PR99440

BEIJING, Jan. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been playing an important role in

China's fight against COVID-19.

As China is shifting the focus of its COVID-19 response from preventing

infections to protecting people's health and preventing severe cases, the

unique strength of TCM is further leveraged by health authorities to protect

the life and health of the people.

On January 5, China issued the 10th version of diagnosis and treatment protocol

for COVID-19, which fully reflects the valuable experience of using TCM in the

treatment of severe and critical cases. The new protocol introduces targeted

TCM treatments for severe cases, and puts forward relatively complete

therapeutic TCM solutions for children.

The country has also developed a unique plan to treat COVID-19 epidemic by

combining the use of both TCM and Western medicine for severe and critical

patients.

Currently, the importance of TCM in the battle against coronavirus is mainly

reflected in three aspects.

"First, intervention can be stratified for patients," Huang Luqi, deputy head

of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said on January

4 at a press conference. "Patients can choose proper TCM for home treatment to

reduce the overloading risk and pressure on medical institutions and resources."

Second, patients with mild and ordinary symptoms can depend on TCM as the

leading treatment, Huang noted.

Third, TCM plays a part in recovery. After nucleic acid turns negative, many

patients still undergo cough, fatigue, sweating and other symptoms.

"TCM can treat those symptoms and exert its function in overall regulation of

the body as a whole," Huang said.

China has been putting more and more effort to help patients in rural areas

with TCM.

In Daming County, Handan City of north China's Hebei Province, doctors are

going to rural sites, providing free consultations and diagnosis to elderly

villagers, and distributing free medicines, most of which are TCM and mixtures.

"I've got medicine here twice, and after taking the medicine, my family members

are feeling better," said resident Wang Aijiao.

"Our hospital and the fellow hospitals are sending doctors to villages twice a

week," said Yang Chenjuan, a doctor from the Daming Hospital of Traditional

Chinese Medicine.

"We also provide them with free Chinese herbal medicines, herbs for foot baths

and TCM fumigations, as well as offer more health advice," Yang said.

TCM companies across the country are using advanced manufacturing processes to

ensure adequate output of medicines, and refining and improving TCM theories

and practices to contain diseases.

The production lines of pharmaceuticals company Zhendong Group are running 24

hours a day to make the medicine products for prevention of COVID-19.

"We have invested more in production of proprietary Chinese medicines with

modern concepts, from the cultivation and storage of Chinese herbs to product

development. This is an opportunity for us to give back to society," said Li

Anping, president of of the company.

TCM therapy still offers effective treatment against new COVID-19 variants.

"Current variants are all causing upper respiratory infections," said Liu

Qingquan, president of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, at a

press conference on Monday, adding that the new variants spreading in other

countries such as BQ.1 or XBB are not fundamentally different from the BA.5.2

and BF.7 which have been predominantly circulating in China.

"Our TCM therapy still works," Liu said.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-01-11/TCM-continues-to-play-significant-role-in-treating-COVID-19-1gvsGymjqU0/index.html

SOURECE: CGTN