Coughing

 White smoke drifted slowly into the air, resembling a snake winding its way upward. John Wick glanced at the handgun in his hand and attached a silencer to it. The target was right behind the door in front of him.

"It's time to do it." he thought.

Little did he know that a rapid continuous coughs, like bursts of firecrackers, exposed his presence. He was forced to abort his mission and vanished into the night.

Having taken her medication and recovered from her fever and headache, Annie had spent quite a lot of time at home. She had almost finished watching all the series on Netflix. Having been diagnosed with COVID-19, she currently felt her body was somewhere in between good and bad. While her body condition had improved significantly compared to the first few days, she still experienced a decline in stamina. Engaging in aerobic exercises made her wheeze, and she continued to cough.

Coughing gave her great irritation and restlessness.

Coughing made her day.

When she tried to start doing things in the morning, she would cough a dozen or even twenty times before it ceased. Writing something, watching a show, or even drinking water required slow motion, fearing that she might trigger another round of unstoppable coughing.

I presume that everybody knows the impact of smoking on the body. Apart from nicotine, the combustion of tobacco and the particles produced by exterior packaging would enter the respiratory tract and lungs, prompting the body's natural response to expel foreign substances and leading to  coughing.

Vaccine? Check!

Antiviral medicine? Check!

"清冠一號"NRICM101? Check!

Essentially, the main force of the virus had been eradicated, leaving about ten percent of them acting like guerrilla fighters hidden in a jungle, sabotaging and messing up with the poor patients. Coughing is a common yet sometimes annoying sequela.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the formula "辛夷清肺飲" (Xin Yi Qing Fei Yin) includes ingredients like Xin Yi, Sheng Ma, and Pi Pa Ye, which facilitates lung circulation and helps eliminate phlegm lodging in the respiratory tract and bronchi. Huang Qin and Shi Gao are responsible for clearing heat in the lungs, acting like a fire-fighting team. Additionally, some Bai He and Mai Men Dong are added to replenish the depleted Lung Yin during the course of the illness.

Lung yin, in plain words, refers to the material composition of the lungs. Imagine it as bricks used to build a house, which can be damaged during a storm, repaired with Chinese medicine . 

The formula "生脈散" (Sheng Mai San) is quite simple, containing only three medical herbs. However, it can be particularly beneficial for patients experiencing weakened speech, physical fatigue, and dryness of the mouth and tongue:

Ginseng (人參) greatly boosts vitality and enhances physical strength and focus.

Mai Men Dong (麥門冬)  has a slightly cold attribute, helping to replenish Lung Yin and clear Lung Heat.

Wu Wei Zi (五味子)  has a sour and astringent attributes, which can consolidate Lung Qi, strengthening lung function.