In case anyone is interested in Chinese herbal remedies that may be effective against COVID-19 and similar viruses, here is some information about how we think about managing these types of illnesses and what might be effective.
Most of the coverage of the coronavirus is focused on the disease itself, how virulent it is, how fast it spreads, how it infects people and how the disease process progresses. Many of the simulations I've seen floating around in articles assume a 100% infection rate, in other words they assume that everyone who is exposed to the virus will contract the coronavirus disease. When we look at the actual numbers however we can see that is not the case. The Diamond Princess cruise ship saw 20-25% infection rates in the worst possible conditions, even though it is likely that everyone on the ship was exposed to the virus. So why do some people get infected while others do not?
Biomedicine explains this via the concept of immunity. The idea is that people have higher or lower susceptibility to a pathogen and their individual susceptibility is determined by a number of factors. Chinese medicine thinks about pathogens in a similar way and treatment strategies are usually devised for each patient individually in a way that balances agents that mitigate the effects of a disease while simultaneously strengthening body processes that will help the patient's body fight the disease. IMO mainstream medicine tends to view pathogens like viruses as active agents attacking passive human bodies so the focus is on ways to block, slow down, destroy or avoid the pathogen. This viewpoint neglects a big piece of the picture which is the strength of each person's immune system and their body in general. Chinese medicine is a type of "functional medicine" because it considers how well the person's body (ie immune system, digestive system, lungs, liver, heart, etc) is functioning when devising a treatment strategy.
So what does this mean when it comes to the coronavirus? It means that there are things that you can do to strengthen your immune system and your body so that if and when you are exposed to it, or to some other pathogen, you will be less likely to contract the coronavirus disease. The first thing you should do is manage stressors in your life that lower immunity such as poor quality sleep or not enough sleep, high stress levels, overworking and inflammatory and phlegm-producing diets. Make sure you drink plenty of water and avoid dehydrating foods like alcohol, carbonated beverages, and caffeine. Its best to also avoid phlegm-producing and inflammatory foods like dairy, gluten, and overly spicy foods and don't snack too much.
There are also many supplements and herbal medicines that can help to strengthen the immune system and act as antiviral agents that can help prevent infection. As anyone who has been following this thread by now knows, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is another form of the coronavirus. During the 2003-2004 SARS outbreak 3 studies were conducted among medical staff taking preventative herbal medicine formulas. In total the studies included a few thousand participants. In all three of these studies, not one of the participants who took the preventative herbs contracted SARS. [sources below] This is quite a remarkable statistic! Its important not to leap to assumptions about the success of similar formulas against COVID-19, but they are similar viruses and they produce similar symptoms, so in my opinion its worth considering remedies. I have these formulas on hand and I plan to take them when I go back to work.
The main herbal formula used in the studies during the SARS outbreak was a combination of 2 commonly used formulas, Yu Ping Feng San (Jade Windscreen Formula) and Sang Ju Yin (Mulberry and Chrysanthemum Combination). The action of the former is to strengthen and activate the immune system. The main herb in the formula is Astragalus, which is commonly used to strengthen the immune system even in the US and Europe. The latter formula "clears heat and keeps the lungs free" which means that it contains anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory agents. Variations in the studies always included the Jade Windscreen Formula (ie Astragalus) but substituted "anti-toxin" and other "heat-clearing herbs" in place of the Sang Ju Yin. Common anti-toxin herbs found to be successful were forsythia fruit (lian qiao), chrysanthemum flower (ju hua), and honeysuckle flower (jin yin hua).
These strategies can be replicated by taking:
Yu Ping Feng San (Jade Windscreen Formula) + Sang Ju Yin – This combination is identical to one of the ones used to prevent SARS among health care workers in Hong Kong.
Yu Ping Feng San + Yin Chiao San – Yin Chiao San is commonly used to treat cold and flu symptoms and it uses both forsythia fruit (lian qiao) and honeysuckle flower (jin yin hua) as the two chief ingredients.
Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Formula) + Yin Chiao San – The first formula is extremely popular in Japan as a cold and flu preventative. It frees the chest, supports the qi, resolves phlegm, and drains heat from the lung. Yin Chiao Formula is an anti-toxin/anti-viral formula with the two main herbs used to modify the formulas used to prevent SARS.
Lau J, Leung P, Wong E, Fong C, Cheng K, Zhang S, et al. “The use of an herbal formula by hospital care workers during the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in Hong Kong to prevent severe acute respiratory.” Journal of Alternate and Complementary Medicine, 2005; 11:49-55.
[ii] Xu J, Jiang X et al “Clinical observation of Yinhua Yupingfeng decoction in preventing SARS .” Conference on the prevention and treatment of SARS in integrated traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, 2006; 158-159.
[iii] Zhang L, Chen B, Zeng H “Analysis of fangdu decoction on SARS and zero infection in hospital” Chinese Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 2005; 25:59-60.
So what's the takeaway message?
You don't have to use Chinese herbal medicines to follow the same strategy of strengthening the body while simultaneously "fighting" the virus. The FIRST things you need to do is to eat a good diet, get enough sleep and fresh air and keep your spirits up. If you want to take supplements Vitamins D and A stimulate the immune system and Iodine, Selenium, Vitamin C and Zinc are "anti-pathogenic" medicines. Correcting pH imbalance with Sodium Bicarbonate can be very helpful in some cases because it changes the "terrain" of the body in a way that interferes with viral infection and replication.
I hope this information is helpful for everyone.
Edited: styling