Let’s protect ourselves from the “Super Fungus”
Candida auris seems to be a threat to public health
News such as this, presented in an alarming manner, has been appearing in all my feeds for the past month: “Deadly fungal infection spreading at an alarming rate, CDC says.” Although we should be suspicious of the motivation behind the latest scary disease, Candida auris has been proliferating since it was identified in 2009, and the number of C. auris clinical cases tripled from 2019 to 2021, to 1,471 in 2021.
Candida auris is an opportunistic fungal infection. Thus it is imperative to stop any opportunity. This is done with a strong immune system, and preventive measures, as follows.
Build the immune system. The supplements recommended to prevent and minimize covid infections help strengthen the immune system. Spending time outdoors, in the sunshine and fresh air is important, as as are exercise and a clean diet. Those with compromised immunity must work proactively to strengthen resistance and remain vigilant against exposure.
Prevention is the key strategy. Avoid hospitalization, but if hospitalized (or in any institution), the patient must have advocates who take extra steps to prevent fungal or other infections (e.g., clostridioides difficile). Regularly spray HOCL (hypochlorous acid) on all surfaces and on skin. Frequent and targeted hand washing is essential.
1. Diffuse anti-fungal essential oils1. Add these oils to cleaning products. To use on skin, dilute with carrier oil(s). For what it’s worth, castor oil is also anti-fungal.
2. Add probiotics, prebiotics, fulvic/humic acids to the diet. Reduce sugar intake. Eliminate or severely reduce intake of artificial sweeteners. High blood sugar reduces immune response and facilitates bacterial and fungal growth. Improve and strengthen your microbiome. We like to use propolis spray (3 spritzes to the back of the throat) any time we feel exposed, and each night before bed. Propolis is an immune-booster, and acts as a surfactant in our throats, preventing attachment of pathogens.
3. Use natural fabrics only for clothing, underwear, bed and bath linens — any material with which there is contact. Wear clean and dry clothing only.
4. Allow skin to breathe as much as possible. Dress in loose lightweight clothing, dry and easy-fitting socks and shoes.
5. Maintain good personal hygiene. Completely dry the body after bathing. Don’t walk barefoot in public places. Keep fingernails and toenails clean and clipped short. Fake nails provide breeding grounds for candida.
6. Avoid internal fungal medicines if possible because they are damaging to the liver and other essential organs. Also be careful about antibiotics and disinfectants; they weaken resistance to fungus. Hypochlorous acid (HOCL) is effective against Candida albicans (a less virulent but challenging relative to C. auris), so we continue to use HOCL in our eyes and nostrils as we did when covid seemed to be a threat.
For extra protection you may wish to buy this 500 ppm version of HOCL to use on surfaces — even though its concentration is only a tenth of what is suggested in the report quoted below:
“According to the WHO Interim Guidance Document on “cleaning and disinfection of environmental surface in the context of Covid-19” hypochlorite is effective against rotavirus at a concentration of 0.05% (500 ppm), however, higher concentrations of 0.5% (5000 ppm) are required for some highly resistant pathogens in the healthcare setting such as Candida auris and Clostridium difficile.”
7. Treat skin fungus infections aggressively with available anti-fungal creams, ointments, soaps, and shampoos. Keep any and all wounds clean, dry and covered.
8. Lots of info can be found here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?term=candida+auris
including: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8837256/
Since I wrote this, I’ve learned more from Dr. Been!