Participants:
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR200008S
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00:01 Life as we know it
00:02 will never be the same since COVID-19. 00:04 Stay tuned to find out 00:05 what you can do to keep you and your family safe. 00:08 My name is Jason Bradley, 00:10 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:34 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:36 My guest today is Dr. Theodore Watkins, 00:39 Founder and President of The Watkins Institute. 00:42 Welcome to Urban Report, Dr. Watkins. 00:44 Thank you very much. 00:46 I'm very happy to be with you today. 00:47 It's great to have you here. 00:49 You know, this COVID-19 stuff 00:51 is really has transformed our way of life. 00:56 You know, I've got sitting here next to me, I've got a mask. 01:01 And you see a lot of people 01:03 wearing masks on the street now. 01:08 Let's talk about the symptoms of COVID-19. 01:10 What are the symptoms? 01:13 Well, the symptoms can be 01:16 divided really into mild symptoms. 01:20 You can have things like 01:23 flu like symptoms, a cough, 01:27 that cough really occurs, 01:29 you know, up to two to seven days 01:34 after the virus hits, you can have things 01:39 like body aches, you got GI symptoms, 01:45 you can have problems breathing, 01:48 mild problems breathing, 01:50 and that can actually start at the onset of symptoms, 01:55 and then you can even get diarrhea, 01:58 but if it's more severe, 02:01 one of the big problems is pneumonia. 02:03 Okay. 02:04 And it's a special type of pneumonia 02:07 that really restricts the lungs. 02:09 I was talking to 02:11 one of my nurse friends just yesterday 02:15 and she was telling me 02:16 how they had patients on a ventilator. 02:20 And normally there's something called PEEP, 02:24 which is a Positive end-expiratory pressure 02:28 and normally you get it up to about five, 02:34 they took the patient up to 14 02:36 and it still was not adequate to be 02:39 able to get the oxygen into the person. 02:41 And so pneumonia is a major problem 02:44 with that stiffening of the lungs. 02:46 You can get kidney failure, 02:48 you can get a person can even die with this disease. 02:52 Yes, yes. 02:53 What's the difference between the presentation of COVID-19 02:57 and regular influenza? 03:00 Well, as you know, with regular influenza, 03:03 you have the fever, you have the chills, 03:09 you may have some nasal congestion, 03:13 but it's short-lived, you know, 03:17 body aches, whereas COVID-19 can start out like that, 03:23 but in and for many people, 03:26 it will stay like that, all right? 03:29 But the person who gets severe disease, 03:33 then they can go on to severe symptoms that 03:37 we talked about that that ends with death. 03:39 Now, certainly we know 03:41 that regular influenza also can end in death. 03:46 But it's much, much less about almost 3.5 times, 03:52 three and a half times more frequent, 03:54 that you get death in a person with COVID-19 03:57 if you would with someone with the regular flu. 04:02 Wow, wow, that's interesting. 04:05 What type of medicine... What's your specialty? 04:09 Well, my training actually was in surgery. 04:12 Okay. 04:13 But now I practice a mobile family practice 04:17 with a emphasis on natural holistic 04:22 type of presentation. 04:24 Okay. 04:25 Using the methods that God gave us to get well. 04:31 So would you say it's like kind of 04:32 integrative medicine or... 04:35 Yes, it's a form of integrative medicine, yes. 04:38 Okay. Okay. 04:40 And how long have you been practicing? 04:43 I'm an old man, Jason. 04:45 I started, actual, I finished my residency in '83. 04:51 And that's when I switched 04:52 from surgery to holistic medicine. 04:55 So I've been practicing since 1983. 04:56 Wow. 04:58 And what made you decide to go that route? 04:59 Before you were born. 05:01 Yeah, that that actually was a few years 05:03 before I came into the world. 05:05 Yeah. Yes, yes. 05:08 So what made you decide to go into that that line of work? 05:14 It's very interesting. 05:15 People say, "Well, you know, you were really smart to switch 05:18 over from surgery to holistic medicine." 05:22 I said, "No, I was not." 05:26 God told me to leave surgery. 05:28 And I told God, "No, I'm good with this knife." 05:32 You know, He said, 05:34 "No, I need you in holistic medicine." 