Long Covid

It may come as a surprise, but post-viral syndrome is not a new health issue. If you’ve lived a few decades, you may remember in the 1980’s and 90’s, that chronic fatigue was the term used to describe the long-term exhaustion which was usually caused by the Epstein Barr virus. Studies at the time found that muscle function, attention and memory were severely hampered, although the cause was largely unknown.

Similarly, whilst there are a range of long Covid symptoms such as neurological, digestive, cardiovascular and autoimmune disturbances, for most people, fatigue is what has the greatest effect on the ability to function normally.

As the term chronic fatigue suggests, the fatigue lasted for months after the initial viral infection. This obviously has an enormous impact on people’s lives, as their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks can be severely hampered.

Conventional medicine has little to offer in the case of chronic fatigue, and this is where natural medicines really shine.

Studies from the 1990’s show herbal medicine to be effective in treating post viral syndromes and new research is emerging in how effective it is in treating long Covid.

In treating post-viral syndrome with herbal medicine, a combination of herbs are used so that the mix includes antiviral, adaptogen, and adrenal tonics. This way both the causes and the symptoms are being addressed.

I wrote about antivirals last month, please refer to that article if you would like to know more about antiviral herbs.

Adaptogens are herbs that help the body adapt to and recover from stress. The following adaptogens have been studied and found to be effective in post viral syndromes:

• Astragalus – immune regulation, increased immune cells, anti-inflammatory, antiviral
• Withania – regulate inflammation, anti-viral, anti-stress, inhibit SARS CoV-2
• Green tea – binds to the virus proteins and inhibits further damage

A study of a combination of herbal adaptogens specifically for long covid-19 showed significant relief of all long Covid symptoms, but especially for pain, fatigue, cognition, anxiety, and depression.

Naturopaths and herbalists prescribe individually, so for example, if you have neurological or digestive issues along with fatigue, different herbs would be added to the mix to address these issues.

If you’re suffering from post-viral syndrome, or fatigue of any kind, herbal medicines can make a significant difference to your recovery.