An Update on Homeopathy Remedies for the Current Wave of Covid-19

Disclaimer: This article is only meant to stimulate discussion amongst professional homeopaths. It does not encourage people to take any homeopathic remedy without professional consultation. If you have symptoms similar to Covid-19, get yourself tested and consult your GP or homeopath.

The first wave of Covid-19 peaked in India in September 2020, with nearly 100,000 new cases every day. Then it started declining and came down to a level of around 12,000 cases per day by January 2021. This was a small number for a country with the size and population of India. Large parts seemed covid free and we were hoping to finally be free from this pandemic.

In March 2020, I published my initial assessment of Covid 19 symptoms with indicated homeopathic remedies. I argued that Bryonia seems to be a very close match. I updated that article till September 2020 with many updates, research data, and clinical experience. Bryonia alba did prove to be the most useful remedy last year with excellent reports from the world over and even an ICMR controlled trial showing a 75% efficacy.

Then in March 2021, a fresh wave of Covid-19 began with a few different strains of the virus. It has spread like a wildfire. We are already touching a quarter-million cases a day and experiencing partial lockdowns.

The current wave is still building up but I would like to share my assessment and experience early on, with the hope that it will prove useful to the community.

This Covid-19 Wave is different.

During last year, the most common symptoms were :

Fever, which was not too high, and often lasted for 2-4 days in most cases. Only in few cases, it was protracted.
Dry mouth, with increased thirst.
Bodyache
Loss of taste and smell
Dry cough

The current wave of Covid-19 seems different with the following symptoms:

Fever, which is usually high, often protracted, and with chills
Dry mouth but less thirst
Headache (more common than the last wave)
Conjunctivitis
Irritation in the throat. It feels more like a sore throat.
Productive cough
Hearing issues like tinnitus and hearing loss

Many other symptoms fluctuate in frequency and intensity. These include

diarrhoea and cramps
discolouration of toes and fingers
dizziness
nausea and vomiting
Aphthae etc.

Belladonna, Hepar sulphuris, Gelsemium.

I believe Belladonna or Gelsemium will help in most cases with high fever and early symptoms. I am seeing many cases where Gelsemium is helping. Hepar sulph will help (if the symptoms match of course) when the productive cough sets in.

Let us look at when and how to prescribe these remedies, with a few other remedies to consider.

Belladonna

The suddenness is one of the main characteristics of Belladonna. Everything comes in paroxysms with suddenness and goes with equal suddenness. But while it lasts, there seems to be a very intense and life-threatening situation.
Decreased mucus production in the nose and throat; consequent dry, sore throat, dry mouth.
Stopping of sweating; consequent decreased epidermal thermal dissipation leading to warm, blotchy, or red skin.
Increased body temperature
Pupil dilation; consequent sensitivity to bright light (photophobia)
Increased heart rate
Tendency to be easily startled
In Belladonna headaches, there is intense heat of the head with redness of the face.
Belladonna fevers are sudden, high grade, inflammatory and intermittent associated with heat of head and coldness of extremities or heat of head and coldness of back. There is heat and marked redness of the face, dryness of skin, dryness of the mouth with thirstlessness.
headache and pains are often throbbing and shooting in nature.
Desire for lemon or lemonade.
Discharges of Belladonna are usually hot like urine, menstrual discharge etc.
Worse- from all stimuli like light, noise, jar, motion etc.

Hepar sulphuris

Sensation of a plug or a fishbone or a splinter or rawness in throat. Stitches in throat extending to ear when swallowing; on turning the head. Hawking up of mucus. Pressive and constrictive sensation in throat.
Cough: dry, hoarse cough; excited whenever any part of the body gets cold or uncovered, or from eating (or drinking) anything cold; crying, talking, walking. Croup and loose, choking; barking, < cold drinks or in morning; hacking as from a feather.
Expectoration: Weakness and much rattling in the chest; can’t expectorate; tightens up in cold air; thick, yellow.
Sensitivity, pain, redness and tickling in larynx indicate Hepar.
Mentally Hep. patients are difficult and have a critical and discontented look.
Later stages of pneumonia, where dyspnoea is more pronounced, may need Antim-tart or Carbo-veg.
Aggravation: Cold air; open air. Undressing; uncovering. Touching the parts. Lying on the painful side; night.
Amelioration: From warmth. Covering. Damp wet weather

Aconite

Aconite cures cases that have a sudden onset, acute congestive in type, with high fever, high arterial tension, burning thirst, dry skin, fear and restlessness. The cough is dry and painful. The keynotes are:
Anxious look. (Expressions), Fear and restlessness. (Ars.), Sudden onset. (Bell.) Attacks following chilling from cold, dry winds or during cold spells of weather or after sweating.

Both Aconite and Belladonna have a sudden onset and high fever. To differentiate, remember Aconite has more anxiety, restlessness, and thirst as compared to Belladonna.

Gelsemium

Gelsemium has marked dullness, drowsiness, prostration, and thirstlessness.
Desire to be quiet, to be let alone, does not wish to speak, nor have anyone near her for company, even if the person be silent (Ignatia).
Fear of death (Arsenicum), utter lack of courage. Weakness and trembling, of tongue, hands, legs, of the entire body.
Headache: beginning in the cervical spine, pains extend over the head, causing a bursting sensation in the forehead and eyeballs (Sanguinaria, Silicea, begin in the same way, but are semi – lateral)
Great heaviness of the eyelids, cannot keep them open (Causticum, Graphites, Sepia).
Chill: Without thirst. Chill commences in the hands and feet (in recent cases – in old chronic cases, Nat. ). Chill ascending from feet, chill and chilliness, especially along the spine, running up the back from loins to the nape of the neck, and following each other in rapid wave-like succession from sacrum to occiput (running up and down the spine, Eup-purp. ). Chilliness with cold hands and feet, headache, and heat of head and face. Chilliness with tired, languid feeling in back and limbs, wants to avoid all muscular exertion.
Heat: Without thirst, intense burning. General heat, mostly about the head and face. Warmth over the whole body, as if sweat would break out, then chilly down the back.
Sweat coming gradually and moderately, always ameliorated the pains. The patient is nervous, irritable, easily angered.

An Update on Homeopathy Remedies for the Current Wave of Covid-19