Public-private cooperation for pandemic preparedness and response

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A call to action

The next severe pandemic will not only cause great illness and loss of life but could also trigger major cascading economic and societal consequences that could contribute greatly to global impact and suffering. Efforts to prevent such consequences or respond to them as they unfold will require unprecedented levels of collaboration between governments, international organizations, and the private sector. There have been important efforts to engage the private sector in epidemic and outbreak preparedness at the national or regional level.^1,2 However, there are major unmet global vulnerabilities and international system challenges posed by pandemics that will require new robust forms of public-private cooperation to address.

The Event 201 pandemic exercise, conducted on October 18, 2019, vividly demonstrated a number of these important gaps in pandemic preparedness as well as some of the elements of the solutions between the public and private sectors that will be needed to fill them. The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, World Economic Forum, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation jointly propose the following:

1. Governments, international organizations, and businesses should plan now for how essential corporate capabilities will be utilized during a large-scale pandemic. During a severe pandemic, public sector efforts to control the outbreak are likely to become overwhelmed. But industry assets, if swiftly and appropriately deployed, could help to save lives and reduce economic losses. For instance, companies with operations focused on logistics, social media, or distribution systems will be needed to enable governments’ emergency response, risk communications, and medical countermeasure distribution efforts during a pandemic. This includes working together to ensure that strategic commodities are available and accessible for public health response. Contingency planning for a potential operational partnership between government and business will be complex, with many legal and organizational details to be addressed. Governments should work now to identify the most critical areas of need and reach out to industry players with the goal of finalizing agreements in advance of the next large pandemic. The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board would be well positioned to help monitor and contribute to the efforts that governments, international organizations and businesses should take for pandemic preparedness and response.
    
2. Industry, national governments, and international organizations should work together to enhance internationally held stockpiles of medical countermeasures (MCMs) to enable rapid and equitable distribution during a severe pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently has an influenza vaccine virtual stockpile, with contracts in place with pharmaceutical companies that have agreed to supply vaccines should WHO request them. As one possible approach, this virtual stockpile model could be expanded to augment WHO’s ability to distribute vaccines and therapeutics to countries in the greatest need during a severe pandemic. This should also include any available experimental vaccine stockpiles for any WHO R&D Blueprint pathogens to deploy in a clinical trial during outbreaks in collaboration with CEPI, GAVI, and WHO. Other approaches could involve regional stockpiles or bi- or multinational agreements. During a catastrophic outbreak, countries may be reluctant to part with scarce medical resources. A robust international stockpile could therefore help to ensure that low and middle resource settings receive needed supplies regardless of whether they produce such supplies domestically. Countries with national supplies or domestic manufacturing capabilities should commit to donating some supply/product to this virtual stockpile. Countries should support this effort through the provision of additional funding.
    
3. Countries, international organizations, and global transportation companies should work together to maintain travel and trade during severe pandemics. Travel and trade are essential to the global economy as well as to national and even local economies, and they should be maintained even in the face of a pandemic. Improved decision-making, coordination, and communications between the public and private sectors, relating to risk, travel advisories, import/export restrictions, and border measures will be needed. The fear and uncertainty experienced during past outbreaks, even those limited to a national or regional level, have sometimes led to unjustified border measures, the closure of customer-facing businesses, import bans, and the cancellation of airline flights and international shipping. A particularly fast-moving and lethal pandemic could therefore result in political decisions to slow or stop movement of people and goods, potentially harming economies already vulnerable in the face of an outbreak. Ministries of Health and other government agencies should work together now with international airlines and global shipping companies to develop realistic response scenarios and start a contingency planning process with the goal of mitigating economic damage by maintaining key travel and trade routes during a large-scale pandemic. Supporting continued trade and travel in such an extreme circumstance may require the provision of enhanced disease control measures and personal protective equipment for transportation workers, government subsidies to support critical trade routes, and potentially liability protection in certain cases. International organizations including WHO, the International Air Transport Association, and the International Civil Aviation Organization should be partners in these preparedness and response efforts.
    
4. Governments should provide more resources and support for the development and surge manufacturing of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics that will be needed during a severe pandemic. In the event of a severe pandemic, countries may need population-level supplies of safe and effective medical countermeasures, including vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Therefore, the ability to rapidly develop, manufacture, distribute, and dispense large quantities of MCMs will be needed to contain and control a global outbreak. Countries with enough resources should greatly increase this capability. In coordination with WHO, CEPI, GAVI, and other relevant multilateral and domestic mechanisms, investments should be made in new technologies and industrial approaches, that will allow concomitant distributed manufacturing. This will require addressing legal and regulatory barriers among other issues.
    
