COVID-19

Screening and Contra-indication guidelines. #

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) #

It is our responsibility as Kambo practitioners to take all possible steps to protect out clients and ourselves from infection, and to make sure that we only serve Kambo to those who are strong enough for it.

Remember that Kambo is not an emergency modality, and also that Kambo is not for everyone. It is better to err on the side of caution and refuse to treat anyone if you have any doubts about safety for yourself or your client. Above all, make sure that you do not make any claims about Kambo’s ability to cure. Follow the protocols discussed in training and listed in the Code of Practice.

See full discussion of PPE and safety practices below.

Screening #

All clients must be asked about their possible exposure to COVID-19, their history of isolation and contact, and any respiratory symptoms they have experienced.

For potential clients who have not shown any symptoms, have no known exposure to the virus and who have been practising isolation and social distancing then we suggest that you treat them one-on-one and use all recommended safety and PPE procedures (see below). This applies whether or not they have been tested.

*At Risk Caution: We suggest that you advise all clients that, for 14 days following their Kambo treatment, they must be very careful and take responsibility for any contact they may have with people who are at special risk: in particular the elderly and people with existing medical conditions; this is in case yourself as a practitioner has been exposed from other clients and/or an asymptomatic carrier

For potential clients who have tested positive: #

If they have had nil or very mild symptoms, without hospitalisation, then it’s OK to treat them (with PPE and safety procedures in place) once we are certain that they are fit and healthy. Because the process of Kambo in the body can make symptoms worse before they get better, we must not treat anyone with active symptoms. Given that there have been some questions around how long it takes for COVID-19 to completely leave the system in a small number of people, we need to be very cautious.

Groups that need caution or are contraindicated: #

• Those that had cardiac arrest that may or may not contraindicate them. This is a “wait and see” situation: They need to be OK with cardio exercise for at least 6 months before considering Kambo.
• Those that were on a ventilator or sustained severe lung damage. This is also a “wait and see” situation: They need to be OK with cardio exercise for at least 6 months before considering Kambo.
• Those that developed Encephalitis – can cause an array of long term health issues. These people are permanently contraindicated.
• Those that developed a loss of taste or smell because this may indicate neurological involvement. Once again: wait and see, and only treat with Kambo if and when they make a full recovery.
• Anyone who had a seizure. Once again: wait and see, and only treat with Kambo if and when they make a full recovery. An early seizure in someone with a high temperature would not be so significant as a seizure later in the course of the disease. Multiple seizures are especially significant.
• Anyone who sustained Kidney or Liver damage. Once again: wait and see, and only treat with Kambo if and when they make a full recovery.
• Anyone who experienced a Cytokine Storm could have a severelydamaged immune system – they would be equivalent to someone after Chemo. Once again: wait and see, and only treat with Kambo if and when they make a full recovery.
• Anyone who developed a blood clot or clots whether from excessive inflammation, hypoxia, immobilisation or intravascular coagulation. May be taking blood thinners. Once again: wait and see, and only treat with Kambo if and when they make a full recovery.
• Anyone who experienced stress on the heart from lack of oxygen or sustained any damage to the heart muscle. These people are permanently contraindicated.
• Anyone that had a stroke – would be contraindicated anyway.
• Anyone who has experienced a noticeable, severe and sustained change ofmood over a 6-month period. In this case we should wait and see. The person may need deeper assessment or testing to check for neurological damage. There is also a growing body of evidence showing that Covid-19 finds its way into the neurons of the brain.

COVID-19 has been shown to cause damage to multiple organs and systems. These are the most significant and should always be investigated and assessed:

• Heart
• Kidneys • Lungs
• Liver
• Brain
• Blood
• Immune System

Protecting yourself #

Preventing spread of COVID-19 virus in the Kambo setting as recommended by IAKP management team.

COVID-19: Background #

• Most people, around 80% who become infected with COVID-19, will experience only mild symptoms and fully recover without any special treatment
• Some people, around 15% of those who become infected with COVID-19, will experience moderate symptoms
• A small number of people who become infected with COVID-19, approximately 5%, may experience severe symptoms and get very sick

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are: #

• fever
• flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and fatigue • shortness of breath.

Some people are at higher risk for developing serious illness from COVID-19 including:

• older people
• those with underlying medical problems including high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, respiratory disease or immune deficiencies.

Contracting/spreading COVID-19: #

COVID-19 spreads from person to person through droplet transmission

• Droplets are small pieces of saliva, which are produced when a person coughs or sneezes
• Droplets usually travel no further than one metre through the air

• You can become infected if:
• You have close contact with an infected person who coughs or sneezes •
• You touch an object (e.g. door handle) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with COVID-19 and touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Droplets cannot go through skin and can only lead to infection if they touch your mouth, nose or eyes
• There is growing evidence that the virus is present in faecal matter, so toilet hygiene is vital
  

Protecting yourself and others in your Kambo practice #

Recommencing your practice will have everything to do with your comfort in working in close proximity with clients, following the screening guidelines above, adhering to social distancing, preventing cross- contamination, disinfecting (self and environment) and being responsible with contact-tracing if appropriate.

