The Novel Corona Virus: Current Facts And How To Protect Yourself;
4/13/20
What Is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a virus that affects the upper respiratory tract. According to National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China on February 19th, 2020, it was found to be transmitted via “respiratory droplets and close contact”. This means that you may be at risk of catching the virus from one-on-one contact with someone just by talking to them, therefore the use of facial protection is advised. Especially if you live in a damp climate, like on the coast, droplets have a higher chance of being carried on via the ocean breeze. Where I live, surfers and beach goers have been temporarily banned form these area for the aforementioned reasons. Because the virus can live in large water droplets, it may reside on various surfaces anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days (WHO).
Take These Precautions To Protect Yourself
The BEST way you can prevent getting sick is by: washing your hands regularly. If you have access, grab a small bottle of disinfectant wipes, spray, or gel and carry it around with you if you need to go outside. Wipe down surfaces when in public. For example, if you’re at the gas station, use a disinfectant wipe to wipe the gas pump before you grab it. Alcohol has been shown to break down the cell walls of COVID-19 (75% or higher). I want to emphasize that sanitary practices are the best way to prevent yourself from catching viral or bacterial infections in general.
A second line of defense is to work on boosting your own immune system. What does this do? It may not prevent you from catching the virus, because if you haven’t caught it already your body has not built up any antibodies; It will however, aid your body’s ability to handle viral infection if you get it. Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep aids in your body’s ability to handle stress of various types, including infections 1 . Take vitamin C (currently being used in high doses in China to aid in COVID-19 recovery)2. Zinc has been shown to prevent COVID-19 from attaching to the walls of your throat if you take it by lozenge, so if you have access to Zinc that would be a good one to throw in too. Then the last thing I would recommend as general immune boosting regimen is to find a form of exercise that you enjoy. There are multiple factors as to why this occurs, but exercise has been found to boost immune function and if you enjoy it, it will similarly lower your body’s stress response.
This is not something to panic about. It should be taken seriously but do not panic. If you don’t have access to certain supplies because they are out of stock where ever you are, just remember the basics: wash your hands and be aware of what you touch. Remember, your mental and physical health are the most important thing right now.
When To See A Doctor
If you are feeling fatigued have a fever, are short of breath and/ or have a cough, it’s important to go get yourself checked out, and if COVID-19 tests are available to you, get tested. I know they are not available to everyone at this moment.
TCM: What It Can Do For Covid-19
Now, after taking all these precautions, if you are feeling sick but are unsure what you have, or if you want to take further preventative measures, you can try and seek out a licensed doctor of Chinese medicine. Many TCM doctors in the United States, especially those who specialize in Chinese herbal medicine, are taking patients via ‘telemedicine’ or remote online services. Ask if they take patients that are experiencing signs of a cold or flu. Some clinics may be taking patients at their clinic and some may not.
Currently in China, a large amount of patients are being treated with both western and Chinese medicine with good results 3 . In another post I will discuss TCM’s role in treating COVID-19 in more detail.
Click here to view an article discussing TCM’s role in treating COVID-19 (or read a summary in the next paragraph). One note about this article is that in the possible effectiveness of Chloroquine, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, in treating COVID-19 4. There is not conclusive evidence of this and this drug should not be used without physician prescription.
A summary of the article linked above explains that the usage of TCM formula called Qing Fei Pai Du Tang used in214 clinical cases in several Chinese hospitals showed marked improvement in 60% of patients and 30% stabilized.
Another investigation tracked 701 COVID-19 patients in 10 provinces who were treated with the same formula. Results showed 18.5% of patients cured, 7.2% showed resolve of fever and coughing, 38.2% showed symptom improvement, 30.2% showed stabilization.
Although this formula was widely used, more specific formulas, adjusted to the patient’s specific symptoms showed even better results.
To Summarize…
The best practice at this time is to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, wear a mask and gloves as much as possible, get enough sleep, and exercise.
Vitamin C, D, and Zinc will aid in boosting your immune system though they are not directly and treatment for COVID-19. None-the-less it’s worth while boosting your body’s immunity to aid in how well in fights any infection.
If you’re experiencing severe symptoms, it’s worthwhile getting checked out.
Chinese herbal medicine has proven to show some benefits in relieving symptoms of COVID-19 and even aiding in the recovery of a percentage of patients. It’s true strengths lie in patient-specific prescriptions and therefore the potential for it’s use is relatively large. Chinese Herbal Medicine also has a long history of being used to combat epidemics. Classical tests such as the Shang Han Lun (220 AD) were written largely with the purpose of treating epidemics of the time.
- Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Born, J. (2012, January). Sleep and immune function. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/
- Shanghai Government Officially Recommends Vitamin C for COVID-19. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://orthomolecular.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=a8baa56554f96369ab93e4f3bb068c22.146&s=26be5c260f0857ad494442ba131ff94c
- TCM Quarterly. (2020, March, 1st).
- Yazdany, J., & Kim, A. H. J. (2020, March 31). Use of Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Every Clinician Should Know. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7138336/