Traditional Chinese medicine helping global fight against COVID-19

Lung cleansing and detoxifying preparation, though difficult to understand even for Chinese, is becoming a familiar name to many foreign physicians treating COVID-19 infections.

The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation, discovered and then widely used during China's epidemic outbreak, has been used in various countries including Italy, Britain, the United States, Japan and Malaysia, with positive results, said Wang Wei, deputy head of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

Zhang Boli, president of the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said Lianhua Qingwen capsules and granules, another recommended TCM for the treatment of COVID-19, has received marketing approval in more than 10 countries and regions and has been donated to several other countries.

"We are working with the University of Southern California on phase-two clinical trials of lung diffusing and detoxifying preparation," Zhang said. "They are paying close attention to the medicine and the experiment results we have achieved."

People overseas have taken an interest in more than just these medications. Various treatment schemes combining TCM with Western medicine have also gained traction.

Zhang has joined dozens of video sessions this year to share his clinical experience in treating COVID-19 patients with medics in other countries.

At a video conference held by the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), Kuo Tong Ho, vice president of the Singapore Chinese Physicians' Association, said the Singaporean government on May 5 permitted the use of Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion in treating COVID-19 patients.

Kuo said the TCM prevention and treatment model had been effective in Singapore and welcomed Chinese experts to visit his country to offer guidance.

In order to meet the demands of foreign physicians for TCM treatment schemes for the disease, the WFAS has held 29 online lectures in both Chinese and English in collaboration with the China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and the China Association of Chinese Medicine.

The lectures, given by over 50 frontline experts, were viewed by audiences from more than 60 countries, with over 1 million hits.

Cao Hongxin, former president of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS), led a team of experts to conduct remote diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 patients in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and Britain.

According to the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China has shared TCM therapy, effective prescriptions and clinical experience for dealing with COVID-19 with more than 80 countries and regions.

"The novel coronavirus pandemic provides a new opportunity enabling TCM to go global," said Liu Baoyan, chief researcher of the CACMS and president of the WFAS, calling for efforts to cure more COVID-19 patients around the world with TCM.