The China Government stimulated the use of TCM herbs. As a result, 85 per cent of COVID-19 patients received combined treatment with regular medication and traditional remedies. Various TCM formulas were used, including Yin Qiao San, Yu Ping Feng San and Lian Hua Qing Wen capsules. The latter formula has now been taken by the Chinese doctors from Wuhan to Italy, where they are assisting the Italian doctors with their knowledge and expertise in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Despite the need for clinical studies to investigate the exact effects, the practical results are promising.

Research on TCM and COVID-19

TCM is a resource for drug discovery against 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Classically, whether a TCM remedy can be clinically used for viral infections depends on two aspects: 1) clinical symptoms and signs of the patient, and 2) the type of TCM remedy and its traditional indications. TCM formulas have been used in China over 2000 years. According to their effectiveness, TCM remedies are divided into various types, each corresponding to a group of diseases. On the other hand, research has shown that many TCM remedies have antiviral ingredients. Selecting specific TCM formula through integrative methods based on both disease symptom and pathogen-directed cause will greatly increase the clinical potential. However, it is still a challenge to experimentally screen many TCM remedies for the treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia in a short time.

In this issue of the Journal of Integrative Medicine, Zhang et al. provided in silico methods to narrow down TCM remedies that may directly inhibit the coronaviral reproduction.

Read the whole article on the website of science direct.

TCM in the Treatment of Patients Infected with 2019-New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Review and Perspective

Currently, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, formerly known as 2019-nCoV, the causative pathogen of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)) has rapidly spread across China and around the world, causing an outbreak of acute infectious pneumonia. No specific anti-virus drugs or vaccines are available for the treatment of this sudden and lethal disease. The supportive care and non-specific treatment to ameliorate the symptoms of the patient are the only options currently. At the top of these conventional therapies, greater than 85% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in China are receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment. In this article, relevant published literatures are thoroughly reviewed and current applications of TCM in the treatment of COVID-19 patients are analyzed.  Read the whole article on the website of the International Journal of Biological Science.

The WHO global report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine, provides valuable information about the potential contribution of T&CM to health and well-being.