As we know that Corona virus is spread by droplets

• Clean your hands regularly, use hand sanitiser before and after interaction with your clients
• The IAKP management team strongly urges the use of alcohol sanitiser and to have a pump pack of this solution as part of your Kambo kit, for quick decontamination of your hands with each interaction during the session.
• The IAKP recommends that Rapeh is not passed to clients at all during this pandemic.
• Sananga can still be used in the Kambo setting if appropriate as long as you as the practitioner adheres to strict precautions to ensure that the eyedrops are instilled in a non-contact manner (client holds eyes open or that drops are dropped onto closed lids at the inner canthus of each eye), to prevent cross contamination of the dropper bottle/client-to-client etc.
• The management team strongly urges practitioners to maintain the safe distance during the Kambo process as much as possible
  

PURGE considerations: #

Stand 1.5m away from your client whilst your client is purging into the bucket. It’s possible to be observing your client (from the side and back slightly) without being in the direction of airborne droplets

• Masks and goggles are used in the hospital setting as a standard precaution, it is up to you as a practitioner to decide what level of PPE is necessary.
• Use gloves when handling buckets, tissues and spills, including cleaning up after the session: the non-sterile disposable gloves used for food handling. These can be purchased in boxes of 100 and are relatively inexpensive. It would be quite normal to go through 4-6+ changes of gloves in one Kambo session with one client
• Prevent cross-contamination: the virus has been shown to live for varying time-frames depending on the surface.
• The IAKP recommends that practitioners do not re-use pillows, blankets etc. between clients. If you supply these, you are responsible to launder after single use (if clients don’t provide their own).
• Ensure all crockery or serving containers (cups etc.) are either single use or cleaned thoroughly after use, such as with a dishwasher.

Practicalities to consider when serving Kambo in a group: #

• Put marks on the floor to ensure social distancing as per your government regulations. In Australia that is to stand/sit at least 1.5m away from others (client-to-practitioner or client-to-client), and in the UK this distance is 2metres.
• Prevent cross-contamination, practice hand hygiene between each client contact. You’ll need alcohol-based hand sanitiser solution (pump pack) at each client space.
• Bathrooms: The management team strongly recommends private Kambo sessions, but we understand that small groups will continue to be held. In these cases, before organising a group, it is vitally important to consider client:bathroom ratios. Best practice is one bathroom per client. If shared bathrooms are used in ceremony it is recommended by the IAKP management team to employ an assistant as a bathroom cleaner to specifically clean toilet & toilet area including door knob, basin taps etc., after each bathroom visit by each client, for the duration of the ceremony. The COVID-19 virus has been shown to survive in faecal matter, so meticulous cleaning of toilets, toilet seats etc. is extremely important. It’s vital the clients wash their hands thoroughly and/or use sanitizer after lower gate purging.
• Indoor ceremonies: once again the IAKP management team recommends private, one-on-one Kambo sessions, with increased cleaning/disinfection/hygiene measures after each client. Studies show that air-conditioning units can spread any airborne virus via recirculation, contaminating the entire space. Using a humidifier in your ceremony space may reduce airborne spread.
• Reduce risks of airborne virus particles infecting others by serving outdoors whenever possible.

Advertising etiquette:

Kambo is an unregulated health practice in most countries so it would not be expected that Kambo sessions will be given the official ‘green light’ to commence again, pardon the pun(!), as occurs with other mainstream practices (myotherapy, beauticians, massage therapists etc.) as the restrictions begin to ease.

The IAKP management team strongly urges that advertising Kambo sessions/ceremonies is done very low key, with these important specifics:

• Kambo is not a cure. Your advertising must ever imply or lead anyone to expect a cure at any time, but especially with this pandemic where there is a high level of fear
• Your advertising must not in any way lead a potential client to believe that Kambo will prevent COVID-19. Some non-IAKP practitioners are advertising that the peptides in Kambo have a beneficial effect to prevent COVID-19. Without appropriate human studies none of these claims is valid, and we must refrain from advertising or implying this is so.

What if I develop symptoms of COVID-19 or one of my clients contacts me with positive test?
If you develop symptoms such as fever, dry cough, sore throat and fatigue, you should stay at home and practice standard infection control precautions and seek medical advice.

Contact tracing: to comply with trace contact procedures you must ensure your clients contact you if they test positive to COVID-19 and may have been infectious during your Kambo ceremony so that ALL others in ceremony can also be contacted. Symptoms can develop (after exposure) in 2 – 14 days.

OVERVIEW – 3 Main Steps to Stay Safe: #

Handwashing #

The most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to wash your hands regularly with soap and water or rubbing an alcohol-based sanitiser onto your hands.
This is important because washing kills viruses that may be on your hands

Try not to touch your face #

• Avoid touching your face as much as possible. This is important because virus containing droplets on your hands can be transferred to your eyes, mouth or nose where they can infect you. Most of us touch our face many times per hour without realizing we do so

Cleaning and disinfection #

• Regular cleaning of your environment and between clients is essential
• This is because droplets from an infected person can fall on a surface, and be transferred to someone else’s hands if they touch the surface
• You should regularly clean frequently touched surfaces, for example, tables, doorknobs, light switches and especially the toilet
• To clean use a detergent solution according to the manufacturer’s label