Restoring Vitality and Functional Status after COVID-19 A Homeopathic Holistic Approach

INTRODUCTION

This life is being ruled by a super shocker. Day by day, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is showing itself to be the joker in the pack of viruses. The virus can be called unpredictable, nonconformist, maverick and equipped with invincible characteristics and capable of dangerous moves. It is interesting that knowledge of the slippery virus shifts daily. It’s pretty hard to keep up with the devilish twists and turns of the coronavirus story.

Covid-19 is one of the strangest diseases of this century. As the virus is new, we don’t yet know what its trajectory will be. Normally with viruses one is ill for a few days and then he gets better, but with this virus, it comes back and slaps one around the face time and time again with different symptoms.

It is a true roller coaster of symptoms and severities, with each new day offering many new symptoms and pathologies. It has become increasingly clear that Covid-19 is not just a turbo-charged version of the virus that causes the common cold; it has a number of quirky, unusual and sometimes terrifying traits.

Most countries are reporting new COVID-19 cases every day, and data for the global picture shows that the pandemic is far from over. New strains are getting developed and it seems the fight will go on for long.

When the virus makes its surreptitious entry into the human body, it goes after most parts of the human system. The thing about the virus is, it is like Pandora’s box. All the evils of the world jump out when you open it. Every time we look at it, and we’re working every day, we discover a new and nasty thing about it.

Apart from S glycoprotein present on the surface of coronavirus attaching to the ACE2 receptor, COVID-19 virus can enter the body without causing pain, because it craftily manipulates the pain response.

The longevity of Covid-19 isn’t clear and there’s emerging evidence that people are shedding the virus for months afterwards; the virus isn’t going away.

Though scientists and doctors are engaged in finding the cure, there is a limited focus on long-term effects which have been underestimated. It is possible to assume that some people may take even years to recover.

The condition is called ‘Post-acute Covid’ or ‘Chronic Covid’ and sufferers as ‘Long haulers’ or ‘Long-Covid’ patients.

There is, definitely, a subset of patients who suffer long-term damage. There is a need to explore the long-term and significant health consequences. Wide-ranging and often ‘bizarre’ symptoms which range from strange pains and fevers to debilitating headaches and lethargy can persist weeks and even months after first falling ill.

Depending on the duration of the illness, many patients will be severely debilitated, deconditioned and could require chronic management.

NEW STRAINS OF VIRUS

In view of the new strains appearing (new UK strain B.1.1.7 or VUI-202012/01 or new South Africa strain 501.V2 or P681H), there is panic and no one knows what will be the fate of the human species. We need to review the biomedical model/Cartesian view (Fritjof Capra), which is reductionistic and wise men should understand the limitations of focussing only on the virus and vaccines.

The important fact here is that viruses mutate ALL THE TIME. This means that there is a small change in the genetic code of the virus, and it happens in the DNA of every living organism during cell division – it isn’t as rare as one thinks!

What’s come through very strongly is the need to be holistic. It is here that homeopathy, the holistic therapy which represents mind-body-spirit as a co-ordinate system has a lot to offer.

HOLISTIC THINKING

Infection à Inflammation
In-flam-mation (flames characteristic of war)
A war within the body
If the patient’s system gains victory against an invading agent à survival
If the disease agent wins à death
Correspondence between inflammation and war

Analogy

Both war and inflammation demonstrate the same inner structure.
The same principle is embodied within both, on different levels of manifestation
Every infection is a conflict that has taken on the physical form.
War is the father of all things” – Heraclitus

Chronicity

Neither of two sides – virus or the host- manage to resolve the conflict in its favour à compromise à chronicity
Failure to clear up the situation à absorbing energy at the expense of the rest of the organism à the patient feels run down, tired, lacking in drive, listless and apathetic.

Mental aspects

Trench-warfare à irretrievably enmeshed in the conflict and can find neither the will nor the energy to resolve the problem.
Only a host response in the holistic way can help resolve the problem.

VULNERABILITY

The following conditions can weaken the immune system.

Cancer or its treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy).
Immuno-suppressive therapies being employed for auto-immune diseases and other medical conditions
Systemic steroid therapy
Chronic use of antibiotics
Tuberculosis and its treatment with chemotherapy
Surgeries of the vital organs such as heart, brain, liver, spleen, kidneys etc.
Repeated surgeries
Chronic debilitating diseases like multiple sclerosis, interstitial fibrosis of the lungs etc.
Chronic addictions such as drug substance abuse, alcoholism, cocaine, cannabis (marijuana), hashish, tobacco, opioids (like heroine), prescription drugs (sedatives, hypnotics,, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, sleeping pills), amphetamines, hallucinogens, inhalants, phencyclidine, etc.

