Below I will hi-light some herbs that can help prevent infection and reduce the severity of symptoms. I will also review some diet & lifestyle recommendations for boosting your resistance. Let’s prepare, not panic.

The current strain of Coronavirus has been labeled COVID-19. Coronaviruses are a class of enveloped viruses that spread primarily through respiratory droplets and other bodily fluids. They produce symptoms similar to the flu, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. Like all viruses, they have to find a way into our cells in order to replicate themselves. Some coronaviruses like SARS do this by attaching to a chemical in our bodies called angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2). ACE-2 converts angiotensin 2 (a vasoconstricting hormone) into a less potent form.

When ACE-2 is used as a Trojan horse by the virus, the presence of ACE-2 in our bloodstream goes down, resulting in vasoconstriction (the opening in your blood vessels becomes smaller). This creates high blood pressure, reduced blood flow and lower oxygenation levels, leading to generation of free radicals and setting up a vicious cycle of tension and inflammation.

Another thing that can happen when we become infected by this virus is something called a cytokine cascade. This is when we produce a lot of cytokines, which stimulate the migration of immune cells to the site of the infection, but in doing so create a lot of inflammation. Inflammation is an important phase to infection, but when the inflammation goes unchecked, fluids can accumulate in the lungs, worsening our respiratory symptoms. Cytokine storms generally occur in advanced stages of illness and whole they are common among people who suffer greatly, they are not a common phenomenon among most people infected with respiratory diseases.

With abundant inflammation comes porousness in our tissues and space is created for the virus to move beyond the endothelium to infect the dendritic (immune) cells and prevent the immune system from forming an effective adaptive response.

I’m not writing this to incite fear; I’m taking time to explain this so that you can understand some of the ways in which herbs can support us through an infection. There are dozens of antiviral herbs in this world, but I’m choosing a few select ones that seem to fit this virus the best.

This is just a sampling of herbs and how they can be used from a Western scientific perspective. Here is a little more information on a few antiviral herbs that stand out to me:

6 Indispensable Herbs:

Japanese Honeysuckle -a potent antiviral herb with a long history of use in Eastern medicine. It is part of a formula called Shuang huang lian that was effectively used during the SARS outbreak, another kind of coronavirus, in 2003. It is also in another formula often recommended for viral infections called Yin Qiao San. It is used in TCM for treating pneumonia, influenza and other wind-heat conditions. Honeysuckle is in the same family as Elderberry.

Chinese Skullcap (Huang Qin)- another Chinese herb used for fever and infection. This is another component of the formula Shuang huang lian mentioned above. The root is antibacterial and antiviral (it blocks the virus from attaching to ACE-2). It also protects the liver, spleen & lymph and reduces the inflammatory cytokine cascade. Huang Qin can be helpful for allergies and autoimmune disease, especially when combined with immune amphoterics (licorice, mushrooms)

Elderberry– has a long history of use for treating colds, flus & respiratory disorders. Elderberry prevents viruses from attaching to host cells and is a great herb to use to prevent infection. It can also be used to shorten the duration of infection when taken frequently during the first stages. The flower of elder is also antiviral and diaphoretic (diaphoretics help bring on a fever; remember, fever is a friend. Elevated body temperature is our innate way to disable viruses). Elder is incredibly safe, can be given to infants, and has no known drug interactions. There has been a lot of speculation about elderberry contributing to cytokine storms going around the internet recently. Please see my comments on this topic at the end of this article.

Licorice– an adaptogen, immune amphoteric, antiviral and demulcent herb. Licorice strengthens endocrine function. It soothes & heals mucus membrane tissue in the lungs. As an immune-amphoteric, it can strengthen a weak immune system while simultaneously reducing a hyperactive immune response (i.e. cytokine cascades). Licorice strengthens T-cell counts and can prevent viral attachment.

Cordyceps– also known as caterpillar fungus, is tonic for the immune system, blood, kidneys & lungs. adaptogen, immune amphoteric. Another immune amphoteric (like licorice) it can reduce excessively high immune activity (cytokine cascade) or enhance excessively low immune activity. It protects the cilial cells, endothilial cells and kidneys while stimulating dendritic cell maturation. Cordyceps can also improve energy and strengthen the heart. It is used in TCM to treat chronic coughs.

Astragalus– immune tonic with a special affinity for the lungs. Specific for depleted immune reservoirs (i.e. cancer). It is known to stimulate the body’s natural production of interferon, a chemical that helps our own cells communicate during a viral infection. Astragalus is traditionally cooked into broths in China to as a strengthening tonic to prevent illness. Some people use this as a preventative for Lyme as well.
(You can  find astragalus in our Elderberry Chai and Immune-Building Broth Packets)

Usnea, St. John’s Wort, Lemon Balm, Isatis root and Hyssop are other antiviral herbs worth exploring. There are so many options provided by the plant kingdom! When in doubt, go for the food-grade herbs: you really can’t go wrong with elderberry, garlic, ginger, astragalus and medicinal mushrooms.If you do get sick and need symptomatic relief, expectorants & diaphoretics can support your respiratory system: Hyssop, thyme, elder flower, peppermint (try our Gypsy Cold Tea)

Following viral infection, it’s good to support the lymphatic system with herbs like Cleavers, Red Clover, Calendula, Violet, Nettle, Mullein or Chickweed to help with the resolution phase. (try our Love Your Lymph Tea Blend or Sparkling Lung Tonic Tea)

10 ways to keep your immune system strong to prevent infection:

Some Other Facts to Help Ease Your Mind…

According to a Washington Post Article, 82% of the cases have been mild with symptoms that require little or no medical intervention. It is difficult to get an accurate tally in the early stages of an outbreak because many mild cases will go unreported.

“The fact that there are so many mild cases is a real hallmark of this disease and makes it so different from SARS,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Health Security. “It’s also really challenging. Most of our surveillance is oriented around finding people who require medical attention.[1]”

The likelihood that many more people are infected than what current statistics show significantly changes the fatality rate of the disease. Early reports of COVID-19 put the coronavirus death rate at around 2%, but a more recent report published on Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates 1.4% and there is a strong chance that the final number will be lower.  This number is calculated by dividing the number of confirmed deaths by the number of infected people. Since the number of infected people is probably greater than what is being reported due to many with mild symptoms not seeking medical treatment, the fatality rate will likely be further diluted. Here is a good article on the latest reports on death rate and how much it varies by location. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-rate/

As a comparison, the flu kills about 0.1% of people who become infected. The 1918 flu killed an unusually high amount of people (2%).  Yes, the coronavirus has the potential to spread much faster than the flu because it is a novel disease and we do not have existing antibodies/vaccines, but if your immune system is strong and you are able to take good care of yourself (i.e. get good rest, good nourishment and stop subjecting yourself to stressors), your chances dying from this disease are very low. Let’s focus on strengthening ourselves, staying nourished, grounded and sane.

Start by watching this 8-minute video by Joan Borysenko with 3 simple practices to reduce stress and engage the self-healing capacities of the body.

Works Consulted:
Herbal Antivirals by Stephen Harrod Buhner
Herbal Therapeutics by David Winston
Corona Virus: Don’t Panic but Prepare (presentation by Claudia Wingo)