5. Global business should recognize the economic burden of pandemics and fight for stronger preparedness. In addition to investing more in preparing their own companies and industries, business leaders and their shareholders should actively engage with governments and advocate for increased resources for pandemic preparedness. Globally, there has been a lack of attention and investment in preparing for high-impact pandemics, and business is largely not involved in existing efforts. To a significant extent this is due to a lack of awareness of the business risks posed by a pandemic. Tools should be built that help large private sector companies visualize business risks posed by infectious disease and pathways to mitigate risk through public-private cooperation to strengthen preparedness. A severe pandemic would greatly interfere with workforce health, business operations, and the movement of goods and services.³ A catastrophic-level outbreak can also have profound and long-lasting effects on entire industries, the economy, and societies in which business operates. While governments and public health authorities serve as the first line of defense against fast-moving outbreaks, their efforts are chronically under-funded and lack sustained support. Global business leaders should play a far more dynamic role as advocates with a stake in stronger pandemic preparedness.
    
6. International organizations should prioritize reducing economic impacts of epidemics and pandemics. Much of the economic harm resulting from a pandemic is likely to be due to counterproductive behavior of individuals, companies, and countries. For example, actions that lead to disruption of travel and trade or that change consumer behavior can greatly damage economies. In addition to other response activities, an increase in and reassessment of pandemic financial support will certainly be needed in a severe pandemic as many sectors of society may need financial support during or after a severe pandemic, including healthcare institutions, essential businesses, and national governments Furthermore, the ways in which these existing funds can now be used are limited. The International Health Regulations prioritize both minimizing public health risks and avoiding unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade. But there will also be a need to identify critical nodes of the banking system and global and national economies that are too essential to fail – there are some that are likely to need emergency international financial support as well. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, regional development banks, national governments, foundations, and others should explore ways to increase the amount and availability of funds in a pandemic and ensure that they can be flexibly used where needed.
    
7. Governments and the private sector should assign a greater priority to developing methods to combat mis- and disinformation prior to the next pandemic response. Governments will need to partner with traditional and social media companies to research and develop nimble approaches to countering misinformation. This will require developing the ability to flood media with fast, accurate, and consistent information. Public health authorities should work with private employers and trusted community leaders such as faith leaders, to promulgate factual information to employees and citizens. Trusted, influential private-sector employers should create the capacity to readily and reliably augment public messaging, manage rumors and misinformation, and amplify credible information to support emergency public communications. National public health agencies should work in close collaboration with WHO to create the capability to rapidly develop and release consistent health messages. For their part, media companies should commit to ensuring that authoritative messages are prioritized and that false messages are suppressed including though the use of technology.

Accomplishing the above goals will require collaboration among governments, international organizations and global business. If these recommendations are robustly pursued, major progress can be made to diminish the potential impact and consequences of pandemics. We call on leaders in global business, international organizations, and national governments to launch an ambitious effort to work together to build a world better prepared for a severe pandemic.

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¹ Global Health Security: Epidemics Readiness Accelerator. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/projects/managing-the-risk-and-impact-of-future-epidemics. Accessed 11/19/19

² Private Sector Roundtable. Global health Security Agenda. https://ghsagenda.org/home/joining-the-ghsa/psrt/. Accessed 11/19/19

³ Peter Sands. Outbreak readiness and business impact: protecting lives and livelihoods across the global economy. World Economic Forum 2019. https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/outbreak-readiness-and-business-impact-protecting-lives-and-livelihoods-across-the-global-economy. Accessed 12/5/19

4 Ways to Get Rid of Tonsillitis

By Jillian Levy, CHHC

June 18, 2018

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When most people think of tonsillitis, they envision a child with swollen glands who has to get his or her tonsils removed. From there, it’s all visions of ice cream and jello and a reason to miss school while eating dessert for a meal.

The fact is that tonsillitis affects more than just children — and surgery is not (!) always the best course of treatment. This may be a bummer to school kids everywhere looking for an extreme reason to miss school and enjoy their favorite frozen treat, but there are safer, more natural ways to treat tonsillitis.

