Deji Alabi is a Canada-based Microbiologist. He is also a Health and Wellness Coach, who has helped many patients treat and manage very many ailments with lifestyle medication. He is currently helping a few Coronavirus patients manage their crisis with lifestyle medication. He recently spoke with Seye Kehinde, the Publisher of City People magazine about the Coronavirus scourge and what he has discovered. Below are excerpts.
Tell us a bit about your findings on Coronavirus?
The virus is like many others, but the transmissibility is what makes it so virulent. The spread is of greater concern when compared to other viruses. There are worse viruses that could wreak havoc on the human system faster, but are not easily transmissible like the Coronavirus.
Why do you say people need more Education than Medication?
As we speak, there is no nation in the world who can sufficiently provide the needed healthcare should 2% of their population go down with this virus. Testing is critically low not only in Nigeria but in every nation where the virus has infected people.
WHO’s one of the 6-point global responses to this virus is advocating increased testing facilities and kits but they are not things that could be manufactured in their billions overnight. So most people will have to rely on symptoms. Which is where education comes in. Nigeria at last week (26 March, 2020) only tested 252 persons.
From your findings what is Coronavirus all about and how come it can be cured with Herbs?
The Coronavirus affects the respiratory system in the host. As a matter of fact, they become inactive and probably flushed out if they get into the stomach.
Because the temperature of the body along the mucus membrane and sinus is low, it meets the condition for the virus to replicate once in a living host.
Invasion of the respiratory system is the target once in the body hence the need to 1) stop the replication of the virus 2) fortify the body to combat the virus.
These are my two suggested approaches which have also been proved by several research and journals both recent and old ones.
Herbs have been known to have bactericidal effects and sometimes virucidal effects. Professor Maurice Iwu and several researchers had worked on Garcinia Kola (Bitter Kola) and its virucidal effects. His works came to the fore during the Ebola crisis among others. Professor Ebenezer Faroumbi of the Department of Biochemistry University of Ibadan has done so many works as well on Garcinia kola.
Natural fruits like lemon have been known to alleviate scurvy with sailors centuries back because of its ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).
A few studies since the advent of the virus has also shown great progress with treatment, using hydroxyl chloroquine and Azithromycin. The major constituent of chloroquine is quinines which is found mainly on the bark of the Cinchona tree. This is the tree used in many cultures to treat malaria including several ethnicities in Nigeria with all its different names.
So, we have identified Garcinia Kola, Lemon and Cinchona.
However, concerns will arise as regards dosage, side effects, usability for pregnant women and children, results on people with pre-existing conditions, etc.
How did you meet Sumbo Wright and how did you recommend the appropriate treatments for her condition?
One of my clients, who is a friend over the years recommended my services. She had almost all the symptoms as she described to me over the phone. I asked if she could get medical help right away and she told me they only advised she stayed in self-isolation and wait till the infection progresses to the point she could be considered admissible to the ICU. This is the case as with many countries cause it’s not safe to ask an infected person to find his/her way to the healthcare facility. Second, not all health facilities are equipped to handle cases like this. Again, the shortage of test facilities would also be considered. The clinics are being overwhelmed.
I suggested she use those agents I earlier mentioned that has been known to work though most were tested in-vivo and an intravenous administration would have been best, but there was no way she could access that at a time as we were also running a race against time and the virus taking over her entire respiratory system. She had lost her taste and smell at a point and could hardly breathe.
I made those suggestions after asking questions about her health evaluations and family history. These are all important which are the reasons I always advise individuals never to replace the use of remedies, herbs and wellness advisory to substitute the care from their physicians.
What is the situation of things now in Canada in terms of the scourge?
Most parts are locked down at the moment. It’s been this way for two weeks. Some provinces are already getting laws to enforce the social distancing, so people who violate it could be arrested, fined or both.
Do you think the whole world has confronted the disease the right way?
Not trying to apportion blames as all efforts at the moment must be towards finding a solution, but I think we could have done a lot better. A reason nations like Nigeria and some others that are in these waves of the crisis should respond proactively so as not to peak the curve instead of flattening it. Lockdowns should be enforced. It will save life, time and money in the long run. But if we do partial lockdown, we will be in this for a much longer period and the casualties will be more.
What’s your advice?
There is a lot going on in the global space and I know this would cause a major change in the way things are done across the globe. WHO operations and funding should be above global politics. There is a need to review the conditions that qualify an outbreak to be labelled a pandemic and I expect subsequent summits of the UN would address this. We should engage in technology more especially in data collection and disease monitoring.
Are you a medical doctor or an Alternative doctor who prescribes Herbs?
This is a funny question though. I’m neither of the two. I’m a trained Microbiologist with emphasis on medical microbiology. I’m also a plant-based nutritionist and a practising health and wellness coach. My job is to use diet and lifestyle modifications to help individuals in conjunction with the care they revive from their doctors.
Tell me a bit about you. What do you do in Canada? Do you run a clinic or work in a public hospital?
I recently relocated here and will soon commence my practice hereafter the appropriate licensure. I have always engaged my clients across the globe via virtual platforms even before this pandemic. My passion is more for education and training and not a prescription or medication.
How do you combine your training as a Microbiologist and Naturopath? Are they similar?
My training as a microbiologist makes me relevant to most fields of human health. It enables my flexibility to look into orthodox medicine, naturopathy, homoeopathy, herbalism, etc. Most diseases are caused by microorganisms.
What does your job as a Lead Coach of Nutraceutical Health entail?
As the Lead Coach, I help individuals through diet and lifestyle advisory to prevent, manage and recover from disease conditions. This includes and not limited to one-on-one consultations, training (both corporate and individual), research and content development.
What is your advice to Nigerians in terms of how to Avoid and Treat Coronavirus?
It should be taken seriously and not with panic. Follow all the advice of WHO and NCDC. The lockdown should be respected by all. Our religious leaders need to be more positive with the messages they communicate, so as to avoid stigmatisation of people who are already positive. People should know more of the symptoms and where they couldn’t get help should first isolate themselves. Our healthcare workers need to be protected and not unduly exposed at this moment. Hospital visits should be regulated at this point.
Let us practise love for humanity right now and not allow greed to consume us. People should not make merchandise of supplies meant to relief individuals in this situation. Most importantly, communication is very key. The media will determine whether or not and how we will win this battle.
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