“Give me a fever and I can cure any disease.”-Hippocrates

Fever is one of the most common presenting symptoms of a SARS-COV-2 infection.

In an observational study presented in the Clinical Infectious Disease Journal in March 2020, researches found that only 74.1% of severe cases of SARS-COV-2 presented with fever and in those that did have fever, it was significantly lower than in general patients. These findings suggest that patients with a weak fever response to the virus are more vulnerable to serious disease.

Fever: body temperature >100.4 F

Ideal microbe killing temperature: 102-103 F

Concerns with fever:

• Dehydration: >104 F
• Dangerous: > 107 F
• Febrile seizure:
  • Most common ages 6mo-5y
  • Often runs in families
  • Triggered by fever >101 F
  • Most brief (<15 minutes) seizures do not cause long term health consequences
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Common antipyretic drugs:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol): 10–15 mg/kg/dose every 4–6 hours
• Ibuprofen (Advil): 5–10 mg/kg/dose every 8 hours

Cautions with Ibuprofen (Advil) in SARS-COV-2 infection:

• May suppress antibody formation
• May increase ACE2, leading to increased viral entry into cells

Cautions with Acetaminophen (Tylenol):

• May suppress the liver’s production of glutathione, an important antioxidant
• Take 600mg NAC for adults or 200mg for children 3 times per day for 3 days after taking acetaminophen

Naturopathic treatment of fever:

First do no harm: If possible, avoid suppressing a fever <102-103F

Hydrotherapy:

• Tepid (81–92F) or Neutral (93–96F) sponge baths (gentle friction promotes peripheral circulation and improves heat loss)
• Under a doctors supervision only, consider raising a weak (less than 102) fever using hyperthermic therapies (see post on hydrotherapy)

Botanical medicine:

• Diaphoretics (sweat inducers): yarrow (Achillea millefolium), linden (Tilia tomentosa), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria).

Nutrition:

• Starve a fever: drink clear broth, electrolyte drinks or ice chips

Disclaimer: The information presented here is not medical advice. All cases of fever must be discussed with a doctor. Individual risk factors vary and must be reviewed with a medical professional.

References:

Mo P et al. Clinical characteristics of refractory COVID-19 pneumonia in Wuhan, China. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Mar 16. pii: ciaa270. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa270. [Epub ahead of print] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32173725

Febrile Seizures Fact Sheet. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders. March 16, 2020. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/fact-sheets/febrile-seizures-fact-sheet