcooked! People with dark skin and those who don’t like the sun are especially prone to deficiencies. You can only increase your vitamin D by being in the morning sunlight with a lot of exposed skin. Forty percent  of my tested patients have a vitamin D deficiency,” he explained.

Hand Sanitizer

Use it. Liberally! But use it correctly. Alcohol kills viruses and bacteria by evaporation, so do not rub off the sanitizer quickly after applying it.  Let it evaporate naturally.  It works by literally sucking out the water molecules in the germs. Equally as important is the physical rubbing process to sterilize hands or surfaces. Soap and water also work very effectively.

“At the Bangkok Anti-Aging Center I have the cleaning staff cleansing surfaces every hour. We have also created a culture of “search and clean” where ALL OUR STAFF note the areas with a higher volume of people and direct the cleaning efforts where needed. If you see something, say something!”

Sugar

We all love it. It does not love us back.

Viruses survive on – you guessed it – sugar. It is no surprise that people with diabetes are among the most likely victims of COVID-19 and the ones most often requiring hospitalization and ventilator use. The same goes with obese people for the same reason. The immune system in diabetics and obese persons is poorly prepared to fight the rapid growth of a virus when it can grow and replicate so rapidly.

“My recommendation (especially for those who refuse to give up sugar and carbohydrates) is to do intermittent fasting for at least 4 of 7 days a week. After your last meal of the day, don’t eat again until 16 hours later. Only eat for 8 hours out of the day.  For the other hours you can drink coffee and tea (no sugar added) and water with lemon. It is easier than it sounds and the healthiest diet I know.”

Each of these topics is not only important to fight COVID-19, but will also bring tremendous health benefits after we are finally clear of the epidemic. Strong immune system maintenance is the best defense you have.

Dr Erik Fleischman is a Medical Director of the Bangkok Anti-Aging Center in Thailand and Fortio American Anti-Aging Medical Center in Ho Chi Minh City. He can be reached directly at info@bangkok-antiaging.com