Chinese Herbal Medicine Support for Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Symptoms

Symptoms  of COVID-19  are similar to common cold and flu symptoms:

• Upper respiratory tract: sneezing, runny nose,  nasal congestion, sore throat, lost sense of taste and smell
• ​Lower respiratory tract:  dry cough, sputum production, shortness of breath
• Gastrointestinal tract (in 5-10% of cases): diarrhea, nausea
• Systemic: fever, lethargy, muscle pain, headache, dehydration

In over 98% of  COVID-19 cases  people recover completely.  The disease enters its severe phase when the virus propagates from the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat) to lower respiratory tract (lungs).  In that case,  immune system reaction may result in severe inflammation that can cause scarring and damage of the alveoli in the lungs and result in severe oxygen deprivation and multiple organ failure.
Thus,  it is of the utmost importance to prevent disease from spreading to the lungs. Western medicine does not have a definitive treatment for the early phase of  the disease, but medicinal herbs can play a major role.
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Traditional Chinese Medicine is well integrated with modern medicine in China, and in many instances the main treatment for mild  and moderate are herbal medicinal formulas, as western medicine still does not have a definitive treatment for this virus.
 
1.  No symptoms? Great, keep it that way by strengthening your immune system.

•  Herbal Formula: Yu Ping Feng San (YPFS) - stimulates immune system
•  Research: The polysaccharides isolated from YPFS exhibit  significant immunostimulatory effects in both in vitro and in vivo

              studies.  Specifically, YPFS induces the proliferation and phagocytosis rate of macrophages, enhances T lymphocyte
             proliferation, and elevated levels of cytokine (nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1, beta, interleukin-6,
             and interferon beta).
  2. Early phase, mild symptoms: 

•  Symptoms: chills, slight fever or no fever, muscle stiffness of the neck and back, diarrhea

              Herbal formula: Ge Gen Tang
              Research: Ge Gen Tang demonstrated antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral  properties. Ge Gen Tang also has
             a beneficial effect on mucosal lining of upper respiratory system, which is a first line of defense against any foreign particles
             (microbes, dust, pollutants) entering our body.

• Symptoms: fever, chills, headache, sore throat, cough, dehydration

             Herbal formula: Yin Qiao San
             Research: Two main herbs in this formula, Jin Yin Hua (Flos Lonicerae Japonicae) and Lian Qiao (Fructus Forsythiae)
             show strong antiviral, antibiotic, and antibacterial effect, especially against influenza viruses, coxackie B virus, echo virus,
             Asian influenza A virus and others.
             Jin Yin Hua  contains three compounds that have potential to directly  inhibit  Covid19  novel coronavirus.

•  Symptoms: cough, mild fever, mild dehydration:

              Herbal formula: Sang Ju Yin:
              Research: Two main herbs in this formula: Sang Ye (Folium Mori) and Ju Hua (Flos Chrysanthemum)  exhibit antibacterial,
              anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antipyretic effect. Sang Ye has compounds that interfere with  SARS  corona virus ability
              to bind to ACE2 receptors.
​    3. Moderate severity:

• Symptoms: alternating spells of fever and chills, chest discomfort, irritability, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, dry throat

             Herbal formula: Xiao Chai Fu Tang (XCFT)
             Research: XCFT has effect on temperature regulation, has anti-inflammatory effect, antiasthmatic and antiallergic effect .
             It is also a famous formula because of its hepatoprotective, antitumor properties and also  regulates high cholesterol levels.

•  Symptoms: cough and difficult breathing,  unremitting fever, dehydration

​              Herbal formula: Ma Xing  Gan Shi Tang (MXGST)
             Research: MXGST has been demonstrated to reduce neutrophil infiltration into lung tissue and reduce lung inflammation.
            This means that it can prevent or reduce the damage to the lungs produced by  the cytokine storm. This is the primary base
​            formula used for Covid-19.