05:38 And there was a group of us 05:40 who was gonna go down south 05:41 and do this self-supporting ministry, 05:43 and I actually went into surgery for there, 05:45 I would have done probably cardiology, 05:48 but after they backed out, 05:51 I was depressed and almost never get depressed, 05:54 but I was depressed as such, 05:55 asking Lord, "What should I do?" 05:57 He said, "Leave surgery." 05:59 I said, "No, Lord." 06:00 But it took me two years to get the courage to leave. 06:04 All right. 06:05 Because surgery, that knife very powerful. 06:10 You know, I've opened up people's chests 06:13 right in the emergency room trying to save their lives. 06:16 It's, but I am so happy that I listened to God. 06:20 And He led me to, we need surgeons, 06:24 we need, and whenever 06:26 one of my patients needs a surgeon, 06:27 I try to find the best surgeon I can, 06:30 but there's so many people 06:33 that can avoid surgery and medication 06:35 if we just use the simple principles 06:38 that God has given us. 06:40 Amen. Amen. 06:41 You know, and that brings me to my next question, 06:43 and which is what are some of the nutritional changes 06:46 we can make to support the immune system? 06:51 You know, one of the interesting things 06:55 is that most of the diseases 06:58 or many of the diseases that we face today 07:01 are associated with the immune system. 07:04 When I was a third year resident, 07:06 I did my pediatrics at Bethesda Naval, 07:09 and I wrote a paper on 07:11 if we're going to overcome cancer, 07:14 we must do it by strengthening the immune system. 07:16 How do you do that? You do it by your diet. 07:22 Fresh fruits, vegetables, 07:26 whole grain, seeds, nuts, beans, 07:30 these common foods are just packed with nutrients. 07:36 You know, there are certain herbs 07:39 and other supplements that you can use 07:43 to really strengthen the immune system. 07:44 I don't push a lot of herbs in my practice. 07:48 There are only a couple that I will use frequently, 07:52 vitamin B12 because I encourage most of my patients 07:54 to be vegans like all of them to be vegans 07:58 and many of them listen, and so vitamin B12 is needed. 08:04 And I find that vitamin D, 08:07 which both of which are very important 08:11 to strengthen the immune system. 08:13 And then vitamin C, zinc, 08:16 other nutrients like that are very important. 08:19 One of the things that I'm using 08:22 and I understand that someone said that 08:25 they even heard it mentioned on your station. 08:31 NAC. Oh, yes. 08:34 You now, N-acetyl cysteine, 08:36 you know, because it stimulates the immune system. 08:40 And it's very, very, very beneficial. 08:43 Got you. 08:45 Now vitamin B12 that gives you energy too, doesn't it? 08:46 Okay, let me go a little further 08:49 on this because 08:52 there are other simple things that are important. 08:56 One of the most important things 08:58 I believe is decrease in stress. 09:01 Decrease stress, and my formula 09:04 for decreasing stresses take your burden to the Lord 09:07 and leave them. 09:08 You know, He promised that 09:09 He would not leave us or forsake us. 09:11 And if we believe that, you know, when I was in school, 09:16 I learned the only fear we have in the future. 09:19 And so we forget where God has led us in the past. 09:22 We must remember that God is in charge. 09:25 And so decreasing stress, exercise, 09:28 plenty of water, rest. 09:31 I interviewed a doctor just two weeks ago 09:35 on my radio show here dealing with sleep, 09:39 and he talked about the importance of sleep 09:41 and how it boosts the immune system 09:43 and can help one tackle these powers. 09:48 Interesting, interesting. 09:50 It seems like your faith plays a huge role in what you do. 09:54 How does your faith come into play in your line of work? 10:00 Well, when I was graduating from medical school, 10:05 I made a decision that 10:07 if ever there was a conflict 10:10 between what God teaches 10:13 and what I learned in medical school, 10:15 I was going with God, you know, 10:18 I said, "God got me in. 10:22 He got to get me out." 10:24 And once I got out, 10:26 I didn't wanna forget how I got in and got out. 10:30 And so, God is, you know, 10:33 I tell people, I'm just a little project boy, 10:35 little welfare kid that God has blessed. 10:37 And so, I can't forget where He's brought me. 10:42 And if in addition, Jason, 10:46 what I find is that when we deal with patients, 10:50 and this COVID virus is a classic example. 