COVID-19
Let me begin by introducing you to The Shanghan Lun.
"Damage Disorders" or the "Treatise on Cold Injury". It is a Traditional Asian medicine treatise that was compiled by Zhang Zhongjing sometime before 220 AD, at the end of the Han dynasty. It is amongst the oldest complete clinical textbooks in the world.
To understand it fully is a very complicated topic and would take years of study. In short, according to my interpretation of the Shanghan Lun, even though this is a complete theory and treatment method, the reason why modern people can not readily apply it is due to the confusion and misinterpretation of this "cold energy". Since Dr. Zhang Zhongjing lived before the advent of the modern day microscope and technologies, I am very sure that what Dr. Zhang Zhongjing referred to as "cold engergy" is in fact the modern day virus. Its' treatment principles and formulas can be effective in treating patients with viral disease such as the common cold, influenza, and even COVID-19.
The beauty of the Shanghan Lun lies in the fact that it does not put its focus on the virus, but on the human body itself. As an analogy, if the condition of your body is a function, f(x), the virus is "x". Modern day medicine puts its focus on the "x", trying to isolate it, and figuring out a specific treatment. The problem is, since the virus is forever mutating, it is impossible to be ahead of its game. So Instead of targeting "x", we need to put our focus on changing the function, the condition of our body. So when "x" enters our body, since the function is different, we get a different result.
According to the Shanghan Lun, there are six different battle zones between the virus and our immune system. It is like the skin of an onion, each getting deeper. In each layer, the reaction to the virus is different.
In the first stage, the virus is in the first outermost layer. You will feel chills and fever simultaneously. Most people describe this as feeling the "chills", but their actual temperature readings will read upwards of 99 degrees F. This is very different from a temporary increase in body temperature from normal activities such as exercise. A cool breeze will feel pleasant after exercise, but in the case of your temperature increasing due to a pathogen, you will feel aversions to wind and cooler temperatures. You may also feel tightness in the back of the neck and shoulders. Body aches, joint pain and nausea may also be present. This is usually on the first few days of contracting a virus.
In this stage, because the virus has not penetrated deeply, it can readily be expelled by profuse sweating. Sweating is your body's most efficient homeostatic mechanism for temperature control. Sweating thus decreases the body temperature, in this case, the fever drops.
Airborne viruses enter the body through the eyes, nose, and mouth. The virus follows the airway ends up in the lungs. In East Asian medicine, the lungs and skin are considered to be the same organ. Modern science also describes this in germ layers of the human embryo.
"The tissues derived from the ectoderm are: some epithelial tissue (epidermis or outer layer of the skin, [...] This includes the lungs and the passageways leading from the pharynx to the lungs."
So, by sweating, the virus is expelled. In essence, is pushed out from the lungs and skin.
In the Second Stage, the virus enters the Second layer, you will experience high fever (above 103 degrees F), Profuse sweating, Thirst, and no aversions to cold air. These high fevers usually appear at late afternoon or at night. Oftentimes, constipation may be present. (Ebola virus is an example that targets this second layer). Do not use the sweating method here, because it will deepen the illness and complications can arise. It is too late to use the sweating method, and the virus cannot be expelled in this manner. Call your doctor and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
In the Third Stage, the virus enters the third layer (the layer that is readily penetrated in malaria). It is characterized by alternating chill and fever, bitter taste in your mouth (indicating heat disrupting the flow of bile), blurred vision, pain in the costal (hypochondriac region), and bloating. It is too late to use the sweating method, and the virus cannot be expelled in this manner. Call your doctor and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Herbal Formulas Pae Dok San or Qing Fei Pai Du Tang (formulas that come from Shanghan Lun) are herbal formulas that can help treat symptoms of COVID-19. Pae Dok San gets rid of phlegm in the lungs and gets rid of the trapped heat in the lungs. (Heat is the fever caused by the friction between the immune system and the virus.) This heat dries the lungs, and with phlegm, makes for an ideal situation for pneumonia. I recommend taking this formula when doing the Sweating Out Method to maximize your results. Pae Dok San is locally available at Leonia Pharmacy and most Korean Pharmacies.
How to Sweat it Out: the Sweating Method
To do this correctly, you must bundle up. Just simply eating/ drinking hot natured foods will simply add to the internal heat, resulting in a dangerous situation. Covering the body and bundling up allows for sweating, which is essential in this treatment method. By this forced sweating, we can maximize the body's natural homeostatic mechanism for temperature control. Hot foot baths are a great way to achieve this. It is important to repeat this if the low grade fever and chills return. Also important is to prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of hot liquids.
Acupunture can also help
The Korean 4 Needle Technique using a combination of lung and large intestine tonification bilaterally can help prevent and aid in treating symptoms of COVID-19.
For those who are infected or trying to avoid COVID-19, abstain from coffee, alcohol and smoking.
The effects of coffee are very strong, and cause liver energy stagnation.
Coffee is bitter and sour in taste and its astringent properties target the liver. It results in a sudden rush in the liver, and the livers' function becomes significantly impaired. Thus, the liver can't filter the lymph efficiently. The excessive lymph backs up in the spleen and lungs. So when the virus enters the lungs, the white blood cells in the lymph target the virus, causing excessive phlegm.
Alcohol circulates in the blood and lymph. and ends up in the lungs where alcohol vaporizes and dries the lungs.
Smoking dries the lungs directly and adds to the heat. The three in combination is a perfect storm for pneumonia. I believe the biggest reason for high mortality rates in Italy, Spain, and Europe is attributable to these social habits.
Another place worth mentioning is India. I believe that despite their highly dense population, India's low infection and mortality rates stem from their diet and social habits. They drink lots of chai tea which is comprised mainly of black tea, cinnamon, and ginger all of which are warm ingredients that can cause sweating.
In addition, even though they live in a hot climate, their traditional attire is to bundle up; covering the head and wearing long sleeves and pants. The combination of eating and drinking warm foods and bundling up causes them to sweat and drops their internal body temperature. Perhaps this is how they adapted to living in such a hot climate. In the case of COVID-19, they are sweating out the virus constantly. Their diet also consists of high amounts of tumeric which gets rids of phlegm.
Currently, the hospitals are on the brink of their breakpoint and are at maximum capacity. Most people can't even get tested with mild symptoms. Please use the above recommendations to aid in self-diagnosis and prevention. Please stay healthy and well.
Sources:
https://training.seer.cancer.gov/disease/categories/tissues.html
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghan_Lun
http://www.hsp.co.kr/product/view.html?code=0100&code2=0101&no=355&pageNum=&subNum=&start=10