Coronavirus holistic medicine protocol
The purpose of this article is to provide natural health tips to help build immunity, prevent against contracting corona virus, and natural means to combat infection. Although coronavirus and the flu are caused by different viruses, the acute symptoms of lower and/or upper respiratory system infection are similar. Naturopaths treated flu and flu-like symptoms for decades with success using many of these remedies.
There is currently no vaccine or proven remedy against the virus and the only known cure is your immune system, so take care of it by taking care of yourself and your family. The remedies mentioned here are by no means a comprehensive list of all possible remedies; they are helpful from a holistic health point of view.
These holistic suggestions are in addition to all the physical precautions for not spreading or contracting the virus, such as wearing a mask and gloves, not touching door knobs with your open palm, and minding sneezing and coughing in peoples’ faces. You don’t have choose all the tips listed to gain benefit, just those you feel called to. Note, if you have an inflammatory, chronic, or other disease, such as cancer or rheumatoid arthritis, or if pregnant or dealing with another particular medical condition, please consult with your health care professional.
None of these suggestions are a substitute for individualized, professional medical care; please consult your doctor if in doubt. Also, please remember, pharmaceutical antibiotics don’t treat viral infections such as the coronavirus. Secondary infections, however, may be bacterial.
There are three categories for achieving optimal immune health. The first two – Herbs and Supplements and Lifestyle – are preventive measures. The third is Acute Treatment phase.
Many of the suggestions in the first two categories apply to general wellness for increasing resistance to all manner of illness and achieving optimal health; that’s how holistic medicine works. This said, in the Acute Treatment category, are included remedies that may be specific to addressing known symptoms of coronavirus in particular, including many herbs with antiviral properties. An extra tip is at the end! All of this will help you and your loved ones stay healthy!
Herbs and supplements (Prevention)
1. Larch powder and Astragalus: Both are immune stimulants and increase WBCs (white blood cells) number and antibody response (IgG for larch and IgG, IgA, IgE for astragalus). Larch (containing the starch arabinogalactan from the bark) is from a tree by the same name and as a prebiotic also improves digestion through its fermentation in the gut. Astragalus is Chinese medicine’s prime lung and immunity tonic. Both can be taken preventively and during the acute phase.
Astragalus
2. Medicinal Mushrooms: All are helpful, especially reishi, coriolus (turkey tail), shitake, maitake, chaga, and cordyceps (a fungal hybrid anomaly). Use mushroom products that have been extracted, not just powdered. The long-chain polysaccharides as beta-glucans in these mushrooms help stimulate immunity.
3. Supplements: Begin dosing zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and selenium weeks in advance (now). Vitamin C (in liposomal from is best absorbed; a next best is esterol) and zinc work synergistically to boost immunity. Studies also show zinc lozenges can be helpful for preventing viruses from multiplying in the throat.
4. Elderberry extract: Tonifies immune system; full or antioxidants. Elderberry is a general immune tonic that may prevent some flu viruses from entering cells; has been shown to shorten duration and severity of cold and flu generally.
5. Glutathione: Our body’s prime anti-oxidant and free radical scavenger; helps overall immunity, cellular health, energy, and stress tolerance; take with Vit. C for synergistic effect. Consider taking this amazing supplement even if there were no coronavirus.
6. Herbal adaptogens: Herbs such as panax ginseng, shilajit, cordyceps, ashwagandha, rhodiola, and elecampane can be taken weeks prior to any possible exposure of cold or flu. Note, do not take (except elecampane) if acutely infected.
7. Probiotics: Help digestion, fortify the foundation of our immune systems.
8. Bu Fei Wan, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan, Yu Ping Feng San (Wan): Chinese herbal formulas to boost lung “Qi” (immunity) and ward off pathogens (note, all have astragalus!).
Lifestyle (Prevention)
1. Sleep: Get plenty, take naps as needed, turn digital devices off well before bed. Sleep fortifies the immune system and clears out toxins from your brain and body.
2. Exercise: Getting out to move your bones in the fresh of a natural environment is best; get enough movement, don’t run yourself into the ground or deplete yourself, which lowers immunity.
3. Healthy Diet: Wholesome foods, leafy greens (contain indole-3-carbinols which reduce frequency of flu infection), eliminate sugar (impairs immunity), onions and garlic (raw and cooked) help detox and build immunity; white fungus; all kinds of edible mushrooms, generally. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, an immune booster. Curries and turmeric are also helpful.
4. Reduce stress: Consider taking it easier for a while, don’t deplete yourself, take more leisure time, don’t make fear worse by panic or catastrophizing thinking. Notice your fear, don’t feed it, and take necessary precautions.
5. Acupuncture, acupressure, massage, yoga, Qi Gong, cupping, meditation: All can help reduce stress and improve immune function in many different ways. The acupressure/puncture points Large Intestine 4, Stomach 36, and Spleen 3 are most effective. Rub/press each with firm steady or intermittent pressure for up to approximately 10 minutes each to both prevent and ease existing symptoms; try trading treatments with someone. See a licensed acupuncturist or experienced other for cupping treatment for prevention and acute treatment.
