COVID-19, or “coronavirus,” as it’s colloquially referred to, is essentially a lung disease.
SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the virus that causes COVID-19, attacks lung cells by binding with high affinity to ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptors, mainly found on type II alveolar cells in the lungs. Currently there is no conventional biomedical treatment for COVID-19, and clinical care mainly consists of supportive care and oxygen supplementation. This is precisely why U.S. health and government officials are frantically searching for more medical ventilators, as there is currently a shortage. A medical ventilator is a machine that mechanically assists a patient in breathing by moving air in and out of the lungs.
What can I do if I have coronavirus?
Should you be reading this and believe that you may be suffering from COVID-19 because you’re experiencing shortness of breath, dizziness, chest-pressure, dry cough, tiredness, fever, or any of the other common symptoms of this disease, please practice the appropriate social isolation and proper hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease. Next, here are some things that you can do for immediate relief, before you’re able to get proper medical attention:
- Do not exert yourself much physically or mentally. Try to relax and stay positive. In Tibetan Medicine, any shortness of breath is caused by disturbed rlung or wind humor (one of the three psycho-physical energies that make up the body) in the lungs, and excess activity only exacerbates the disturbance.
- Rub pure sesame oil (yes the stuff you can get at the supermarket) on your chest, mid and upper back, and along the sides of the rib-cage (below the armpits). Apply a small amount in the hand because sesame oil is so thick–so you shouldn’t need much–and methodically rub the oil into the skin until it’s mostly absorbed. Re-apply two more times. If you don’t have sesame oil, just use the heaviest (thickest) natural oil that you have available. Heavy oils are very effective means to pacify the wind humor. Sesame oil is particularly effective given its adaptogenic virtues.
- Stay away from strong-tasting, overly spicy and salty foods–this exacerbates disturbed wind humor in Tibetan Medicine. Also, focus on eating fresh green colored fruits and vegetables, like lettuce, broccoli, and green grapes. For cooked foods, favor sweet-tasting soups made with fresh vegetables. The fresh quality and sweet taste help to pacify the wind humor energy.
While effective, the aforementioned interventions are not sufficient treatment measures for severe cases. I recently blogged about probable treatments for coronavirus from the perspective of Tibetan Medicine, but the average reader may have difficulty preparing the medicinal decoctions. If you suspect that you’ve been infected with COVID-19, please contact a doctor, immediately.
I don’t think I have coronavirus, but what can I do to prevent it?
Aside from the official CDC and WHO guidelines of proper hygiene and social distancing, it would behoove most of us to do everything in our power to exercise our lungs. Young, old, middle-aged, pregnant women, and everyone in between can benefit from singing, performing pranayam (yogic breathing exercises), or practicing any cardiovascular exercise involving an increased heart and breathing rate. There are numerous resources online for learning effective breathing exercises that can strengthen the lungs, protecting the body from any severe illness should you ever contract COVID-19.
As most of the fatalities from COVID-19 are of patients with comorbidities, or a history of health issues indicating poor lung health, the most important protective measure is to maintain or re-establish proper lung health.
