We’ve learned from studying the “Spanish flu” of 1918 that a deadly virus can spread world-wide. But we know much more about contamination, containing disease, and treatment today. Countries around the globe are making an historic effort to contain the Corona virus.
Although Coronavirus seems to have started in China, when people ate contaminated animal meat, it now spreads, like the common cold, person-to-person. Breathing invisible droplets sneezed or coughed out by sick people can make you sick. Even touching a surface that’s contaminated, then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes can do it.
While everyone’s hoping for the development of an anti-Corona vaccine, we don’t have to wait to take preventative steps. Keep to the simple instructions laid out by the WHO: wash your hands frequently; stay at least 6 feet away from anyone sick; when in public, avoid being in the area of people coughing or sneezing; if you need to sneeze, do it into the crook of your elbow to contain droplets. And if you do get sick, stay home.
Henriette Kress, one of the West’s most respected herbalists, lays out a herbal protocol for those who fall ill. With Kress’s permission, we quote her below. And if herbs are in your future, we offer a Henriette Kress book review on Practical Herbs here.
To get a glimpse of using herbs at home here on Green Prophet, read our posts on delicious, medicinal chickweed and the abcs of medicine in ordinary spices.
Henriette Kress
If you get hit with any influenza at all, (including this one):
1) Stay in bed for at least seven days. You won’t be able to get up anyway during the first three days, but just sit tight, don’t do anything, for a full week. Yes, it’s boring, but it’s better than the alternative: opportunistic infections (sequelae), the worst of them being pneumonia.
2) Take vitamin D (in large enough doses) and drink low-sugar berry juices, loaded with vitamin C, or take vitamin C in large enough doses.
Kress defines berry juices as Elderberry juice, black currant juice or whatever local immune-boosting juices you have. As low sugar as is still drinkable. She recommends half a mug of hot juice every half hour or so. No juice available? Go with lots of vitamin C, up to bowel tolerance.
3) Lay off the sugar. That’s no sweets, honey, bread, rice, potatoes and so on. Simple carbs are banned for the duration.
4) Herbally, Echinacea has been shown to clobber all influenza viruses except for adeno (which has a different structure). That includes corona, SARS, MERS, H1N1, H5N1, parainfluenza, influenza A, influenza B … the works.
Take the tincture often, rather than only 3 times a day. So 10 drops every 10 minutes, 30 drops every 30 minutes, and forget the myth that you shouldn’t take it long-term … you should absolutely take it for as long as you still suffer from this particular virus. And a few days after that too, in order to avoid all opportunistic bugs.
Grab enough of it, make enough of it, you’ll go through oodles if and when you need it, so keep it in the house.”
Green Prophet notes: It’s cheaper to make tincture yourself, and not at all hard. At this time of year, it’s hard to get your hands on fresh echinacea herb, but it’s easily available online, and many health food stores carry it also.
How to make echinacea tincture from dried leaf: put 100 grams of dried echinacea leaves in a very clean, dry jar. Pour 500 ml. (2 cups) of, optimally, 60% alcohol – vodka will do if necessary – over the herb. Stir with a clean spoon to release air bubbles. Cap tightly and store in a dark, cool place 3 weeks. Strain the infused liquid into another clean jar. It’s now ready for use.
It’s best to acquire dropper bottles and a small funnel to fill them, but you can use quarter- and half-teaspoons to measure doses. See how to measure tincture doses by teaspoon here.
Consult a herbal practitioner to understand how much a patient needs to take, and how often. Many practitioners are available online or by phone for simple instructions.
To continue with Kress’s suggestions:
5) Avoid aspirin or NSAIDS. They increase viral shedding (spreading to others) and extend the duration of active infection. Their antiinflammatory effects are thus also immune-suppressing.
Take herb teas that help you sweat, like elder flower or yarrow) and antispasmodics: herbs that stop cramps, like valerian and viburnum.”
Green Prophet note: common chamomile tea is also antispasmodic, and available in every grocery store.
More on Green Prophet on herbs as food and as medicine:
- Practical Herbs, A Book Review
- The ABCs of Traditional Middle-Eastern Spice Medicines
- Natural Herbs for Breast Health and Enhancement
- Grow Wild Chickweed At Home
Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
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