Community Resilience: COVID-19 Resources

Writing an herbal newsletter, it would be easy to dive into herb recommendations for keeping individuals healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. I'll get there! :) But herbs are inadequate to support health without a foundation that fosters community resilience, and I'd be remiss to pass over this.

I spent a few days in Pittsburgh last week with a friend, planning to enjoy a change of scenery. If we knew a week ago what we know now, we would have stayed home. We did our best to practice COVID-19 precaution, visiting Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at a low-traffic time; eating our one dinner out at 5pm at a totally empty Thai restaurant; opting out of activities that called for close quarters; walking and driving rather than using mass transit because we are privileged to have the choice. Still, we felt uneasy as we came to understand how important social distancing is right now to interrupt the skyrocketing of new cases.

Juliet Blankespoor, founder of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, shared this article by Tomas Pueyo. It explains the huge difference in outcomes between nations that are prepared and ill-prepared. "Countries that act fast can reduce the number of deaths by a factor of ten. And that’s just counting the fatality rate. Acting fast also drastically reduces the cases, making this even more of a no-brainer."

Americans, citizens of the wealthiest country in the world, are not living in a prepared country. We can help to soften the overwhelm of our healthcare system and workers by taking social distancing seriously, respecting and caring for those who are most vulnerable. Though one may not have local loved ones who are elderly or immunodeficient, folks they encounter out in the world most certainly do.

Pueyo states, "If we reduce the infections as much as possible, our healthcare system will be able to handle cases much better, driving the fatality rate down. And, if we spread this over time, we will reach a point where the rest of society can be vaccinated, eliminating the risk altogether."

There is plenty of information out there about how to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 through conscientious hygiene and social distancing, and you can click the previous World Health Organization link for more info. Now that I'm home in New York, I'm self-quarantining just in case I brought COVID-19 back with me. I am aware of what a privilege it is to have this option. My remote work with the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine allows me to type away in my home office, paid as usual. I can cancel herb classes in March and April because my remote work is paying the bills. I'm thinking of businesses and employees that do not have this luxury. 

With climate change, more disease and pandemics are likely on the way. Until we have a better social safety net in our country--health care for everyone, paid sick leave, and policies that support small businesses rather than exclusively favoring large corporations--our communities as a whole are more vulnerable. This New York Times article explains how COVID-19 reinforces poverty and, in turn, is spread in part due to inequality. If a huge percentage of workers cannot afford to take sick leave or go to the doctor, that puts everyone at risk. We are truly in this together.

If you are blessed with the privilege of staying home to work or from work (and other events) without serious financial strain, please take a moment and reflect on your good fortune. You have access to the best preventative medicine available--distance from other people--and this warrants gratitude. May we take our nervous energy and think about how we might support one another--particularly those who are more vulnerable during this time. 

For those feeling financial strain due to COVID-19, I love this blog's list of available support from government agencies and other organizations to help folks through this time. 

Below you'll find resources from herbalists I trust to support our immune systems and wellbeing. If you have questions or need additional help, feel free to reach out using the contact form on this website.

Sweet Flag Herbs classes are canceled for March (and likely April as well). I recommend you check out Kristin Grohman's Online Coronavirus Herbal Discussion this Wednesday, March 18th at 6:30pm. Details can be found at the Reciprocal Roots facebook page.

Remember to call friends and family you aren't seeing, and get outdoors to enjoy springtime emerging! New York State Parks are open, and Governor Cuomo waived all parking fees to boot. Check out the New York State Parks website for tips on visiting parks safely.

In this together,

Sarah Sorci
Sweet Flag Herbs

Herbal Resources for COVID-19

I'm grateful to the trusted herbalists who have already created quality content relevant to this issue. If you start reading an article below, please read the whole thing to catch any disclaimers or precautions the author wants you to hear. Keep in mind that this illness is as new to herbalists as it is to everyone else. We have relevant knowledge about immune support, related viruses, and respiratory symptoms, but we lack direct experience with COVID-19.

These articles offer a range of herbs that could be useful to stay healthy, or to help manage symptoms for those who are ill. Mountain Rose Herbs and other herb companies are swamped with orders right now, and may also be working with reduced staffing. This is a great time to support local herb shops like Herbal Magick in Lockport, Spice Bazaar in Amherst, local Asian and African markets, and Feel Rite. If your grocery store is all you have access to, you're in luck! Garlic, fresh ginger, and the spice and herbal tea aisles have got you covered. (And social distancing is still the best preventative medicine!)

Lifestyle choices are the foundation for supporting a healthy immune system. This article from Juliet Blankespoor offers suggestions around stress, sleep. nutrition, and more. It also introduces you to different categories of immune-supportive herbs and when they are appropriate.

Rosalee de la Foret offers this simple article about herbs for coronavirus. You'll find many of these plants at the grocery store or in your lawn.

If you'd like to dive in deeper, this list of Resources for Herbalists and Community Health Workers from the Vermont School of Integrative Health is excellent.

Dr. Aviva Romm offers this COVID-19 hub, including an article for pregnant and breastfeeding moms.

A Word About Elderberry & Cytokine Storm

Those who visit herbal discussion forums may have seen conversations about the dangers using elderberry with COVID-19 due to the potential risk of "cytokine storm." This is an uncommon inflammatory immune response that can damage tissue and organs. This article from Larken Bunce of the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism offers one response to this concern. She states:

Image: Ripening elderberries glow in the sun.

"The bottom line is that herbs and humans and our interactions are complex. While using research to ask better questions and be more specific in our use, we also want to look at clinical experience. Again, to my knowledge, no one has seen or suspected this cause and effect relationship (elderberry use = cytokine storm in viral infection) clinically. I personally am using elderberry and thoughtfully recommending it to my family and friends to stay well right now, **along with other herbs and approaches**. However, if I were to get sick and began to run a fever (sign of more pro-inflammatory cytokines), I would stop elderberry and move towards more appropriate herbs to address fever management--not suppression--like yarrow, elderflower, and peppermint and perhaps work on keeping mucus thin with aromatic herbs like garlic, ginger, horseradish and elecampane...

The point is that I would use elderberry when it’s appropriate and most effective and then shift to other herbs when they are more indicated. Not because I’m worried that elderberry will cause harm, but because other herbs will likely work better at different stages of illness."

Here is another short response to this warning from Elisa Song, MD, who believes this perceived risk is misguided.

Herbalists I trust are generally on the same page about the cytokine storm theory not likely being an issue. I resonate with their points, but I encourage you to read further if and make an informed decision for yourself. Elderberry is only one of many possible ways to support wellness and immunity. Individuals with autoimmune conditions and immunosuppression should talk with a practitioner before using immune-supportive herbs.