Is a sore throat a sign of "Er Yang"? Here's what you need to know about "Er Yang"

Recently, many people have experienced sore throats and are worried that they have been infected with the novel coronavirus for the second time. Wang Guiqiang, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Peking University First Hospital, believes that there are many reasons for sore throats and that the cause needs to be identified and treated objectively.

The currently prevalent XBB variant is a recombinant variant of the novel coronavirus Omicron. Research data show that compared with the earlier prevalent Omicron variant, its transmission and immune escape abilities are stronger, but its pathogenicity has not changed significantly.

01

Is a sore throat “Er Yang”?

"In fact, there are many reasons for sore throat, including COVID-19, influenza, and many bacterial infections. They must be treated differently. If it is COVID-19, treat it as COVID-19. If it is a bacterial infection, antibiotics can be used if necessary." Wang Guiqiang said.

Wang Guiqiang said that actually sore throat is a common manifestation of upper respiratory tract infection. Everyone is the same, whether it is influenza virus or new coronavirus, or other bacterial infections, including mycoplasma and chlamydia, there will be sore throat, because the upper respiratory tract throat is a portal, so any infection, whether it is virus or bacteria, will affect the upper respiratory tract and will cause some symptoms, so it is not unique to the new coronavirus. So everyone may react differently, some people are more sensitive, and after infection, sore throat, razor throat, etc., all appear, so I think everyone should treat it objectively, not necessarily all new coronavirus.

02

What are the symptoms of "two yang"?

The symptoms of "two yang" are very mild. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, it belongs to wind-heat cold and shows the characteristics of wind-heat cold. Liu Qingquan, director of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, analyzed that now many places have turned from spring to summer, the weather is gradually getting hotter, and diseases caused by wind-heat will increase. After the second infection, wind-heat cold symptoms appear, such as sore throat, mild cough, low fever, etc. The use of traditional Chinese medicine to treat wind-heat cold is very effective, such as heat-clearing, wind-dispersing and throat-clearing drugs. After taking these drugs, the systemic symptoms of low-fever patients will gradually disappear.

Wang Guiqiang said that after a large number of people were infected at the end of last year, there is still effective protection, so even if they are infected again, their symptoms are generally mild. The course of the disease is also shorter, and the duration and degree of fever are lighter than the initial infection. Of course, these are different for each individual, and each person feels different, but overall, it is generally lighter than the initial infection.

03

What should I do if I don’t want “two yangs”?

Avoid going to crowded places, pay attention to hand hygiene, wear masks and maintain social distance in crowded and enclosed environments.

It is recommended that high-risk groups who have not been vaccinated receive vaccination to prevent the occurrence of severe illness.

"To maintain a healthy diet, it is best to eat a light diet." Liu Qingquan said that from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, people with internal heat accumulation are most likely to be affected by colds caused by wind-heat. Frequent consumption of oily, spicy, and salty foods will quickly cause internal heat accumulation, making it easy to catch a cold or be infected with the new coronavirus. Therefore, a light diet should be maintained, and the stomach and intestines should be kept clear to prevent heat accumulation in the stomach and intestines, which will reduce the chance of re-infection.

04

How can the elderly avoid "two yangs"?

Vaccination: Continue to advocate for the elderly to receive the new crown vaccine and increase the vaccination rates of full vaccination and booster shots.

Reduce going out: Try to reduce going out, especially avoid going to closed places where people gather. If you need to go out, be sure to wear a mask, pay attention to hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with external objects, and wash your hands frequently.

Chronic disease management: Manage underlying diseases well, take medication regularly, and do not stop taking medication because you are afraid of going to the hospital. You can ask your family to pick up the medication.

Maintain a regular schedule: Keep your mood relaxed, don’t be nervous, ensure sleep, eat regularly, drink plenty of water, and avoid smoking and drinking as much as possible.

05

How can children avoid "double yang"?

Eat less fast food and drink less carbonated drinks. Children and adolescents have a yang-heat constitution. Frequent consumption of fast food and drinking of carbonated drinks will cause heat accumulation in the body, greatly increasing the chance of infection with the new coronavirus.

After children are infected, the chance of spreading the virus increases because they come into contact with more people when they study and participate in activities at school, making them more susceptible to infection. Maintain a regular work and rest schedule, go to bed early, and eat a light diet.

06

What medicines should be prepared to deal with "double positive"

Wang Guiqiang said that in response to the two positives, in addition to antipyretic and analgesic drugs, antiviral treatment is recommended for people at high risk of severe illness. The general population can also consider using antiviral drugs in the early stage to achieve the effect of alleviating symptoms and shortening the course of the disease.

Source: National Health Commission