TCM Treatment of the Convalescent Stage of COVID-19
Peilin Sun This article is reprinted with the kind permission of the Journal of Chinese Medicine and the author .
Abstract
Research on coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) has focused on epidemiological and clinical characteristics of confirmed cases and patients discharged from hospital . Diagnosis and treatment protocols have been established for hospitalized patients . However , very little attention has been given to patients during the convalescent period . Although simplified treatment protocols using traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM ) have been proposed , they do not always accurately reflect the true clinical situation . The convalescent period of COVID-19 is extremely important since it influences the speed and extent of patients ’ recovery , and whether they go on to develop ‘ long COVID ’. In TCM terms , incomplete recovery is commonly due to retention of pathogens such as dampness and toxic heat , obstruction of qi and blood , deficiency of Lung and Spleen qi , and deficiency of qi and yin . This article describes how to treat patients during the convalescent stage of COVID-19 with acupuncture and herbal medicine to bring them back to full health .
Introduction
Coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ), has swept through the world since the end of 2019 . Although most patients with COVID-19 recover , clinical data show that in addition to causing lung inflammation and tissue damage , 1 the new coronavirus can affect the digestive system causing symptoms such as diarrhoea , vomiting and loss of appetite ; 2 damage the nervous system leading to insomnia , poor memory , loss of taste and smell ; affect kidney function causing oedema ; and adversely affect fertility by reducing the number of sperm cells in men . 3 A number of investigations and research findings have found that patients who recover from
COVID- 19 may show symptoms for six months or more , including fatigue , anorexia , weakness and emotional disturbance , as well as showing abnormal results on biochemical and imaging examinations . 4 , 5 A negative COVID-19 test therefore does not necessarily indicate recovery .
Convalescence defined
Convalescence is a synonym for recovery and recuperation and derives from the Latin convalēscere , meaning ‘ to regain health ’ after sickness or injury . The convalescent phase is extremely important for COVID-19 patients . In terms of its timeline , it is generally accepted that the acute phase of COVID-19 infection refers to the first four to five weeks after the onset of symptoms , acute post-COVID symptoms last from week 5 to week 12 , long post-COVID symptoms from week 12 to week 24 , and persistent post- COVID symptoms last more than 24 weeks . From this , it might be concluded that the convalescent period of COVID- 19 refers to the period from week five to week 12 , although it may last much longer . 6 In the words of a professor of public health from the UK :
With other common viral illnesses , such as flu , we would expect recovery to mean going back to pre-infection levels of functionality and quality of life . This means we must follow up all patients with confirmed ( by test ) or highly probable ( by symptoms ) COVID and find out whether they have returned to their previous
188 | vol28 | no4 | JATMS