I have been following case studies of people with COVID-19 and have included one of the articles that I read, written by a doctor who does both western medicine and Chinese herbal medicine in an integrated hospital. He has seen 30 cases of COVID-19 which were treated with both western and Chinese medicine. They found that the steroids they were using were not helping and that Chinese herbal medicine was very helpful. The article includes CT scans. They found that the patients started feeling better with the Chinese herbal formulas but the CT scans didn’t start clearing up for another day or so, when they were actually able to have some productive coughing. The URL for the article is included below.
I have focused my Chinese herbal medicine studies on classical formulas, where the approach is to correct imbalances in the body so that things can flow naturally and pathogenic factors don’t get stuck – as opposed to focusing on killing the pathogen.
In part I of this post I mention Yin Qiao Jie Du Pian – which is a combination of the two approaches. It has Yin Qiao Pian, which is is a formula at releases the exterior when needed at the beginning of a cold. There are some cold, harsher herbs added to this formula, notably Andrographis, which is known to be a killer of microbes, an herbal antibiotic of sorts. This formula is most appropriate for the very beginning of a cold/flu with heat signs, and probably a pretty sore and red throat would be the most common symptom. This formula, Yin Qiao Jie Du Pian, would be used before you even were tested for COVID-19.
If someone did have COVID-19 and you started having Lung and breathing symptoms, they would be moving to the next stage of the illness. From my research thus far, there could be difficulty breathing in, wheezing, and lack of sweating with a fever would likely be needing a formula with Ma Huang, Ephredra. There are several formulas in this formula family and there would be further differentiation to see which one fits the pattern.
The doctors in the article differentiated the patterns and treated accordingly, and found a lot of similarities with the patients patterns as well. The main pattern that they have seen in China has been Cold Damp invading the Lungs. It can be cold, damp, and smoggy in China, and environment can have an influence on how the patterns emerge.
So, it may show up as Cold Damp invading the Lungs here in Vermont, or it may be a little different. Also, the patterns that we have before getting sick definitely effect the way the illness hits us.
Here’s that article:
https://www.elotus.org/sites/default/files/covid_3_0.pdf