As with most maladies today, it begins with your diet, along with your lifestyle choices. So what are the symptoms and causes of tonsillitis, and what are the best tonsillitis natural remedies? Let’s dig in!

What Is Tonsillitis?

Acute tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils caused by a virus or bacterial infection. The tonsils are two small, oval-shaped pads located in your throat, which have the important job of blocking bacteria and pathogens from invading the body once they enter through the mouth. Surgery to remove at least part of the tonsils (called a tonsillectomy) is one of the most common procedures during childhood. (1) While tonsillitis and other short-term infections of the tonsils occur most often in children, anyone can be affected by viruses or bacterial infections within the tonsils no matter his or her age.

Tonsillitis can be caused by both viruses and infections that are “bacterial” in nature. The majority of tonsillitis cases are caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, a type of bacterial pathogen. (2) For decades, treatment for sore throats and tonsillitis centered around antibiotics, including penicillin. However, this approach doesn’t always work longterm to solve the underlying problem — especially if the cause is viral — and can also come with some unwanted side effects.

There are all types of bacteria, viruses and fungi present within the throat, including within the tonsils, which belong to the healthy microflora that live within the body. Billions of bacteria populate every part of the body, especially the gut, but normally these bacteria don’t cause any harm. In fact, we need certain types of microbes to help with things like immune responses, digestion, nutrient absorption, weight control and hormonal balance (the kind of bacteria we often call probiotics).

The body doesn’t even respond negatively to all potentially harmful bacteria that are present, as long as they don’t begin rapidly reproducing. For example, studies show that around 10 percent of healthy children have Strepptococcus pyogenes bacteria present within their tonsils at all times but still suffer no health consequences. (3) The trouble begins when “bad bacteria” start to multiply and outnumber beneficial bacteria, leading to infections that can cause pain, swelling and disease-causing inflammation.

The best approach to treating tonsillitis is preventing the inflammation from occurring in the first place or getting worse, while also increasing your immune function through a healthy diet, taking antiviral herbs and avoiding anything that puts extra stress your body. One of the biggest reasons to avoid a tonsillectomy is because your tonsils are key players in keeping you from getting sick; removing the tissue within the throat that captures pathogens means more are likely to make their way further into your system.

Symptoms

Common signs and symptoms of tonsillitis include: (4)

• painful swollen tonsils
• sore throat
• difficulty swallowing normally
• tender lymph nodes on the sides of the throat and neck (which you can usually feel if you apply pressure to this area)
• redness surrounding the tonsils and throat
• fever or chills
• white or yellow coating on the tonsils
• painful blisters or ulcers on the throat
• changes in the ability to talk, loss of voice
• headaches
• loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting
• pain in the ears and neck
• bad breath

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of acute tonsillitis has to come from a doctor, who will likely observe the tonsils and do a swab test (also called a rapid strep test) to look for the presence of bacteria. Tonsillitis can be hard to distinguish from other viral or bacterial infections within the throat, such as a cold or flu, so don’t assume that tonsillitis is the cause of pain right away.

The good news is that tonsillitis is usually obvious, and simply having swollen tonsils that aren’t painful or don’t cause other problems doesn’t mean you need to be treated. This can commonly go away on its own as your body fights off any presence of increased bacteria. (5)

Most cases of swollen tonsils don’t require antibiotics and can clear up if you give it time. One of the problems with diagnosing tonsillitis is that bacteria isn’t always the cause, and viral infections won’t show up on a swab test. If the swab test for bacteria comes up negative but all symptoms of tonsillitis are present, your physician will still likely diagnose tonsillitis. The next step is to appropriately treat the condition — for example, not prescribing antibiotics if a virus is to blame, since antibiotics don’t kill viral infections!

If the infection is viral in nature, you need to fight it off naturally, and even if bacteria is to blame, you can treat it without the inference of antibiotics. (6)  You can naturally improve recovery time and help prevent future infections by following the immune-boosting tips below.

Natural Remedies

1. Get Plenty of Rest

When your body’s under stress, you need plenty of downtime to help speed up healing. Prioritize getting good sleep (at least seven to nine hours a night), give yourself a break from the gym or your usual exercise routine for a few days, and do what you can to reduce stress. Any unwanted stress takes away your body’s limited energy, which you want to put toward getting better fast.