6. No cold foods or liquids.
Acute Treatment
1. Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan: A primo Chinese formula to clear “heat” (infection) and phlegm (of any color) from the lungs as well as and mild cough remedy. Add ginger and/or cinnamon twig tea if phlegm is clear.
2. Aged Garlic Extract: This can be also made with other botanicals such as olive leaf and elderberry. This is commecially known as Kyolic immune formula, and is tops and highly recommended; can be taken with Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan. Similar to A-biotic (#3 below), so choose one if you go this route.
3. A-Biotic: A professional formula for treating cold and flu, especially in the lungs and airways: contains: oregano oil, olive leaf, garlic, larch, rosemary, and elderberry. Can take with Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan.
4. Western herbs: Elecampane root, osha root, olive leaf extract, oregano leaf/oil, burdock, goldenseal, thyme, sage, echinacea, slippery elm, horehound, mullein leaf, spilanthes can all be helpful; consider consulting with a trained herbalist for specific symptoms, though any and all are usually safe.
5. Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark Cough Syrup, Loquat Respiratory Syrup: Both help support lung health, soothing for cough and inflamed throat, helps clear phlegm, stop cough, and can be used preventively or acutely.
6. Oscillococcinum (by Boiron): A homeopathic remedy to reduce severity of flu and flu-like symptoms. This stuff has helped in the past, especially with achy/crampy feelings, and others report the same. Can take in conjunction with herbs but separate doses.
7. Sweating Therapy: Sweating out an illness is a traditional practice to rid pathogens and help reduce fever by eliminating heat from the body. Only do sweating therapy prior to, or within approx. the first 24 hours of, symptoms. Take a hot bath and/or drink enough hot liquids (diaphoretic yarrow flower and elderflower tea can be used for bonus effect) and then bundle up with layers of clothes until you start to sweat; allow yourself to sweat, even profusely. Note, do not sweat heavily if very weak; if weak, sweat mildly and proceed with and/or follow by eating warm soup and/or warm rice and replenish your fluids by drinking tea/water (not cold). Make sure to cover up immediately after stripping off your wet clothes because all your pores are open and you want to cover them!
8. Rest, warm liquids, soup: Standard protocol for cold and flu recovery.
Extra Tip – Homemade Hand Sanitizer
Consider a mix of rubbing alcohol (or hard alcohol like vodka) + an antibiotic essential oil like tea tree oil (and any others you like) + colloidal silver (optional) + thin with water as desired (but not too dilute). This is likely healthier, more effective, and doesn’t contain a bunch of junk chemicals.
Up to 86 percent of people walking around with the coronavirus don’t even know they have it (because they show no symptoms)
The more health officials are learning about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the more it becomes clear that stealth cases of people who don’t know they have the virus are one of the main drivers for its spread. However, officials are just learning how big a part these stealth transmissions play. A new study is laying down the facts on just how many people may be unknowingly carrying – and spreading – the coronavirus.
A new study published on March 13 in the journal Science claims that up to 86 percent of people walking around with the coronavirus don’t even know they have it. The researchers behind the study arrived at this number by looking at data from China, where they estimate that six out of seven cases of the disease were not reported before travel restrictions were implemented. “It’s the undocumented infections which are driving the spread of the outbreak,” said co-author Jeffrey Shaman, Professor of Environmental Health Science at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Studying how the outbreak spread in China
To learn how much stealth cases influenced the rapid spread of COVID-19 when it first broke out in China, the researchers used computer modeling to track infections before and after the Chinese government implemented a travel ban on the city of Wuhan. From their computer models, the researchers found that these undocumented stealth cases that had either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all were behind around two-thirds of the reported patients. Through these stealth cases, the virus was then able to infect other people and cause severe symptoms in them.
“The majority of these infections are mild, with few symptoms at all,” sated Shaman in an interview with Mercury News. “People may not recognize it. Or they think they have a cold.”
After China implemented the lockdown, however, officials were able to slow down the coronavirus’ spread. By then, they were able to detect 65 percent of the cases.
Number of cases worldwide may be higher than previously thought
The new findings have grave implications for global efforts to track and slow down the spread of COVID-19 as most countries are behind on testing for the disease. Based on the results of the study, the actual number of cases worldwide could be five to ten times higher than what has been reported so far.
“We know this is just the tip of the iceberg, the question is how much of the iceberg is submerged,” Shaman said at a press conference. “We can argue about the exact number, but if you’re not in a place where you’re not proactively looking for people and testing, then the majority of infections will go undetected.”
The results of the study demonstrate that widespread testing is needed to accurately track the scale of the pandemic and keep any stealth cases from spreading it any further. In the U.S., there have so-far been around 23,000 COVID-19 tests, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, this number pales compared to that of South Korea, which has implemented a massive testing spree that’s helped keep their death rate low, while also providing a more accurate picture of the outbreak over there. With this in mind, some experts think that the U.S. will end up needing to conduct tens of millions of tests.
The other thing that the study drives home is the importance of social distancing, in helping stem the spread of the coronavirus. The research shows that COVID-19 can infect the average person without them knowing about it, causing them to spread it unknowingly.
Simply avoiding unnecessary contact with other people does a lot to protect against infection from any possible stealth cases who may not know that they have it.
yogaesoteric
June 23, 2020