Coming from you live from day 2 of COVID-19 symptoms. If you are currently (and unfortunately) sharin’ in the COVID groove with me, I’d like to point out the 4-phase approach:  Prevention, infection, escalation inflammation, recovery. This blog is speaking to mostly the infection stage and the information that is following includes what other clinical herbalists have given in herbal support for COVID, as well as my own protocol. Please note the importance of being aware of what is going on in your body and responding appropriately. 

First, let’s look at what COVID is. It is a disease that shows up differently in different people, some with no symptoms at all. In the herbal community, COVID is categorized as a lung infection. Here are some points:

• COVID hums along looking like the flu and for some people ~day 10 there is a tipping point since the body has been fighting the virus.  The body launches an all-out inflammatory cytokine attack to get rid of the virus and it is like the military calling a strike on their own position.  This is where tissues are damaged.  Someone can have mild symptoms leading to day 8 then they suddenly fall off a cliff.
• ⅓ cases have diarrhea and no respiratory symptoms at all
• As cough progresses, it can get severely dry and early cough herbs don’t handle the same as herbs to use if chest congestion occurs later
• At one point, 15-20% of people with symptoms ended up in hospital – Mainly those who got it in their lungs.
• ⅓ cases have diarrhea and no respiratory symptoms at all
• Inflammation with flu could be after tipping point

Trying to stop these demons that keep dancing in my head

If you are like me, you checked your results link at least 5 times before things started to feel real. Remember, you are strong, you are resilient, your body has an incredible ability to heal itself. AND the time to act is immediately. Consider a healing meditation to center yourself and get your body and mind on the same supported trajectory:

Lay down with one hand on your belly and one hand over your heart

Take a few deep breaths and come to stillness

Breathe in white, healing light

Breathe out dark smoke

Breathe in cool relief

Breathe out distress

Breathe in comfort

Breathe out struggle

Imagine the cells in your body

Imagine the healthy cells

Imagine the cells that are infected

Imagine the healthy cells supporting the infected cells

Watch the infected cells start to shift shape and become healthy

All of your cells are a living, breathing, unit together and become healthy

Stay here with your breath for a few minutes

We’ve got it simple 

Now, let’s carry on. A few, simple tips first:

• You can’t separate herbalism with nutrition. Get your macro and micronutrients in. 
• Food IS medicine. Everything you put in your body can be of supportive assistance.
• Remember the simple common herbs that are your friends – fresh ginger root, honey, cayenne. Make tea using these ingredients, add lemon or lime.

Herbal Allies

Commonly used in herbal clinics in large amounts
Usena, lemon balm, elderberry extracts

Foundationaly
We can always use our nutrient herbs so you might as well keep your hydration up with tea composed of Oats, nettles, red clover
Usnea
Usnea especially used to initially help the immune system
Lemon balm
Lemon balm is my favorite anxiolytic herb and a bit sedative
It is used to support people who are sick and in all stages
Lemon balm makes you sweat, which will make you feel better
Cherry cough
Cherry cough for the dry cough that happens early on

Astragalus
Sweet, warm, moistening.
Throw in rice when streaming.  Throw in soup.
For those prone to respiratory infections.  Anti-inflammatory, antiviral, immune stimulating activities well documented.
In-vitro data shows astragalus is active in fighting COVID.

Anti-inflammatory herbs for fevers
‘Member the fresh ginger root, honey, cayenne combo above
Elderberry, mulberry, and yarrow are also your frans here

Supplements

Think Z A C E D
ZINC, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin D are the supplements in the acronym useful with COVID Cases for immunity.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D can help respiratory infection and immunity.
People who have low vitamin D and get COVID are more likely to have severe outcomes.

Quercetin
500 mg/day
An antioxidant that lowers risk of viral illness.
You can get this in apples, berries, capers, hawthorne as well.

There’s some good points…

Pear Sauce
This is for stages when you may find your lungs are having issues expectorating and have a dry cough.
Include lime juice which helps generate fluids and is good for toxicity, aids in regulating the liver, and is great for congestion.

Hepatic Support
Hepatic support is helping out our dear liver friend who is currently processing a lot and processing new things that we are taking in to support us.
For before/during/after infection, consider the following: 90% + capsules milk thistle, high-ethanol plantain extract, High ethanol meadowsweet extract.

Lymphatic cleansing
Our lymphatic system travels throughout the body to remove waste from every cell while helping to regulate the immune system.
Tea comprised of burdock root, dandelion root, cleavers.

We’re all in this together

Pay attention to your body and be kind to yourself. Consider your thought patterns during this time and know that we’re all in this together. Please email me at mockingbirdremedies@gmail.com with any questions. (Note: Additionally, I am supporting myself with symptom-specific Chinese herbs that are not mentioned above.)

Disclaimer: This information is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute the rendering of or a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a healthcare professional. This information should not be relied upon or used as a substitute for a consultation with health, physical, physiological, mental, or other professional advisors. Anyone wishing to use this information should share it with his or her healthcare provider before embarking on any therapeutic program. It is your responsibility to discuss any alternative or natural remedy with your healthcare provider before using it to make sure it is appropriate for you.

External links

Further resources
Dandelion root and COVID research – https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.19.435959v1.full.pdf

Stephen Buhner summary of herbs for use with COVID19 – https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/sites/americanherbalistsguild.com/files/coronavirus-1.pdf

Chinese medicine strategies for COVID19 – https://redwingbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Hubei-Formulas.pdf