TCM Remedies for COVID-19: Snow Pear Soup to Relieve Sore Throat, Cough & Voice Loss

▲ Suffering from a cough, sore throat, or voice loss after COVID-19? Our TCM practitioner recommends a nourishing Snow Pear Soup to soothe your throat, reduce phlegm, and relieve your symptoms.

How can you relieve a sore throat and heavy phlegm after testing positive for COVID-19? Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner Wong Ching-ching caught the virus early this month while three months pregnant and was hospitalized 12 days later. During the initial stage, she suffered from a severe cough and a sore throat that caused her to lose her voice, which she managed to soothe by drinking Snow Pear Soup. Drawing from her personal experience, she now shares a widely suitable soup recipe designed to moisten the throat, resolve phlegm, clear internal heat, and strengthen the spleen.

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Dr. Wong points out that most young COVID-19 patients experience mild to moderate symptoms. Within 7 days, they may experience fever, chills, a sore throat, hoarseness, headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, body aches, a runny nose, coughing, productive cough (with white or yellow phlegm), and skin rashes. A small number of patients may also develop gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea. Patients infected with the Omicron variant are less likely to experience a loss of taste or smell.

Nourishing Snow Pear Soup with Almonds & Lean Pork

If you experience the three common symptoms of a sore throat, voice loss, and excess phlegm, Dr. Wong recommends drinking "Nourishing Snow Pear Soup with Almonds & Lean Pork" to alleviate the discomfort.

Benefits: Moistens the throat, resolves phlegm, clears heat, and strengthens the spleen. With its mild and balanced nature, it is suitable for most people to enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1–2 Snow Pears

• Sweet & Bitter Apricot Kernels (6g each)

• Aged Tangerine Peel (1/2 piece)

• A small amount of Lean Pork or Lean Pork Ribs

• 10g Tendrilleaf Fritillary Bulb (Optional: Add if experiencing yellow phlegm)

• 1–2 slices of Fresh Ginger (Optional: Add if you are sensitive to cold)

Directions: 

• 1. Wash the snow pears thoroughly. Do not peel them, but remove the cores and chop into pieces.

• 2.  Add 6 to 8 bowls of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add all ingredients and turn to medium heat; once it boils again, reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

• 3. Finally, season with an appropriate amount of salt or a small amount of honey to taste.

Dr. Wong explains the health benefits of the ingredients and key precautions:

• Snow Pear: Cool in nature and sweet in flavor. It helps clear internal heat, promote fluid production, moisten dryness, and resolve phlegm. It is highly suitable for patients presenting with a dry mouth, sore throat, or a cough with thick, yellow phlegm that is difficult to expectorate.

• Aged Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi): Warm in nature. It helps strengthen the spleen, dry dampness, regulate Qi (vital energy), and resolve phlegm. It effectively counteracts the cooling nature of the snow pear.

• Apricot Kernels (Almonds): Relieve coughing, soothe asthma, moisten the intestines, and promote bowel movements. Therefore, this soup is highly suitable for the majority of COVID-19 patients experiencing a sore throat, dry mouth, thirst, and excessive phlegm, helping to effectively alleviate their throat discomfort and coughs.

Dr. Wong reminds patients that those with a cold body constitution should avoid consuming this snow pear soup in excess. For COVID-19 patients experiencing a sore throat, it can be consumed daily. However, if the cough persists for a long time, or if the cough produces thin, clear, white phlegm, further consumption is not recommended. She emphasizes that while this soup helps soothe throat discomfort and clear phlegm, it serves as a dietary relief and cannot replace medical treatments for viral infections.

Tips for Fever Relief

Dr. Wong reminds patients that if a fever occurs, it is best to drink plenty of warm water, which not only helps prevent high fevers but also aids in lowering body temperature. She also shared that she and her husband took Vitamin C effervescent drinks at home to boost their immunity and alleviate cold symptoms.

Dietary Advice

In addition, she posted a reminder on her Facebook page that patients should maintain a light diet after testing positive, strictly avoiding deep-fried, oily, hard-to-digest, or heavily seasoned foods. She recommends consuming chicken, pork, eggs, white rice, meat congee, freshwater fish, and a variety of vegetables, as a balanced diet is essential for maintaining physical strength and the ability to fight off illnesses.