2. Naturally Treat Painful Symptoms of the Throat

A swollen, sore throat is very common in people with tonsillitis, so ease the pain by doing what you can at home before turning to prescriptions or even over-the-counter painkillers. Try drinking warm water to help ease discomfort in the throat. Some people also prefer sucking on ice or drinking very cold fluids to soothe swelling, so this is a matter of preference.

Since you’ll likely have trouble swallowing, try eating soft and smooth foods like vegetable juices, fruit smoothies, apple sauce or mashed potatoes, soup (if it’s not too irritating), and yogurt, for example. Drink plenty of fluids to flush out the system and keep hydrated, but be careful of anything irritating like very hot fluids, sugary or acidic drinks, or carbonated beverages.

It also helps to gargle with warm salt water or suck on soothing lozenges, such as natural ones that contain numbing ingredients like fennel/licorice. Licorice root has been used to help treat inflamed or sore throats for centuries, and studies show it’s effective for lowering pain when added to a gargle solution with water. (7)

Gargling often with warm salt water is a good option for anyone who’s 8 or older. You can make your own simple mixture at home by combining on teaspoon (five grams) salt with eight fluid ounces (240 milliliters) of warm water.

Finally, don’t forget that raw honey is an age-old effective treatment for sore throat problems. Raw honey can be mixed with cinnamon or ginger and water, or stirred into soothing herbal tea. Some studies have found that honey has natural inhibitory effects on around 60 different species of bacteria, some species of fungi and viruses too! It can help treat pain and other infection symptoms within the respiratory tract as well as work as a cough medication. (8) Raw honey is also great for speeding up healing since it naturally contains antibacterial and antiviral properties.

If you’re still in a lot of pain, be careful if you choose to take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, which can help you sleep and control excess swelling. Many aren’t safe for young children and contain active or extra ingredients that aren’t going to help solve the problem. Don’t use antiseptic mouthwashes, decongestants and antihistamines, which don’t fight the causes of tonsillitis and might even wind up adding more pain.

3. Try Using a Vaporizer or Humidifier

Vaporizers and humidifiers help moisten indoor dry air, which can relieve discomfort and pain in the mouth and throat caused by constantly breathing in treated indoor air. This is especially true in the winter months when we don’t get to spend as much time outdoors, where we’re exposed to fresh air. The cleaner the air you breath, the less swollen your air passages should feel and the quicker your body can recover from infection.

4. Help Your Immune System Become Stronger

The better you take care of yourself in general, the less likely you are to suffer from infections of any kind. One of the best ways to prevent infections and inflammation from occurring anywhere in the body is to eat a nutrient-dense diet that promotes a strong immune system. An anti-inflammatory food-based diet helps keep circulation flowing, allowing the immune system to respond effectively to perceived threats and carry bacteria or viruses from the body more quickly.

Focus on eating a nutrient-dense diet, which means less toxins and chemicals enter your body and put pressure on your lymphatic system. Foods to avoid for optimal immunity include any that upset your digestive, circulatory and immune systems, such as:

• common allergens, like dairy products, gluten, soy, shellfish or nightshades
• low-quality animal products
• crops heavily sprayed with pesticides
• refined vegetable oils
• processed foods that contain chemical toxins, preservatives and artificial ingredients
• high-sugar packaged snacks made with refined and bleached grains

Supply your body with much-needed nutrients and antioxidants, including:

• green leafy vegetables (and other colorful produce)
• cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.)
• berries
• omega-3 foods, like salmon and wild seafood
• nuts and seeds (chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, etc.)
• unrefined oils (like extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil)
• herbs and spices (raw honey, ginger, turmeric, garlic, for example)

Certain supplements and essential oils can also be beneficial for reducing swelling in lymph nodes, including the tonsils. These include lemon, myrrh, oregano, cypress and frankincense essential oils, which can be massaged into the throat area when combined with a carrier oil.

Slippery elm, licorice root, marshmallow root, burdock root, sage and echinacea are all natural herbs used for increased wound healing, lowering inflammation, and relieving coughs, sore throats and pain. Slippery elm and marshmallow root, for example, become gel-like when mixed with water and coat the throat to ease discomfort.

These herbal remedies can be found in teas, liquid tinctures or capsules. Try drinking several cups of tea daily or making your own mixture containing 30 to 40 drops of tincture mixed with water.