10:53 There's a lot of fear. 10:55 You know, people are fearful of even 10:58 with all the medical science that we have. 11:01 How can we handle this thing? Yes. 11:03 You know, and I tell them, 11:07 "Yes, I believe in washing my hands 11:09 and doing the things that we need to do 11:11 using my mask when I'm gonna be in public, 11:14 but I don't worry about the virus 11:18 because my God has..." 11:20 He said, "If you put the blood on the doorpost, 11:24 I'm gonna pass over." 11:26 And I believe that He's passing over now. 11:29 And so I trust Him because I remember 11:33 what He's done for me in the past 11:35 and what He's doing for me even now. 11:37 Amen. 11:39 What are some things that 11:41 we can do to protect our homes from the virus? 11:49 Well, one we need to clean it down. 11:53 We need to clean it down. 11:54 We can use alcohol and other... 12:00 germicidal solutions, 12:03 you know, I don't wanna get commercial, 12:06 but if you go into the store, 12:08 you're not gonna find Lysol 12:10 because everybody has found out 12:12 that Lysol is a good germicidal. 12:14 And so, but regular rubbing alcohol 12:16 but it needs to be at least 60%. 12:18 Clean all the areas that 12:23 you're gonna come in contact with. 12:26 And, you know, if someone comes into your home, 12:31 that's not a part of the family, 12:36 they need to have mask, gloves, etcetera, 12:42 and then when they leave, 12:44 you need to make sure that you sterilize the area. 12:48 We can't see the virus. 12:50 And so we have to assume that 12:52 the virus comes in when someone else comes in. 12:55 When we go out and we come in, 12:57 we need to make sure that we wipe down. 12:59 When I come in, I spray the knobs and so forth, 13:03 anywhere I go, I go and wash my hands 13:06 and you need to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds 13:10 with warm soapy water. 13:11 You don't have warm soapy water, 13:13 you can use, you know, 13:15 the Lysol, you can use the 60% alcohol, etcetera, 13:20 the hand sterilizers to clean yourself. 13:23 Those are the kinds of things you need to do. 13:26 If there's someone that you suspect 13:30 has come in contact, you need to isolate them, 13:35 quarantine them in the house so that 13:39 they don't spread it to other members of the house. 13:42 Yes, yes. 13:44 One of the things that I'm trying to do 13:46 is limit anybody that comes to the house 13:48 like I'm not really having any type of visitors 13:52 or anything 'cause you really don't know 13:53 who's carrying it. 13:55 And you don't know if you have it, 13:57 you know right away and that's very scary. 14:01 That is something that is scary about this. 14:04 And if anything, you know, 14:06 but once again that's where trust in God. 14:09 We do what we can. Yeah. 14:11 And God would do the rest. Yes. 14:13 But avoiding people that you don't, you know, 14:19 my daughter got me so bad. 14:21 Daddy you cannot go back to the office 14:24 and for now for about four weeks 14:25 I've been doing telemedicine. 14:27 Okay. 14:28 Because you just can't trust the situation. 14:34 You just don't know. 14:35 So let me ask you this because it seems like this thing 14:38 has been spreading at such a rapid rate. 14:41 How does the virus spread? 14:43 Well, it generally spreads through droplets, all right? 14:47 Through droplets, someone cough, they sneeze, 14:51 and you inhale it, you know, 14:57 and it goes into your body and multiplies. 15:02 Also, you can touch a surface that someone with the virus 15:08 has touched or sneezed and, 15:11 you know, now that they're suggesting even that 15:15 it's in the air and just talking to someone 15:18 I heard the other day just talking 15:22 can actually spread the virus and so, 15:24 but it's basically the droplets that come from the mouth, 15:30 from the nose the primary ways in which you can get. 15:32 So if I hear you correctly, just talking to somebody 15:36 does that mean like as you're talking to somebody, 15:38 sometimes when people talk 15:39 some droplets come out of their mouth, 15:41 is that what you're saying? 15:42 They spit. Okay, okay. 15:44 Exactly. Yes. 15:46 They can emit droplets that get 15:49 into the air and can spray it. 15:52 Okay. 15:54 You know, what I find really nasty is that, 15:58 you know, all of this stuff 15:59 has been taking place all of this time, 16:02 you know, I don't think we've realized exactly 16:05 how many droplets 16:06 and stuff we encounter on a daily basis, 16:09 but this is really bringing a wake up call to that. 16:13 I remember as a little boy. 16:20 And when we moved up to the projects, 16:23 I'm seeing the dust, the light, hit the dust in the air, 16:28 and flicker and you see 16:30 all those particles, you know, while they're still in the air. 16:35 We just don't see them, all right? 