HEALTH & WELLNESS
YOU ARE WINNING
Too Blessed to be Stressed
lungs. Additionally, the Zithromax Z-Pak
may be healing any additional secondary
infections. Zinc supposedly helps to stem
virus replication. A combination of these
therapies has recently proven successful
in France for more than 1,000 patients.*
While these drugs don’t actually
kill the virus, they help the immune
system fight it off. The virus is spread
via droplets from coughs and sneezes
and then transferred to others through
eating or touching the face. The key to
protecting yourself is to use your head
to stop the spread!
One ounce of prevention is better
than one pound of the cure. If you test
positive, your vital signs become “vital”
information. This respiratory virus
attaches to the lungs mostly and the
thick mucous makes it hard to breathe,
By Dr. Joseph Fitzgerald
lowering oxygen saturation. A patient with a pulse ox of less
than 90% should go to the hospital.
Don’t panic if you test positive, 80% of patients will get better
with fluids and isolation. However, 15% of patients will require
professional care. For this population, vitals become “vital.”
There is more hope with the FDA’s emergency authorization
and approval for the two anti-malarial drugs for treatment of
COVID-19.
We will beat the coronavirus. God bless all of you from the
front lines, the Fitz Tropics team is here if you need us.
During this outbreak, Dr. Fitzgerald will provide weekly
coronavirus video updates. Follow PureLife Medi-Spa’s Facebook
at @purelife.medispa, or visit purelifemedispa.com.
*Gautret et al. (2020) Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as a
treatment of COVID‐19: results of an open‐label non‐randomized
clinical trial. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents – In
Press 17 March 2020 – DOI : 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105949 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. G. Joseph Fitzgerald, DO, MT (ASCP), owner
and medical director of PureLife Medi-Spa, has been practicing family
medicine for more than 20 years. Dr. Fitzgerald is also a medical
technologist, and was awarded a U.S. patent in 2013 for colon cancer
prevention.
MAY/APRIL 2020 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 95
We’ve adapted our lives to
accommodate COVID-19,
and these adaptations are
helping us win the war
against the virus. Here’s the proof ––
initial modeling projected a 3.4% or
higher mortality rate. At the time of this
writing, the U.S. has a mortality rate of
less than 1.8%. Keep in mind, the CDC
reported that influenza was responsible
for the deaths of 34,157 people over a
12-month period in 2018-2019. That’s
2,847 deaths a month.
Compare that to the coronavirus
deaths in early 2020. From January
through March, there were 2,112 deaths,
or even conservatively, in a two-month
time frame (February and March), the
U.S. saw 1,056 deaths per month as a
result of COVID-19. At the same time,
deaths from the traditional flu (based on CDC statistics) were
higher than that of the coronavirus.
What does this mean? It’s indicative that our efforts are making
a difference. Both my son and I have asthma, and my beautiful
wife needs rheumatoid medications that affect her immune
system. I love them both more than anything. In our family, we
are taking this virus very seriously, and our mantra, “Use your
head to stop the spread,” guides our daily decision making.
Testing is now readily available and 80% of positive cases
require isolation at home for 14 days with mild symptoms,
requiring fluids like Gatorade to assist in recovery. Another 15%
of cases for higher risk individuals with asthma, rheumatoid
arthritis, or smoking and vaping habits, who present stronger
symptoms, may require ventilators (a tube is placed into the
lungs to assist with breathing). Unfortunately, approximately
1.7% of total cases will be fatal. On the flip side, that means that
as of this writing, 98.3% of our population will survive.
COVID-19 is a respiratory virus. It attaches to the lungs
primarily and instigates a flood of mucous and swelling, causing
fever, cough, tiredness and body aches. Originally, there were no
drugs to administer for this virus, however, in March, the FDA
approved the use of anti-malarial drugs hydroxychloroquine and
chloroquine to try to slow the disease in seriously ill patients.
Hydroxychloroquine has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis
for more than 20 years because it slows inflammation in the
PureLife Medi-Spa Wellness & Skincare
12442 Indian Rocks Rd., Largo FL
727.595.3400
www.PureLifeMediSpa.com
Dr. Joseph Fitzgerald
Medical Director/Creator PureLife Medi-Spa
B. LIVELY IMAGES
Fitz Tropics Family Care
12464 Indian Rocks Rd., Largo FL
727.596.5446
www.fitztropicsfamilycare.com