Preparing for the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19

Written Spring 2020.

The coronavirus belongs to a spectrum of viruses that include the common cold. The word Covid-19 identifies its specific genetic makeup. Therefore, it has similar symptoms to the cold or flu. The obvious difference is that it is more contagious and more fatal. The flu typically kills about 0.1% of people infected.  This sounds small, but during this winter’s flu season in the U.S. we had 32 million people with the flu and 18,000 deaths, which is a lower percentage at .06%. Meanwhile Covid-19 has a death rate of 2.0%. As a comparison the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 had a death rate of 2.3 to 4.0% of people infected. With an estimated 500 million infected people, there were 20 to 40 million deaths worldwide.

Two interesting historical notes about the pandemic of 1918:
1) One theory of its origin is that it began in northern China in 1917 when 140,000 Chinese laborers were recruited by the French and British to perform manual labor to free up troops for the wartime.
2) That influenza began in the springtime with a low rate of infection, lessened during the summer, then became most severe in the fall and winter.

Important information about Covid-19 virus is that it can attach only to lung cells. This means that the only way to become infected is through your nose or mouth. What you touch, then touching your face can infect you. Droplets from someone’s cough or sneeze can also infect you through your nose and mouth.

How to Prevent or Reduce Symptoms
The key defense is a strong immunity. The elderly and the young are more vulnerable precisely because their immune systems are either weak or immature. People who are in poor, or compromised health, whether chronic or serious, need to take more care and precautions.

I will discuss two somewhat overlapping perspectives—macrobiotics and Oriental healing.

From a Macrobiotic Perspective

In order to keep ourselves vital we need proper foods and good digestion. These support strong blood which strengthens our immunity. The core disturbance that undermines our immunity is chronic acidity.

Foods that create acidity are

• meats, especially red meats, organ meats. Fish is of less concern.

• sugars, especially agave, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar. Barley malt and rice syrup are best. Very small amounts of honey can be fine, too.

• alcohol, especially wine and beer

• acid vegetables, such as tomatoes

Foods to add that are alkalinizing

• umeboshi plum/paste (can be used with cooking grains or in tea)

• miso (as traditional miso soup or in any soup with grains, vegetable or beans)

• seaweed (wakame and nori among others)

• fermented pickles (such as sauerkraut)

• sea salt

• kuzu

These are all sources of salt, in other words minerals. Macrobiotics has been correct in emphasizing these salts in the diet. All grains and beans must be cooked with one or the other of these salts. Furthermore, eating extra root and leafy vegetables, mostly cooked, are helpful for keeping the blood alkaline. As always, salt should be used carefully, not more than your individual system can handle without craving sweets and excessive liquid.

Other important lifestyle factors include

• good chewing

• not over-eating

• ample sleep

• good elimination

• regular exercise

Special attention to our mental and emotional nature is vital
All anxiety, fears, stress responses and chronic tensions will create an acidic condition. Why do these cause an acidic condition? Because, for example, the stomach will overproduce acids when we are anxious, which can then enter the body and bloodstream. Muscle actions cause the release of lactic acid; so chronic muscle tension creates excessive lactic acid in the bloodstream.

We must practice what we preach — how to remain calm in the midst of life’s storms, because otherwise we are unable to respond appropriately, with flexibility and centeredness.

There are two principal ways of releasing these acids from the body’s tissues, organs and blood. One is through kidneys’ role of regulating acid-alkalinity of the blood. The other is through lungs’ capacity of exhalation. Since Covid-19 attaches only to the lung cells, the condition of our lungs becomes paramount. This is the reason people are advised not to touch their fingers or hands to their mouth or nose without first washing their hands well.

From Oriental Medicine Perspective

All viruses like colds and flus, including Covid-19 cause similar body responses: chills, mild fever, aches, fatigue, cough. In Oriental medicine the symptoms are called “wind invasion.” Wind invasion is the easiest of the five climates to penetrate our body (others are cold, heat, damp and dry). We are most vulnerable to wind around the neck, waist and ankles. Please keep these protected, obviously in cold weather but also in humid and drafty weather, any windy weather.
As the virus overwhelms the body, the body responds with heat, which naturally rises in an attempt to expel the “invader,” making fever followed by sweating. As the body temperature rises more, phlegm will accumulate in a primitive way to tamp down the high heat. This can create the breeding ground for bacterial infections, most commonly, pneumonia.

Some Famous Oriental Medicine Herbal Formulas are

• Before any infection — Jade Wind Screen
  This helps bolster the Protective Energy (called Wei Qi) to defend against pathogens.

• Early-mild symptoms such as aches, mild fever without perspiration, the sense that “I’m getting a cold.”
  — Yin Chiao Pian (also called Yin Qiao San)
  This helps clear heat and resolve toxins.

• More fever, fatigue, less appetite — Gan Mao Ling
  This dispels the wind and can clear “toxic” heat (i.e. anti-viral).

These three formulas are readily available and safe to take for several days or a week.

Important Acupressure Points include (Chart at end of article)

• Large Intestine 4 — strengthens overall immunity, benefits throat and sinuses

• Large Intestine 11 — helps release heat from the lungs and benefits coughing

• Lung 5 — helps cool the lungs and benefits dry cough and also helps deepen breathing

• Gall Bladder 21 — relaxes tensions in the neck and shoulders and descends the energy

• Stomach 36 — strengthens digestion, boosts immunity, improves appetite, calming

• Spleen 6 — benefits immunity by tonifying spleen-pancreas, kidney and liver energies

• Spleen 10 — cools the blood, improves circulation, calms anxiety

• Kidney 3 — tonifies core source of energies for the body, improves kidney functions

Other Ways to Alkalinize and Strengthen Immunity
In the Western herbal realm there are some easy and useful things that we can incorporate for our healing.

• Take olive leaf, which has strong anti-viral properties. (available in capsule form (you get what you pay for)
  or as a throat spray

• Echinacea and goldenseal as a tea or in capsule

• Use lozenges with zinc

• An alkalinizing vegetable drink is juicing carrot, radish, beet and celery (equal amounts)

• Put heat on the Kidneys to improve their function (hot water bottle, or other method)

• Put heat on the Hara (lower belly) to improve blood quality and energy

In Conclusion

Keep your life simple, with less interactions with crowds and more among friends and family. This is an excellent time to focus on healthy eating and lifestyle choices. If your condition is already weakened, then please commit to refining your macrobiotic practices, especially with food choices and good cooking practices.

Wishing you continued health & wellbeing!