@lina @davep I have no idea if this would help, but my spouse and I have been using a nitric oxide nasal spray that claims to prevent viruses. We’ve used it with masking and neither of us have had COVID or any other infection over the past few years, so it may at least help with preventing other opportunistic viral infections.

https://enovid.us/pages/how-it-works

@lina so, a large % of Global North dwellers don't get enough

• vitamin D,
• zinc, and
• magnesium,and lacking any of those reduces immune functioning. That's the easiest to get out of the way.

Since you're not opposed to masking, get fit tested. Maybe you need to switch models or brands or sizes.

Fit testing links:

• This is apparently a $40 testing kit https://zeroes.ca/@trendless/113312603871019292
• some cities have a Masc Bloc that will help you test for free or at cost,
• https://old.reddit.com/r/MasksForEveryone/comments/z5gqhq/m4es_why_how_to_do_a_diy_fit_test_with_your_masks/ thread explains how to do it at home with just Sweet 'n Low and a mister

If you test and find out your current masks are a good fit and they're a reputable make then that tells you to look at other possibilities - perhaps you're getting sick through someone in your home, who might even be getting asymptomatically but contagiously sick? If so you could take steps to breathe fresher air at home (filtration, more airflow, masking when CO2>500ppm)

When you start getting sick, there is evidence that over the counter zinc lozenges reduce "common cold" virus symptoms by a day or two. Since you're getting hit so hard, maybe they'd be more impactful?

Best of luck, I hope that helps.

@lina This is what he sent me:
=========
I have my own compilation of Long COVID resources, as part of this page:

https://blimix.dreamwidth.org/249645.html

Addenda that I haven't incorporated yet:

While my page refers only to an early, small trial of anticoagulants, some of them are now seeing more widespread use. Soluble heparin analogs are already used as a treatment for Long
COVID, due to the prevention of blood clotting and the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 entry into epithelial cells. A new study showed that they help protect healthy cells from immune attack when
nucleocapsid protein from infected cells gets on them. As a side benefit, this could help the immune system focus more on the infected cells, reducing viral spread. (As always with blood
thinners, monitor closely for hemorrhage.)

There's a treatment I haven't looked into yet, mentioned here:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0315486#sec012
They note the parallel between LC and CFS. "Anhydrous Enol-Oxaloacetate (AEO) is a nutritional supplement which has anecdotally been reported to relieve physical and mental fatigue in
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID patients."

Melatonin as a treatment: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8395320/

Someone in one of my groups wrote, "Cutting out a few high histamine foods costs zero dollars. Imo, it's worth it for all post covid ppl to try a low ish histamine diet for 4 weeks and see
if it helps."

Apparently, there's immunoglobulin therapy for POTS. I haven't looked into this yet, and it doesn't seem to be common knowledge.

@lina That is how my ME/CFS started. I'm not saying it is the same for you, but read up on PEM (post exertional malaise) and paceing.

For me those "flu-like symptoms" come about 30 hours after cardio exercise or a night out with a lot of socializing or something else that takes a lot of energy. I tried to push through and it only got worse. More frequent. Longer time.

If it is PEM the only way forward is resting, relaxing and accepting that I now have to plan for how to use the energy I have.