COVID-19 a Global Pandemic

Categories: Chinese Medicine , Current Events , Educational , Events , Garuda Health General News , Information , News

Hello Everyone,

I wish it was under better circumstances that I’m sending out this message, but with the WHO declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic and Governor Whitmer declaring a state of emergency it’s time to address this virus now that it’s here in Michigan. 

I have been doing a lot of reading from the WHO, the CDC, and sources out of China and Japan that have been updating us on this disease. There is still a lot of uncertainty about the disease, the most important being treatment.
We know that the disease is consistent in how it manifests in the human body. We also now know that COVID-19 is NOT spread to and through dogs (so your furry ones are safe and will not get you sick). Below is a table showing how this flu presents:

A high fever and dry cough are the most common symptoms, with additional cases showing 5% of other signs. As you can see these two symptoms alone are generally uncommon for the common cold and are more specific to COVID-19 and the flu.

Since it is still flu season it is possible that if you or someone you know are presenting these symptoms to behave the same: stay home, minimize exposure to other people, keep your mouth covered, and wash your hands frequently.

Hand sanitizers with more than 60% alcohol are the only effective preventative other than washing with soap and warm water for 20 seconds.

As of now, the disease is nowhere near as deadly as the SARS virus, however, because of its ability to spread undetected, it is extensive. Currently the flu can infect ANYONE of all races, background, and ages. The population most at risk are those over the age 60, especially those with compromised immunity. Those dying from the disease are generally elderly.

Keep in mind, just because your risk of death may be low does not mean you cannot carry the disease to someone else who is not. Also for those in their 30-60s the disease can still cause damage to lung tissue, and I would hypothesize also that some liver damage is being done as well much like in other high fevers or mono-like flus, so it is still in the best interest of the community to contain yourself if you are sick. 

There is no vaccination or treatment for COVID-19 other than trying to minimize the spread. HOWEVER, this pandemic is showing positive response to traditional medicine in China, as of now, the only promising treatment for such diseases until a vaccination can be produced.

Chinese hospitals and quarantine zones are using Chinese Herbal Medicine formulas as preventatives, treatment, and recovery. Doctor of Pharmacy and Chinese Medicine John Chen of the Lotus Institute has released a guideline on the various treatments the Chinese hospitals are using successfully to treat this disease. The link to this article:

The only issue with the formulas being used in the above presentation is that one of the key herbal ingredients in treating this disease is Ma Huang, or the ephedra plant, is not available in the United States. In my experience in China I saw the miraculous power of this plant being used to be a highly effective treatment for asthmatic conditions, especially in children, and common colds/flu.

It’s ability to bronchodilate or open up the lungs is unparalleled by other herbs. The problem is that, several years ago several companies were selling concentrated amounts of the active ingredient as a weight loss supplement/stimulant, an MLB player died of a heart attack and despite the plethora of medications he was on the ephedrine was blamed causing the FDA to ban the substance outright. We now have no access to it here in the US. 

If COVID-19 spreads rapidly in the SE Michigan area, Garuda Health will have to alter how we do business. My goal as a health care practitioner is to help as many people as possible, especially if I have a solution to help those with a disease that has no other treatment.

However, when this time comes we will have to ensure no exposure is transmitted to other healthy patients. Either this means a quarantined treatment room or home visits for those that are affected. Charles and I will continue to be hyper-diligent in our hygiene as well as constantly disinfecting our clinic space. We will keep everyone updated if any changes to business as usual occur. 

What to Expect:

I believe the outbreak in Michigan and the US is going to get worse before it gets better. I have lived in several of the countries where this epidemic has already infected groups of the population.

The difference is China, East Asian countries, and Europe all have the ability to successfully quarantine their populations. I am very critical of the US response to this epidemic; currently in the US we are cancelling lots of large meeting events and telling people to work from home, however, the US is the only country that does not have universal healthcare or a strong sick-leave system in place.

This means people will continue to work even if they are sick and will be too worried about losing their jobs or affording their rent to stop going to work. This will prolong the window in which the disease is spread and overwhelm the hospital systems with patients who wait to get treatment over fear of cost.

It may be scary with all of these cancellations, but please remember not to panic this is a prevention technique to slow the spread of the disease so it does not become a health crisis. The best we can do is to continue being diligent at washing our hands and take universal precautions. 

Garuda Health will remain open and continue to provide treatment to our patients. Should this change, our patients will be the first to know! Please call us at 248.951.8897 if you have any questions, or e-mail me at [email protected] and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

In health,

Jason Gauruder, RAc