16:37 But they're there and they can spread 16:40 for quite probably about 15 feet or more, you know, 16:46 and so it's very important generally we say, 6 feet, 16:50 but they can actually spread further than that. 16:52 Wow. 16:53 What are some common myths about COVID-19? 16:59 Well, 17:03 people say that, you know, 17:07 that certain people can't get it, you know, 17:10 their immune system is so strong 17:14 that they can't get it 17:15 or that it only affects older people, sick people. 17:20 Well, that's truly a myth because young athletes, 17:26 we know NBA players, 17:28 other athletes strong in the prime of life 17:34 they have gotten. 17:35 And so it's a myth that only old people, 17:39 you know, in fact as we look at that, 17:43 we need to recognize that in your area in Chicago, 17:48 they said about 97%, 17:51 I was reading just this morning 97% of the deaths 17:56 that have occurred in Chicago are in people 17:59 who have pre-existing illnesses are over 60. 18:05 Now those pre-existing illnesses 18:07 can occur in young people. 18:11 A young man just came to my office today. 18:13 I wasn't there, but my secretary 18:15 gave him some things to boost his immune system. 18:18 He's in his 30s. Wow. 18:20 All right, and others in their 30s. 18:24 There are people who have died in the 30s and 40s and 50s. 18:29 And so that's a myth, all right? 18:34 There's a lot of things going around that 18:38 there is a conspiracy. 18:40 You know, I tell people, this is a real virus. 18:44 And it's really killing people. 18:46 And certainly there are people 18:50 who will conspire, 18:52 but I'm not taking any chances on something serious. 18:56 Yes. Yes. 18:58 I wanna do everything I can 19:00 to improve my immune system to stay away, 19:03 you do that distancing that we need to do, 19:06 you know, so those are myths. 19:07 Absolutely. Those myths are common. 19:10 What about the fact that if you catch the virus 19:13 and you can't get it again, is that a myth? 19:21 I can't say that it's a myth. 19:26 The research on this is conflicting. 19:30 Okay. 19:31 There have been studies to show that 19:33 people who got it for instance in China afterwards, 19:38 they had a relapse 19:43 or got it again. 19:45 Now the question is, 19:47 did they ever get rid of the virus? 19:51 Another study, I was reading about 19:53 some young people in China. 19:58 They were 20:02 said to have overcome, 20:06 but they did a study where they actually tested them 20:11 with swabs in the nose 5 days, 20:16 up to 13 days. 20:18 They tested them after they were quote well, 20:23 and the virus was present on every one of the tests. 20:28 Wow. All right. 20:29 So we know that these viruses can linger. 20:33 You know, the Ebola virus, it was around months 20:37 after a person was quote well, 20:40 you know, so that they were carriers. 20:43 They didn't have an active disease, 20:45 but they were still carriers of the virus, 20:47 therefore, they could pass it on to others, and possibly, 20:53 depending on the situation could get reinfected again. 20:56 Wow. 20:58 At what point would you say someone should go get tested? 21:05 That's a very, another very good question. 21:10 You know, if you have symptoms, a fever, 21:15 no contact with someone 21:19 who has been tested positive, 21:25 you've had recent travel, especially out of the country 21:30 or to an endemic area. 21:32 Those people definitely should be tested. 21:34 If you have pre-existing illnesses 21:39 and any of those symptoms, 21:41 you definitely need to be tested. 21:42 Now, what's the process? 21:45 The first thing I would do is call, 21:47 I would suggest you call 21:48 your private physician, all right? 21:51 Or if you can't reach them 21:53 and most areas especially in cities, 21:56 there are places through the Department of Health 22:00 that's been set up where you can call 22:03 and they can direct you as to where you should go. 22:07 Because number one, you need an appointment, 22:09 you know, it's getting better now, 22:11 but still, in the beginning, 22:13 there was such a shortage of tests. 22:17 I mean, you could go and still not be tested. 22:20 And in fact by going put yourself at risk 22:23 because you're around other people who are positive. 22:25 Yeah. 22:26 And if you didn't have it, 22:27 you can get it by exposing yourself. 