See also

Soul of Remedies

adax ARS-S-R bapt cob GELS iris LYCPS mag-p rhus-t thuj

Generalities; pain; muscles:

ACON AGAR AM-M AMBR ANAC ANG ANT-C ANT-T ARG ARN ARS ASAF BAR-C BELL BRY CALC CAMPH CARB-V CARBN-S CAUST CHAM CHIN CIMIC COCC COLCH COLOC CON CUPR CUPR-ACET CYCL DULC EUP-PER EUPH EUPHR FERR GELS GRAPH GUAI HELL IGN KALI-BR KALI-C LAUR LED LYC M-ART MAG-M MAG-P MANG MENY MERC MERC-C MEZ NAT-C NAT-M NIT-AC NUX-M NUX-V OLND PHOS PHYT PLAN PLAT PLB PULS RAN-B RAN-S RHOD RHUS-T RUTA SABAD SARS SEC SEP SIL SPIG SQUIL STANN STAPH STRONT-C SUL-AC SULPH TARAX TEUCR THUJ VALER VERAT VERB VIOL-T ZINC ZINC-P

MENTAL SPHERE

For the mentally ill patients in lockdown, the uncertainty is terrifying. Social isolation and fear of contracting Covid-19 are aggravating anxiety, depression, OCD, substance abuse issues, bipolar disorder and even relapses in some cases. Patients requiring intensive care are at increased risk for mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.

There is exacerbation of the patient’s already existing OCD for which he was being treated. Emphasis on hygiene reinforces the pre-existing disorder.

Difficulty remembering things and poor concentration

Difficulty falling asleep

Fear of relapse or a family member contracting the illness

Nightmares or bad memories of the time in the hospital

Diminished cognitive abilities, lack of concentration, weakness of memory

RELATED RUBRICS

Mind; fear; disease, of; contagious, epidemic, infection

andri-q ARS aur-m-n bar-c BOR bov bufo CALAD CALC calc-s caras CARC chin cur electr falco-p ferr-m haliae-lc ign lac-c lach lat-h lim-b-c med nat-m oscilloc POSIT psor sil SULPH SYPH tax thuj thul-c vac

Mind; compulsive disorders

ALOE ARS CALC-P CAUST CON GINK HYOS IOD LACH MANC NUX-V PHYS RAT RHUS-T SANIC SIL THUJ TUB VALER

Mind; bathing, washing; desire for; cleanliness, mania for

agar am-i arist-cl ARS calc-s calop-s clad-r coca cur dysp-s electr excr-can gink heli herin ignis kryp LAC-C lac-l-g lux-s-p lycps lyss MED merc NAT-M nat-p neod neon nux-v ory-c oscilloc plat posit psor pter-a puls scirr sep sil SULPH SYPH tab tax thuj torul tritic-v uran vani-p

Mind; indifference, apathy (652)

Chief remedies for indifference:

AGAR ALUM AMBR ANAC ANT-T APIS ARG-N ARN ARS BAC BELL BOV BUFO CALC CARB-V CAUST CHAM CHIN CINA CON CROT-C FALCO-P FL-AC GERM HARP HELL HEP HYDR-AC IGN KALI-C LAC-H LACH LIL-T LYC MERC MEZ NAT-C NAT-M NAT-P NIT-AC NIT-S-D NUX-M ONOS OP PETR PH-AC PHOS PHYT PLAT POSIT PULS RHEUM RHOD SANG SEL SEP SIL STAPH STRAM SULPH TAB TELL THYR VERAT

Mind; mania, madness; alternating with; sadness

arg cadm CON cyt-l herin kres naja-m NAT-S phos psor STAPH stram sulfa TUB verat

SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19

New symptoms

Chills
Absence of fever
Loss of appetite
Pain in abdomen
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Chest tightness/pain
Muscle pain
Sore throat
Jaundice
General weakness

Throat as a target in second wave

Viral material can remain in the back of the throat and in nasal passages long after prodromes have abated.
“Active replication in the throat was confirmed by viral replicative RNA intermediates in throat samples. Sequence-distinct virus populations were consistently detected in throat and lung samples from the same patient, proving independent replication.

Shedding of viral RNA from sputum outlasted the end of symptoms. Seroconversion occurred after 7 days in 50% of patients (14 days in all) but was not followed by a rapid decline in viral load. COVID-19 can present as a mild upper respiratory tract illness. Active virus replication in the upper respiratory tract puts the prospects of COVID-19 containment in perspective”. – A new study published in the journal ‘Nature’.

RELATED RUBRIC

Throat; inflammation, sore throat; influenza, from:

acan-p acon ALL-C alum am-m apis ARS bar-c bell brom bry CAPS cham chin cocc coff dulc hep ign lach mang merc merc-cy nit-ac nux-v phos puls RHUS-T SABAD sulph trio verat

Differentiation from first wave

Sneezing is not a symptom and mucus is a rare symptom, as are dizziness, loss of consciousness, strokes, ataxia, epilepsy, neuralgia, heart failure, myocardial damage and Guillain Barré syndrome. Other rare symptoms are cardiac ischemia, sudden death, embolism and deep vein thrombosis, blurred vision, foreign body sensation and conjunctival congestion.

Children suffer from an ear infection, in addition to severe headaches and head pain, which was not seen during the first wave, especially among children aged two and three years (Syria).

Fever is the most likely first symptom of COVID-19. When one gets the flu, cough is the most likely first symptom.

CONCLUSION

In view of the unprecedented outbreak of Corona virus pandemic, homeopathy, the rational therapeutical therapy, has a large scope in several disease conditions of post-covid status.

It will be the responsibility of the homeopathic community to prepare the database and conduct the research to uplift the science and art of homeopathy to a high level as homeopathy possesses the intrinsic merit and the kind of lifetime opportunity of the century given by the Covid-19 outbreak.

**********