Acupuncture and Chinese herbs in the integrative management of post-COVID syndrome

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an RNA-type virus causing an acute respiratory infection (ARI) with different levels of severity ranging from a mild condition, like a common cold, to severe pneumonia and death. A clinical condition presenting 4–12 weeks after coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) infection, with persistent symptoms such as fatigue, cough, dyspnea, headache, myalgia, brain fog, and diarrhea, has been frequently recognized and is known today as post-COVID syndrome or long-COVID-19. Without a clear pathophysiology, research studies have proposed some secondary theories of SARS-CoV‑2 infection. This entity has also been studied from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, recognizing syndromes or patterns in the different stages or phases of the disease and emphasizing a more individualized treatment according to the predominant pathological condition. It is concluded that the integrative and complementary use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is highly effective and could be a main resource for the treatment of this syndrome.