Causes

The tonsils are considered “guardians” since they’re a part of the immune system, specifically the lymphatic system, and are made up of tissue that acts as a natural germ filter. The tonsils are one of our first lines of defense, since they normally trap germs (bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.) that make their way into the mouth or nose and threaten the immune system.

They’re responsible for tackling threatening pathogens soon after they enter the body, stopping them from potentially traveling further into the body and causing infections. (9) The production of germ-fighting antibodies is one of the most important roles for the tonsils, since these white blood cells attack bacteria that are deemed dangerous.

Only a portion of the tonsils can be seen when someone opens her mouth, but other parts are situated above the roof of the throat and as far back as the base of the tongue. Together, the different parts of the tonsils form a ring where the mouth and nasal cavity meet the throat (the tonsillar ring), which is located at the perfect spot to intercept viruses or bacteria. Because they always come into contact with outside particles, the tonsils are often inflamed and enlarged, but this doesn’t always signify a problem.

However, when there’s an influx of bacteria or other germs, the tonsils become overworked, very inflamed and infected themselves. This is what causes tonsillitis, which is accompanied by swelling, pain, tenderness and other symptoms common with infections.

Surgery/Antibiotics: Safe or Even Necessary for Tonsillitis?

For years, the first line of defense against tonsillitis (and many other infections, for that matter, such as ear infections like “swimmer’s ear”) was to prescribe antibiotics. However, today we know that frequent use of antibiotics, especially over long periods, increases the risk for antibiotic resistance as well as allergies and other problems.

It’s alarming how many children receive multiple courses of antibiotics before making it to their teenage years, which can unfortunately change the bacterial environment within the gut. Every time you take antibiotics, you essentially kill off “good,” sensitive bacteria in the body in addition to bad bacteria causing infections.

Good bacteria have the important role of reducing and balancing all types of harmful pathogens in the body, so we suffer when populations of these “good bugs” are greatly reduced. If even a small percentage of bad bacteria remain, they can multiply and spread without enough good bacteria present to combat them.

Some experts feel that antibiotics for tonsillitis aren’t appropriate and are overprescribed. According to the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Munich, “microbiological screening tests in children without symptoms are senseless and do not justify an antibiotic treatment.” Many doctors now encourage patients to think twice about asking for prescription antibiotics since sore throats and other infections are commonly viral in nature (not bacterial infections), which aren’t helped by antibiotics. (10)

Before starting any antibiotic treatment, you want confirmation from your physician that bacterial tonsillitis is definitely the cause of your condition, which can be determined pretty effectively using swabs. Be careful that if a swab test comes back negative, you don’t immediately begin taking antibiotics anyway. In some cases, doctors automatically prescribe antibiotics based on physical symptoms alone and no presence of bacteria, but there’s no guarantee that this even works. (11)

And even when antibiotics are needed to treat acute tonsillitis after trying short-term steroid treatments or over-the-counter painkillers first, antibiotic therapy should only last for as little time as possible, which is just as effective as traditional 10-day therapies. Antibiotics can be given in a single shot or taken for up to 10–20 days by mouth (split into two treatments to kill off the infection), so always take the minimum dose needed.

When it comes to surgery, experts warn that a tonsillectomy (to remove either a part of the tonsils or the whole thing) should be a last-resort treatment option. This is especially true for young children under 6 years old, who should only have a tonsillectomy if they experience reoccurring bacterial tonsillitis that doesn’t respond to other natural or prescription treatments.

Removal of the tonsils — usually done with a scalpel but now also commonly performed with targeted lasers, radio waves, ultrasonic energy or electrocautery to cut, burn or evaporate away parts of the tonsils — can be painful and risky, since it removes lymphatic tissue that is normally protective. Tonsillectomy is a surgery (usually taking about 45 minutes and performed in an outpatient setting) and therefore involves anesthesia, risk for infection, scar-tissue formation or fever, and at least seven to 10 days to rest and recover.

