Home remedies for treatment of COVID 19: Stories from recovered COVID-19 patients

Coronavirus is the most repetitious word in the world... But today we are not going to speak about the prevalence of it, instead, lets go around the city and go to the spicery shops to find out which of their products have sales more and what they are used for.

Report from: Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Vice Chancellery for Health
Published on: 14 November 2020

Presenter: Dr. Afroze Kazem, Director of Health Promotion & Education Department, ZAUMS

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Coronavirus is the most repetitious word in the world. But today we are not going to speak about the prevalence of it, instead, let"s go around the city and go to the spicery shops to find out which of their products have sales more and what they are used for.

Honey is useful for cough, with lemon juice used to strengthen the immune system. Honey with barberry juice or pomegranate juice is used for anorexia. Honey and cinnamon are good for body aches. Honey with rose water and saffron juice is used for relaxation.

Ginger is used to strengthen the immune system and to reduce coughing. Taking ginger prevents nausea. Ginger with cinnamon is used for reducing fatigue, lethargy and headaches.

Garlic strengthens the immune system; Smelling garlic is useful for alleviating cough and regaining the sense of smell and taste.

Hollyhock is useful for fever and sore throat.

Excessive use of detergents causes skin problems such as dryness and eczema. People use almond oil as a skin moisturizer.

Thyme and black tea is used for coughing.

These days people are very anxious and stressed out and they ask for relaxing infusions such as borage, orange blossom, lavender, Damask rose.

Massage with fennel flower oil and chamomile oil and violet flower oil is useful for reducing body pains.

People use hedge-mustard and damask rose infusions for constipation.

Willow barks and common chicory extracts are used for fever.

There are over thousands people have recovered from coronavirus, in the population covered by Zahedan University of Medical Sciences and we contacted them during several months and asked about their diet in the time of the infection. We put them in similar groups according to their obvious clinical symptoms.

Hello, have a good time

May I ask you a few questions?

Prunes and figs used for constipation.

I"m calling you from the Health Center.

What was your most severe symptom?

I was feeling tired and lethargic.

Do you have any underlying diseases?

Yes, I have diabetes. I used nettle extract to control it my blood sugar.

And from each group invited 1 or 2 persons here as representatives to share their experiences with us.

My obvious symptom was anorexia. Fruits such as apples, pomegranates, mango and lemon were useful for me. I also added ginger to my tea. I made snacks like rice pudding with black seed and cinnamon, or rice pudding with saffron and shredded almonds and pistachios, or wheat germ sweet pudding to help stimulate my appetite.

I had a high fever. I drank 8-10 glasses of water every day; I added some lemon, mint and cucumber to the water so that I didn"t feel nauseous. I also ate soup and fruits, and added mint and cinnamon to my tea.

A person with fever loses some amount of sodium and potassium through sweat. You can replace sodium lost by adding a little of salt to the soup and replace potassium lost by certain foods such as kiwi, banana, potato, tomato spinach, carrot, cabbage, and dairy products.

I suffered from shortness of breath. I drank a lot of fluids. I could not eat much, so I increased the number of meals and reduced their serving size; I used turmeric in my food because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Foods causing flatulence, spicy and oily food did worsen my shortness of breath. Inhalation of mint and hollyhock steam improved it.

Most of our patients have dyspnea: eating pickles, pepper, vinegar, salt and fat causes irritation and inflammation of the respiratory system. But eating proteins which is available in meat, eggs, dairy products and cereal strengthens the respiratory muscles and they improve breathing. Also drinking of fluids dilutes the secretions and all of them improve breathing.

What was your most sever symptom?

I had persistent coughs.

I drank hollyhock juice, thyme tea, herbal infusions, and ginger tea. I also drank lemon juice with honey, violet flower extract. Inhalation of eucalyptus and drinking hot milk was useful. I also used quince seeds in hot water.

Our next patient is a representative of the group of people with underlying disease such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.

I was feeling weak and lethargic; I rested most of the day but tried to walk in the backyard for half an hour a day. I drank a lot of fluid such as lemon tea with honey, cinnamon with ginger tea. I ate low-sugar homemade cake, diluted soup and boiled chicken. I limited eating red meat, but I ate egg and cereals such as lentils.

Did you take any kind of vitamin? Yes, I took capsules of 50,000 units of vitamin D per month.

Vitamins strengthen your immune system and prevent the progression of infectious diseases, but their effect on the treatment of coronavirus has not been proven and excessive use of them can have detrimental effect on your body, so instead of using vitamins, use natural foods.

My most severe and the worst symptom were nausea and vomiting. I increased the number of meals and reduced the serving size. I drank ginger tea, natural juice with ice, apple and banana juices. I used lemon and mint flavored candies. I did not eat fatty or flatulence-causing food. I also ate soup and liquids.

My obvious symptom was loss of taste and smell. I chewed on cinnamon sticks, smelled mint and garlic extracts. I rubbed rose water on my face and tried gargling dilute salt and water several times a day.

My sever symptom was diarrhea, and I ate yogurt with rice porridge, mashed potatoes, and chicken soup. I ate fruits such as bananas and apples. I drank 8-10 glasses of fluids every day.

I had constipation for the first two days, eating semi liquid foods such as soup, cereals, and vegetables and fruits, and plenty of fluids such as chia seeds juice, hedge-mustard drink.

Obesity is the worst consequences of the coronavirus. One of my dear guests is the wonderful family who was able to keep their weight and stay fit despite quarantine and the closure of sports clubs. Let’s ask them the secret to success.

Why are you so fit? It is because breakfast is mandatory at our home.

What kinds of plays you do at home? We do painting, hopping, cycling, hooping, and roping.

Instead of frying, I usually prepare food by steaming or boiling.

If I should use oil, I’ll use olive oil, sesame oil, or soy oils. I serve cabbage and carrots and seasonal fruits as a snack.

The serving size is not that big and we serve food or snacks at certain hours.

We do not eat fast food and soft drinks. Instead of soft drinks, we use home-made low-sugar fruit juices and buttermilk. I cook homemade cakes and add shredded nuts powder to my cake.

Children use parking lot to play. We do exercises at home, such as sit ups. We prefer using stairs rather than elevators.

Watching TV and internet is limited. We try to get together more than logging on the internet. I get help from kids to make food because they both can have fun and feel better during cooking.

After a long and stressful day, I invite you to a cup of peace, because life continues to grow in the shadow of the coronavirus.