ASA COVID-19 Information Sheet
February 29, 2020
The American Society of Acupuncturists would like to make sure that you are informed about the outbreak of COVID-19 (2019 novel Coronavirus). The World Health Organization and the United States Department of Health and Human Services have both declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency.
You can help stop COVID-19 by knowing the signs and symptoms:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Seek medical advice if you develop symptoms
AND
- Have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or live in or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19. Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
At this time, the CDC believes that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
Click here to read more – https://www.asacu.org/wp-content/uploads/ASA-COVID-19-Info-Sheet.pdf
What are the recommendations to prevent the spread of disease?
There are simple everyday precautions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.These include:
●Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
●Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
●Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%-90% alcohol if soap and water are not available. COVID-19 can transmit through both respiratory droplets and via stool, so careful hand washing is critical.
●Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw it in the trash can. Cough or sneeze into your elbow and not your hand if you do not have a tissue available. If you contaminate your hand and then touch other objects, you will spread the virus.
If you are sick, to keep from spreading respiratory illness to others, you should:
●Stay home when you are sick with respiratory disease symptoms. At the present time,these symptoms are more likely due to influenza or other respiratory viruses than to theCOVID-19 related virus.
●Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
●Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.Other actions you can take that can meaningfully support your health and ability to fight illness:
●Get good sleep, and prioritize your self-care. Sleep is critical to optimal immune function. If you are sleep-deprived, you are not at your peak immunity.
●Eat nutrient-rich foods, and prioritize a healthy diet. Your diet provides building blocks used by your immune system to fight illness. Without those resources, your immune system will be weaker.
●Talk to your doctor about optimizing your vitamin D, zinc, and vitamin C levels. These nutrients are particularly important for optimal immune function and may be depleted in the typical diet, and in the winter depending on location.
●Stay hydrated. Water is at the foundation of our health. Clean/filtered water consumed regularly helps keep our whole system functioning optimally, including our immune systems.
●Don’t panic! An outbreak is scary, but most people will experience COVID-19 as a mild illness.
Prolonged, toxic stress inhibits immune function, so whether it is fear about the virus or excess stress at home or work, do what you can to give your system a break and restore.
Exercise, acupuncture, nutritional and herbal supplements recommended by your healthcare practitioner, qi gong/tai chi, yoga, meditation, or whatever your “go-to”to unwind must take priority now. These are not luxuries! Take care of yourself.
Treating Colds and Flu
by Molly Greacen, Lic Ac
The cold and darkness of winter urges us to slow down, sleep more, reduce stress, eat warming and nourishing foods, and our deep winter dreams will create the seeds for new life in the spring.
Nutritional Support:
Eat plenty of nourishing meat and bean stews, with root vegetables and perhaps adding shitake mushrooms, garlic and ginger, cooked vegetables (including dark leafy greens every day), whole grains if you tolerate them), and hot decaf tea. (My favorite is chai).
Keep your immune system strong by keeping sweets, dairy, flour products, and alcohol to a minimum, getting moderate exercise, and using acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.
Chinese herbs are great for tonifying the immune system, including astragalas, ginseng, medicinal mushrooms formulas, and cordyceps. There is a 1000 year old formula that I find really helpful called Jade Windscreen, which I take daily, along with multivitamins, extra Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, probiotics, 15 mg zinc,and other Chinese tonic formulas.
Most people can avoid antibiotics if they aggressively treat colds and flu with herbs and diet and rest.
Here are some simple suggestions for helping you get well. I recommend that you come in for treatment if you are really sick or not getting better.
At the first sign of a cold, I recommend using sinus washes twice a day, use a humidifier in your bedroom, along with Gan Mao Ling 3 tablets every 2 hours, for 1 to 2 days, staying warm, having hot soup with garlic, and resting. I like to do acupuncture to kick out the cold before it can take hold.
For the 2nd stage of a cold
I continue Gan Mao Ling, along with lots of chicken soup and avoiding sweets and dairy.
For lung infections and coughs:
I use fritillaria and pinellia syrup routinely,as long as there is a productive cough, or make up a formula that will fit you better.
If the cold goes in deeper and lingers, or for flu:
I have had excellent results with Dr. Jake Fratkin’s Immune Plus, Clear Toxin and SVP Lung Formula. Throat and Gland Spray by Natura works well for sore throats and swollen glands.
Sinus infections
I have formulas that I use for sinus infection, and they work very well if you start them early, alleviating the need for antibiotics.
Using a humidifier at night really helps you get better quicker. Drink a lot of hot tea with lemon and honey. Keep doing the sinus washes twice a day, as it will cut down on the time you are sick.