In fact, results of a recent study published in the JAMA: Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery demonstrate that removing the tonsils and/or adenoids can lead to other health problems later in life. In a population-based cohort study of 1,189,061 children born in Denmark between 1979 and 1999, researchers followed the outcomes of children with initial overall similar health who received these surgeries and a control group of children who did not receive the surgeries. The study participants were followed for at least 10 years of their life and up to 30 years, depending on when they joined the study. (12)

Of the participants, 1,157,684 children were in the control group, meaning they did not have any of the surgeries. The remaining children were broken out as follows: 17,460 received an adenoidectomy; 11,830 received a tonsillectomy; and 31,377 received an adenotonsillectomy (both adenoids and tonsils were removed). The researchers found that the participants who had received these surgeries as children experienced a “2- to 3-fold increase in diseases of the upper respiratory tract” and also an increase in “infectious and allergic diseases.” The researchers concluded that these surgeries result in long-term health risks that it’s important to consider this when deciding whether or not to go through with one of these procedures. (12)

The 2011 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery’s “Clinical Practice Guideline: Tonsillectomy in Children” currently recommends diagnosis of recurrent tonsillitis only if seven or more clinical episodes of throat infection occur in the preceding year or 10 or more occur in the two preceding years. However, these guidelines are under review and expected to update in Fall 2018. In all other cases, it’s best to try to solve the problem as naturally as possible before considering even partial removal of the tonsils (called partial tonsillectomy), which has lower risks for side effects and requires less recovery time than full removal. (13, 14)

Final Thoughts

• Acute tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils that may be caused by harmful bacteria or a virus.
• Diagnosis of acute tonsillitis has to come from a doctor, who will likely observe the tonsils and do a swab test (also called a rapid strep test) to look for the presence of bacteria.
• The tonsils are considered “guardians” since they’re a part of the immune system, specifically the lymphatic system, and are made up of tissue that acts as a natural germ filter.
• Experts warn that a tonsillectomy (to remove either a part of the tonsils or the whole thing) should be a last-resort treatment option.

4 Natural Remedies for Tonsillitis

1. Get plenty of rest.
2. Help treat painful sore throat symptoms by drinking warm water, gargling with warm salt water.
3. Use a vaporizer or humidifier.
4. Boost your immune system by eating a nutrient-dense diet.

Read Next: Strep Throat Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

10 Antiviral Herbs to Naturally Fight Infection & How to Use Them

by Megan Patiry

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There’s no need to explain the dread and exhaustion that comes with fighting a virus. Whether it be the common cold or the flu — the nausea, congestion, and other symptoms, can almost be too much to bear.

These symptoms usually result in fleeing to your doctor, in search of a pill, to make it all go away as fast as possible. And while there is definitely a time and place for prescription medications, have you paused for a moment to consider a prescription from nature?

Why Use Herbs to Fight Viruses?

Unlike prescription medicines, whose list of potential side effects are often longer than their list of benefits, antiviral herbs often have little to no side effects. These herbs can be traced back to as early as Ancient Egypt and China, where they were also used as natural remedies.

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Many, like licorice root, are also so effective that they are being considered for use as broad-spectrum, non-prescription antivirals (1).

By sticking with these antiviral herbs, you can stop viruses in their tracks, boost your immune system, and avoid the chemical toxins found in prescription drugs.

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Top 10 Antiviral Herbs

1. Oregano

It turns out that this fragrant herb offers far more than a zesty flavor. Oregano, and specifically oregano oil that has been extracted from the plant, contains significant antiviral properties. Studies show its active component, carvacrol, can inactivate viruses like human norovirus (sometimes referred to as the “vomit bug”) within one hour of contact (2). [tweet_quote]Oregano has the power to “inactivate” the human norovirus within an hour of contact.[/tweet_quote]

In addition, Mexican oregano oil has been shown to be effective against viruses like acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type 1 and human respiratory syncytial virus (3).

Keep in mind, that while it’s great to cook with oregano, you might need to go the oil route to get the most antiviral benefits.

2. Echinacea

Echinacea is one of the most popular antiviral herbs on the market when it comes to fighting viruses and bacteria, and for good reason. Not only does it have the ability to boost your immune system by stimulating the production of cells to help fight infections, but it also contains phytochemicals that fight and help reduce infections once they occur (4).

3. Garlic

From ancient India to the medieval streets of Europe, garlic has a long history of use when it comes to infections. Some of these uses included using garlic as a treatment for leprosy, parasitic infections, and as an antibiotic for infectious diseases (5).

Today, garlic’s reputation as a potent antimicrobial is well-known. Studies have shown that it has the ability to combat the flu virus, the common head cold virus, HIV, and pneumonia, to name a few (6).

