Your Summer COVID Survival Guide from Chinese Medicine
Avoid the “summer surge”—and spend more time beaching/camping/at Burning Man.
Herbs and Acupuncture for COVID Support
We’d all rather tune out the news and listen to our personal song of the summer, but, vacation plans be damned—people are still getting COVID. In fact, I’ve seen more folks getting over COVID this July and early August than I have since last winter. Fortunately, everyone I’ve seen recently has had relatively mild cases, with fatigue being one of the primary symptoms both during the contagious period and during recovery. (Make no mistake though, that vulnerable populations are still at risk: the CDC reports that more than 9000 Americans were hospitalized with COVID during the last week of July.)
Chinese medicine can help throughout the COVID continuum.
If you’ve been exposed to COVID but are not feeling sick or testing positive:
Start taking anti-viral Chinese herbs immediately. In this situation, I prescribe the formula Xiao Chai Hu Tang, which has been demonstrated to inhibit viral infections. Get in touch with me to pick up a bottle if you’ve had a COVID exposure, or do what I do and keep a bottle at the ready in your medicine cabinet just in case.
If you’re testing negative, come in for an acupuncture and moxa treatment (don’t forget your mask!)—we’ll focus on expelling the pathogen before disease is established
If you’ve tested positive for COVID:
Again, this is a job for anti-viral herbs. Depending on your case, I’ll prescribe a customized formula focused on kicking out the COVID virus while also treating your symptoms. Supplements (like Quercetin) might also be prescribed to help clear the virus quickly.
If you’re recovering from a recent COVID case:
Now’s the time to come in for a couple of weekly acupuncture sessions. Using acupuncture, moxa, and/or cupping, we’ll work to ensure the virus is fully defeated (avoiding rebound COVID), and we can also address any lingering symptoms you’re experiencing, such as fatigue or cough.
At this point we’ll start rebuilding your defenses and energy with tonic herbal formulas.
Book an appointment or herbal consult. Live outside of the Bay Area? I can ship your prescription to you after a telehealth consultation.
Now go squeeze the juice out of these last weeks of summer!
Dr. Lisa Franzetta is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist in Oakland, California. She loves sharing her passion for holistic approaches to health and wellness through online articles and at her Lake Merritt clinic, Griffin Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine. Call or text for an appointment at 510-833-9966.