Long Covid: how traditional Chinese medicine can help with symptoms from fatigue and persistent cough to erectile dysfunction
- More people are turning to traditional Chinese medicine to recover from long Covid, a Hong Kong-based practitioner says
- While there is no specific herb to treat long Covid – each patient is assessed according to their unique presentation – there are some broad guidelines
It had been a month since Hongkonger Sonia Cheng had tested positive for Covid-19, but her energy levels were still depleted. She was plagued by fatigue, a persistent cough and shortness of breath.
It wasn’t until the 28-year-old struggled to sing while washing dishes that she realised she needed to take action.
“I couldn’t sing, I was gasping for air. I felt like I could do with some extra help to recover, but I didn’t want to try harsh medicine or anything invasive,” she says.
As a child, Cheng had tried Chinese medicine, but disliked the bitter taste. However, in the past year she’d tried Chinese medicine for a urinary tract infection (UTI) and discovered that it now came in a more palatable powder form, so she decided to give it another go.
“I felt I’d been forever damaged by Covid. I thought my throat would never recover,” she says. “Going to a Chinese doctor made me feel I could borrow help from nature to bring myself back to health.”
Cheng is one of many seeking relief from lingering Covid-19 symptoms through the use of Chinese medicine.