7 Self-Help Methods for Pregnant Women Diagnosed with COVID-19! A Traditional Chinese Medicine Mom Shares Her Experience Fighting the Epidemic at Home: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbal Soups...

Hong Kong's confirmed cases have surpassed 30,000, and with more and more people around us testing positive, the public healthcare system is overwhelmed. Currently, even if you are diagnosed, experts recommend self-isolation at home if your symptoms are mild. If you are infected, you can only stay home and take care of yourself. Registered Chinese medicine practitioner Wong Ching-ching, who was over three months pregnant, was diagnosed in early February and subsequently developed COVID-19 symptoms. During her home isolation, she took multiple measures to protect herself, including making her own herbal soups to soothe her sore throat. She has now fully recovered. If you know a pregnant woman who has been diagnosed, you might want to check out Wong Ching-ching's self-care tips. Even if you are diagnosed, there is no need to panic excessively.

My experience with a confirmed pregnancy using Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Dr. Huang shared in a Facebook live broadcast that after being diagnosed on February 3, he developed symptoms such as low fever, headache, slight runny nose, and muscle aches all over the body. Although he described it as similar to a common cold, the muscle aches were particularly severe. He said, "I was lying in bed and my thighbones were so sore that I couldn't stand up." In addition, due to low blood sugar in the early stages of pregnancy, I had to lie in bed to rest all night. Dr. Huang said that after taking "Lianmao Qingre Granules" and "Lianhua Qingwen Capsules" once, her fever subsided that night, and her muscle aches and headaches were also greatly improved. However, she pointed out that "Cold Cold and Heat Granules" are not suitable for daily consumption. She suggested that pregnant mothers should not treat it as a supplement and take it every day. They should stop taking it if their symptoms improve. She said she only took the "Cold and Fever Relief Granules" for 2 days and the "Lotus Qingwen Capsules" for 4 days.

Dr. Huang took "cold and fever relief granules" after being diagnosed with the disease.

On February 12th, she experienced severe fever, cough, and sore throat, which lasted for two days. Her symptoms gradually subsided, and by the sixth day, her condition had significantly improved, with occasional coughing and less phlegm. By the eighth and ninth days, she felt over 90% better. Dr. Huang pointed out that, based on her own experience, tests are always negative when there are no symptoms or only mild symptoms; a positive result is usually obtained when obvious symptoms appear. Therefore, if you are a close contact, it is best to test daily for 3 to 5 consecutive days, or test again after symptoms appear. Furthermore, she reminded confirmed cases that even after testing negative, there is still a chance of testing positive again, therefore urging all confirmed cases to continue practicing good hygiene and disinfection measures even after recovery.

What should you do if you have no medicine at home?

Most Panadol and Vitamin C products on the market have been sold out, so Dr. Huang is sharing 7 self-help methods!

1. Be sure to drink plenty of warm water; drinking enough water can prevent a high fever.

2. If you are in self-isolation and family members living with you have not moved out in time, you must eat at different times, go in and out of the kitchen/toilet, spray to clean and disinfect after using the toilet, and family members and patients must wear masks 24 hours a day. Sleep in separate spaces to minimize the risk of transmission.

3. Eat a light diet and avoid fried, greasy, hard-to-digest, and heavy-flavored foods.

4. It is recommended to eat chicken, pork, eggs, white rice, meat porridge, freshwater fish, and various vegetables. A balanced diet can help us maintain good physical strength and the ability to resist disease.

5. Monitor body temperature changes. If the high fever persists above 39-40 degrees Celsius, or if there are symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, feeling of suffocation, coughing up blood, pale skin, or even coma, you must call 999 for help and go to the emergency room.

6. If the symptoms are not severe, keep a positive attitude, and self-isolate and rest for 5 to 7 days, you can make a full recovery.

7. Medications such as Panadol and antipyretics can be taken according to the instructions when experiencing headaches or fever. Commonly used traditional Chinese medicines include cold granules, herbal teas, Lianhua Qingwen capsules, Yinqiao powder, and Sangju drink. It is best to consult a doctor before taking these medications. Most TCM doctors now offer video consultation services. Pregnant women, young children, patients with chronic illnesses, and the elderly should not take medications on their own and should consult a professional for appropriate treatment.

The most important thing when diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy is to maintain a positive attitude.

Soups recommended for use during the pandemic

Common symptoms after diagnosis include sore throat, loss of voice, and excessive phlegm. Dr. Huang recommends making a soup with snow pears, apricot kernels, and lean pork: Ingredients: 1-2 snow pears, 6g each of apricot kernels and almond kernels, half a piece of dried tangerine peel, a small amount of lean pork/ribs. If there is a lot of yellow phlegm, add 10g of fritillaria cirrhosa. If you are prone to feeling cold, add 1-2 slices of ginger. Instructions: Wash the snow pears, do not peel, remove the core and cut into chunks. Add 6-8 bowls of water, bring to a boil, then add all the ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add salt or a small amount of honey to taste. This soup can soothe the throat, clear phlegm, and strengthen the spleen. The soup is relatively mild and can be consumed by most people.

The soup made with snow pears, almonds, and lean pork is mild in nature and can be consumed by most people.