22:29 Yes. 22:31 They say the emergency room 22:32 was one of the worst places to be in this time 22:35 because if you don't have it when you leave, you'll have it. 22:39 Absolutely. Absolutely. 22:41 You know, it's interesting, you know, 22:44 exactly what you're saying. 22:46 You know, you can go in 22:47 and get tested for it and not have it, 22:50 but then you go in, and then, you know, you may get it, 22:53 you know, you never know. 22:55 And also with this is depending on 23:00 when you're tested, all right? 23:02 You may be exposed... 23:04 If you aren't having symptoms, all right? 23:07 You can go in, you can be tested 23:10 and be negative, and then later get it 23:12 because the incubation period can differ from 23:15 2 days, 14 days, you know... 23:17 Yes. 23:19 And so that's why, in addition to that, 23:21 we know that people will have it be positive 23:25 and never have symptoms. 23:27 So you can't always wait for symptoms. 23:29 So that's why have you been exposed to someone, you know, 23:32 have you been in an endemic area, 23:35 you've been flying, etcetera, those effects. 23:39 Let me ask you this. 23:41 You know, if someone's in home isolation 23:43 because they believe they might be infected, 23:45 how do they know 23:46 when it's safe to discontinue that isolation? 23:52 One, the fever will break. All right. 23:55 If they have other symptoms, 23:57 they'll clear just like if you had the flu. 24:00 You sort of know when the flu is over. 24:03 But in addition to that, you need to be tested. 24:06 If you've been tested positive, you need to be tested again. 24:10 In fact, two days in a row, you need to have negative tests 24:14 in order to be assumed that you're over with the virus. 24:19 And so once the symptoms clear, then you can go 24:22 and you get tested two days and if you are free, 24:28 then you can consider yourself to have been over the virus. 24:34 Okay. 24:36 What steps can doctors take to stay healthy 24:39 during COVID-19 during this pandemic? 24:43 In addition to eating right, 24:46 getting their rest, trusting in God. 24:52 They certainly need to have 24:56 the protective equipment. 25:00 And they need to limit their contact with patients. 25:06 Most doctors now 25:08 unless they are in the emergent, you know, 25:12 the critical care area are doing phone calls, 25:17 telemedicine. 25:18 Okay. 25:20 You know, because you don't know 25:22 who has it and so most doctors 25:26 are not directly, 25:29 you know, I contacted a doctor today, 25:33 and he's a urologist. 25:40 And, no, he was a dermatologist and he said, "Well, 25:43 I'm gonna be in my office 25:45 to see only emergencies on Thursday." 25:49 But of course, he's gonna be, 25:51 you know, have the appropriate protection on 25:56 and just see people from a distance. 25:58 Okay. 26:00 Doctors when they, 26:01 I was talking to a urologist yesterday. 26:03 And he said, he scheduled them, they come in, 26:09 later they don't have patients 26:11 sitting in the emergency room they come in, 26:14 I mean in the office, they come in, 26:16 you're seeing they leave. 26:19 Yeah, so they're still practicing 26:21 their social distancing in a way too... 26:23 There some are practicing, but it's much, much less. 26:27 Yes. 26:29 Now you also conduct seminars 26:31 and all of that stuff as well, right? 26:33 If somebody wants to reach out to you 26:35 and book you for a seminar, what's your website? 26:40 It's www.TwiLiving.com. 26:47 Twi that stands for the Watkins Institute. 26:50 Got you. Living.com 26:53 Got you. TwiLiving.com. 26:56 And they can book you for seminars, 26:57 and all of that. 27:00 What words of encouragement do you want to leave 27:02 with our viewers? 27:03 We've got about 45 seconds. 27:08 Well, you know, you asked me before about this faith thing. 27:13 I think people need to recognize 27:16 that God is in charge. 27:18 Things look bad, but God is in charge. 27:21 And if we do our part, He will certainly do His part. 27:25 And so do the things. 27:27 Wash, you know, learn how to protect yourself, 27:33 and then do it, and then trust God, 27:36 and He will take care of us. 27:38 Amen. Amen. 27:40 Well, it's safe to say that we see how your faith 27:43 comes into play, and practice in medicine. 27:45 I wanna thank you so much for your expertise. 27:47 Thank you for joining us on the program. 27:49 Well, we've reached the end of another program. 27:52 Thanks for tuning in. 27:53 Make sure you tune in next time. 27:55 And remember, 27:56 it just wouldn't be the same without you. |
Revised 2020-05-14