4. Elderberry

If you’re suffering from the flu, elderberry should be your go-to for relief. Studies have shown that people infected with influenza virus A and B experience 91 percent improvement after taking elderberry for seven days, while also reducing their fevers and increasing their feelings of improvement (7). [tweet_quote]If you’ve got the flu, reach for some elderberry. It’ll boost your immune system while eradicating the virus.[/tweet_quote]

Elderberry is commonly taken alongside echinacea to boost your immune system, while at the same time eradicating the flu virus.

5. Astragalus Root

Astragalus root is more well-known as an adaptogen herb whose role is to help improve your body’s reaction to stress. However, research has shown this root also contains powerful antiviral properties.

One study revealed that astragalus root is effective at inhibiting the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), while another showed that it inhibits RNA replication in some virus strains (8, 9). In simple terms, astragalus root could be your best friend whenever you’re looking to stop a virus from multiplying and getting worse.

6. Olive Leaf

Olive leaf, which indeed hails from the olive tree, is another fantastic antiviral. It’s main compound, oleuropein, has been shown to inhibit the spreading of viruses by not allowing them to attach to healthy cells. In addition, studies have shown that exposing certain viruses to oleuropein in their early stages reduced their infection potential by 10 to 30 percent (10).

Other studies have even shown that olive leaf can inhibit certain antiviral effects on HIV by inhibiting replication (11).

7. Ginger

Not only is ginger an excellent remedy for the nausea and stomach upset you might feel when fighting a virus, but it also wages war against the virus itself. It does this by blocking the attachment of viruses to areas that are commonly infected first, like your airways (12).

Keep in mind that many of the studies showing ginger’s effectiveness use fresh ginger rather than dried.

8. Licorice Root

Licorice root has been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its antiviral effects. Modern studies have caught up, and now conclude that compounds in the root called triterpenoids are extremely effective when it comes to viral immunity. It has been shown to have antiviral effects against viruses like the herpes virus, SARS, HIV, and influenza, and is being recognized as a potential broad-spectrum antiviral (13).

9. Cat’s Claw

Cat’s claw, hailing from a woody vine in the Amazon rainforest, is another herb with spectacular antiviral properties. Specifically, cat’s claw works to supercharge your immune system, while simultaneously repairing damaged DNA and boosting your virus-fighting white blood cells (14).

10. Calendula

Calendula, also called pot marigold, is mainly used throughout the Western world as an ornamental plant. However, calendula’s flowers have been shown to fight viruses like rhinovirus and vesicular stomatitis by reducing their multiplication (15). [tweet_quote]Calendula, aka pot marigold, is more than just a pretty flower. It can heal infections, ulcers and ear infections![/tweet_quote]

Calendula is also recognized as a cleansing herb that helps treat chronic infections and reduces inflammation, as well as helping heal ulcers and eradicate ear infections (16).

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How to Use Antiviral Herbs

Teas

Try steeping any of these antiviral herbs into a tea. Add 1 tablespoon of your favorite herb to 1 cup of hot water, and let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes. To naturally sweeten your tea and boost its nourishing properties, add a bit of honey (we like to use 100% raw honey by Beekeeper’s Naturals).

Alternatively, you can purchase pre-packaged teas such as ginger, licorice, or elderberry.

Oils

Combine 1 to 2 drops of antiviral essential oils with a carrier oil (like coconut oil or jojoba oil), and rub them onto your chest or feet, or add 2 to 3 drops to a warm bath.

Diffusers and Steams

Another way to use antiviral herbs, in their essential oil form, is to add around 7 drops to an essential oil diffuser, if you have one.

Alternatively, you can make an antiviral steam treatment by adding an oil to just-boiled water and inhaling the steam. This method is great for head colds and upper respiratory viruses.

Supplements

If you’re short on time, purchasing these antiviral herbs in supplement form might be your next best option. Many of these can be found in your local heath food shop in standalone capsules, or in combination as part of an antiviral blend.

Recipes

Try upping the amount of garlic and oregano in your recipes when you’re suffering from a virus. Roast garlic in the oven with chicken and veggies, add sautéed garlic and oregano to eggs for a Mediterranean twist, or add chopped garlic and oregano to spaghetti squash “pasta.” Or make a batch of these easy, slow-cooker garlic and oregano mushrooms!

Dosages

While it may be tempting to down as many antiviral herbs as you can to get rid of your virus, keep in mind that while most have little to no negative side effects to date, that doesn’t mean that you should take an unreasonable amount. Use them, but avoid going overboard. And as always, consult with your doctor first, especially if you are pregnant or taking other medications.

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