COVID-19 fear making people sick, says doctor

Dr Meer Janjua
Dr Meer Janjua

A Gold Coast doctor says people are worrying themselves sick from fear due to COVID-19 and recommends simple strategies to help prevent developing the virus.

Dr Meer Janjua has seen over 2000 patients at My Doctors Clinic in Surfers Paradise over the past three months, since the first case of COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan China in December 2019.

“Among those I’ve seen, not one patient to my knowledge has been diagnosed with COVID-19,” Dr Meer said.

“About 60% of patients have shown flu-like symptoms and none of them have been critical.”

He said the fear and anxiety caused by mass media hysteria was causing people more stress and making them more vulnerable to becoming sick.

“When we stress, we breathe shallow, not deeply,” he said.

“We release fright-flight neurochemicals. We retain carbon dioxide, make free radicals, metabolise more glucose, create more lactic acid and become more inflammatory, which leads to immuno-suppression that feeds the cycle of disease until we get ill.”

He said we could take simple measures to stop this.

“Reconnect with your body, breathe deeply, avoid refined sugar as much as possible, drink plenty of good-quality alkaline water, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, avoid stimulants such as coffee, reduce alcohol intake, stop smoking and get good quality sleep, lots of sunlight, get out into nature and frequently give yourself long breaks from technology.  As much as it has been discouraged, hugs also have shown to stave off illness.”

He said if people had fever, a dry cough or shortness of breath in severe cases, they should seek medical help immediately.

“If you are vomiting, have diarrhea or nasal congestion, the chances of you having Covid-19, are less likely,” he said.

“When people have fear in their minds, they don’t feel their bodies and are less able to control the physiological stress response leading to more fear and disease.”

He has developed a Meer Method Healing System over the past 10 years, which represents Mitochondria, Energy, Experience and Regeneration. The program works to boost immunity, promote biological regeneration and make people healthier, happier and stronger.

“Our system is based on optimising body energetics, reducing the chance of illness and promoting biological regeneration.”

He said research proved the health benefits of breathwork, natural sunlight and hugs. These include reducing pain, blood pressure, stress, inflammation and improving brain function and sleep.

“Since seeing this pandemic rise, I have managed patients young and old.  Most have presented with fear in their faces, tremors in their bodies and an urgent need for answers,” he said.

The Australian Government Department of Health recommends good hygiene, self-isolation and social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.

“This should always be practiced in those with symptoms, as well as the elderly, anyone with end-stage chronic disease and those who have poor immune systems,” Dr Meer said.

“But those without symptoms who practice isolation may actually be making themselves more ill.

“Isolation means less fresh air and less sunlight-sourced vitamin D, leading to more depression further compounded by less meaningful human contact.

“I implore you to take advantage of this time by making and rekindling meaningful connections. Take the time to consider your state of being, be kind to yourself and others, help as much as you can, empower yourself, realise your resiliency and the resilience of us as a collective. Breathe deeply and relax.”

For more details, visit Meer Method Healing on Facebook.