| If ever there was a time to bolster and maintain the strength of your IMMUNE SYSTEM, with a main focus on your LUNGS, that time is now! And you may recall, from past newsletters and conversations with Kitty, that unceasing stress can be very debilitating by sapping the strength, the chi, you need to fight off infectious pathogens like coronavirus, and anything else that wants to parasitize your Health. So let’s take a look at what’s been happening in Oriental Medicine regarding combating coronavirus, along with a Western doctor’s prescription for staying healthy, while meeting the challenge coronavirus has placed all around us. Oriental Medicine vs. Coronavirus At the outset of this viral emergency, Kitty began researching how the virus was spreading, and what to do about it. What follows is a synopsis of what she found out. And as you listen to the linked interview below, you’ll be able to sense the immediacy of the shock and danger we all felt at the onset of this tragedy, and by doing so, note how much more ‘grounded’ you feel now, than then. Yes, we’re all still reeling from the cognitive dissonance stemming from the realization that something as all encompassing as the world economy can be shut down in a relative instant, with all of the attending uncertainty that goes with it. At the same time, you should be able to feel within yourself, some degree of adaptation to that shock. There is great hope and strength in recognizing that.  Michael Osterholm is an American epidemiologist, and biosecurity and infectious disease expert. In this extended, easy-to-follow interview with Joe Rogan, he says: “To put this (pandemic) in modern terms, think in terms of pre-antibiotic days; the ‘old time’ medicine.” Now trace back 3000 or so years ago, and you’ll find Oriental Medicine in that category, and on the scene.  At the same time, Kitty received an email from a fellow practitioner of Chinese medicine containing a podcast featuring Dr. Jin Zhao, from Chengdu University. He’s a doctor of Chinese medicine, and a professor in the Chinese medical school there. He’s been working virtually with medical colleagues of his, in Wuhan, where the medical system had been totally overwhelmed. As you know, Wuhan is the city where coronavirus began this time. Because of the enormous number of cases of disease there, they were developing a unique perspective on the progression and severity of the illness the virus was causing, now known as ‘COVID-19’.We were enthralled and encouraged by the clinical information Dr. Jin Zhao was communicating, along with the battlefield tested stories he was recounting about the use of traditional Chinese herbal formulas, some of which originate almost one thousand years ago. He described what was working to defeat the virus, and gave examples of which herbal formulas to use as the symptoms of the disease changed during treatment.  For many centuries, Chinese traditional medicine has utilized various methods of fortifying our bodies’ natural protection against external pathogens. In Chinese, this protection is known as the “upright qi,” “anti-pathogenic qi,” or zheng qi. In western medicine this closely corresponds to the concept of immunity. The anti-pathogenic qi can be enhanced with qigong, supported by diet, fortified with herbal formulas, and regulated by managing stressors to our Immune System.  What is equally uplifting is knowing that these are the same herbal formulas that Kitty uses in the normal, day-to-day practice of Oriental Medicine, for the purpose of building and maintaining the strength of the Immune System. These time-tested formulas have been used for thousands of years; they are very effective for treating hundreds of ailments, and at BIOM are individually customized for your specific health situation. So while we wait for a vaccine to be created to combat this deftly mutating coronavirus, successes stemming from the knowledgable use of traditional Chinese medicinal formulas give great hope! At the same time, and as always, your vigilance and self-health practices must focus on strengthening and maintaining the vitality of your Immune System.  Switching from Wuhan, China to New York: As coronavirus began bellowing through the boroughs of New York City, the ongoing epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, we met Dr. David Price, a pulmonary specialist at Weill Cornell medical center in New York City, who in a Zoom call initially addressed to family and friends, attempted to dispel some of the public confusion regarding the virus. Since being reposted online the video has garnered millions of views. Working at one of the epicenters of the pandemic — New York City — and specializing in patients with respiratory illnesses in the intensive care unit, Dr. Price is uniquely positioned to speak about COVID-19. While there are many uncertainties regarding the future of this pandemic and its effects on society and daily life, Price felt that there is a sufficient understanding of the virus, so people can be less afraid of what’s to come. |
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