It’s Monday, April 13, 2020. We’re about one month into our Shelter-in-Place period in Berkeley. After an initial couple of weeks of shock, grief and confusion, I’ve personally settled into a more comfortable Shelter-in-Place daily routine. How are things with you? What have you been up to in these weeks?
The pandemic continues to evolve. At this time, the COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) tells us that there have been nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 confirmed worldwide with nearly 119,000 total deaths. The United States now leads the world with a number of confirmed cases that is nearing 600,000, with over 23,000 deaths from COVID-19. It is truly a difficult, uncertain and horrifying time in many ways.
In the past few weeks, I’ve spent time studying reports on herbal protocols that have been used in China to prevent and treat COVID-19 and wanted to share some of what I’ve been learning.
Chinese Herbal Formulas for Prevention & Mitigation of COVID-19:
In China, many COVID-19 patients (some reports say over 85%) are treated using both western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concurrently. As a result, the most experienced teachers and practitioners of Chinese medicine have accumulated information over the past few months about the nature, course and common presentations of COVID-19 infection, as well as herbal strategies needed for different stages of the disease.
Chinese medicine is very effective in the early stages of the virus, before pneumonia. It is useful in preventing infection and, if infection occurs, mitigating progression of the disease from early stages (cold- or flu-like symptoms) to later stages (pneumonia.) Most patients, around 80%, who contract COVID-19, do not develop severe cases. They do not have to go to the hospital because their immune systems are strong enough to prevent the virus from overtaking the body’s defenses. These luckier patients ultimately clear the virus from their bodies.
Traditionally, in infectious disease scenarios, Chinese medicine does not have the strategy of killing the virus (or infectious pathogen.) Rather, it works to strengthen the host by modulating the patient’s immune response, so that, in the case of coronavirus, the body doesn’t spiral into a cytokine storm. In other words, Chinese herbal formulas can support the patient’s body to effectively combat and clear the virus before the illness enters more severe stages. Chinese herbs can also help clear lingering symptoms and rebuild the body’s strength during the recovery process.
So, while herbal medicine is not being used in the United States at this time at the frontlines in the treatment of severe cases of COVID-19, herbs have a potentially important role to play in our local efforts to confront the pandemic. Herbs and natural medicine are a tool among many for slowing the spread of the virus, decreasing the burden on the medical system, and flattening the curve.
This may be a good time for you to consult an herbalist if:
- you are interested in strengthening your immunity in order to better resist the current virus,
- you’ve been feeling anxious,
- your digestion has been off, or
- you’ve had trouble sleeping.
Supporting the balance and integrity of your body systems, particularly your digestive and nervous systems, with herbal medicine is a great way to improve immunity, resilience and the capacity to recover.
