Coronavirus Update: What to do if you feel you’re affected

Categories: Current Events , Educational , Garuda Health General News , Information , News , Updates

Hello Everyone!

I’d like to follow-up from yesterday’s informative about COVID-19 and give you more information about the disease to help you be prepared if you are affected. Garuda Health is going to remain open for our patients and have come up with a telemedicine plan for those that are showing fever/cough symptoms. If you have concerns call your Primary Care Physician. Our goal is to try and help patients and relieve some of the burden off the very hardworking medical community by providing more information:

Currently, if you start to exhibit a fever or cough it is best for you to stay home, but there is very poor communication on what to do as far as treatment, when to go to the hospital, and testing, so please read below.

Testing: There are not enough testing kits for COVID-19 in the US, so urgent cares do not test for the virus and are encouraging people to use telemedicine rather than come into their clinics. Hospitals and ERs are using the short supply they have to test those who are most in danger from this virus (those over the age of 60 and those immune compromised). Even if you show signs or symptoms of COVID-19 you may not even be tested.

Treatment: There is currently no treatment for COVID-19. IV hydration bags are given as well as cough suppressants for most patients and those that are seriously affected are given a ventilator. A representative from the WHO says a vaccine will be going into clinical trial within the next week, but it could take weeks to see if it is effective, and several more months before it can be manufactured for those most at risk, and almost a year for everyone else. Most hospitals are sending patients home even if they are sick, because their resources need to be dedicated to those at high risk of dying when infected.

Is there anything that can help?: Based off of the article in the previous newsletter from Dr. Chen I have developed a few formulas to treat the symptoms of this disease that have worked very well for fevers and flu that I have already treated over the past few years. If you develop a cough or fever, please stay home and call us, so I can make a formula that is right for you. A mixture of anti-pyretic (fever reducing) herbs, anti-tussive (cough suppressant), and bronchodilator herbs (open lung blood vessels to make it easier to breathe) depending on how you are presenting. Although there is no Chinese herb that can kill COVID-19 there are anti-viral herbs that can help the body deal with the symptoms of the infection so you can recover faster and may stop severe symptoms from developing. We will be happy to quickly deliver the herbs to you, so you do not have to leave your house.

One of the major formulas I am modifying is Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang that I’ve used successfully in the past to treat dry cough and fever:

When should I go to the hospital?: If you develop serious symptoms over the next few weeks such as coughing up blood or severe chest tightness with inability to breathe you should seek treatment at an ER to stabilize your condition immediately, call your local ER or primary care physician if you are unsure. Especially if you are over 60 as this population’s symptoms escalate rapidly. Within hours a mild cough can turn into an inability to breathe. Go to an ER, tell them your symptoms, and make sure to emphasize you are having chest tightness and chest pain, so you get immediate care.

Important reminder: It is not anyone’s fault if they get sick. In all the hype and anxiety, it’s important to remember we are all human beings and this disease can affect anyone. You/they did not do anything wrong; these things are part of living on a planet with a microbiome. Just focus on getting better and not spreading it to those who could be severely affected. There is enough in the world as it is to cause anxiety and trauma, please be kind to one another we are in this together.

We will continue to update you with reliable information as it becomes available to us.

In Health,

Jason Gauruder