Traditional Chinese medicine has always played an important role in the treatment of COVID-19. On March 31, a medical team from Longhua Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine assembled and 201 people went to the temporary centralized isolation and treatment site of the New International Expo Center to carry out their work. The reporter invited Zhang Wei, a member of the Shanghai Expert Group on Prevention and Control of COVID-19 in Chinese Medicine and Director of the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Dr. Sun Meng of the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Shuguang Hospital to jointly answer the relevant knowledge for the public.
Q: How long does it take for an infected person to turn negative with the application of TCM?
A: From the experience of Chinese medicine treatment of COVID-19 Omicron variant in many places in China, the fever remission rate of patients treated with Chinese medicine reached more than 70% in 1 day and more than 95% in 3 days after taking Chinese medicine, more than 65% of patients were hospitalized for less than 7 days, the average time of nucleic acid conversion was 4 to 6 days, and the conversion rate of severe disease was less than 0.01%.
Q: What is the principle of Chinese medicine treatment for COVID-19?
A: COVID-19 belongs to the category of “plague” in Chinese medicine. The basic pathogenic mechanism is the external invasion of epidemic toxin, the evil of the lung meridian and the deficiency of positive energy. The pathological nature is mainly dampness, heat, toxicity, deficiency and stasis. Treatment should focus on resolving heat toxicity, dampness toxicity and stasis toxicity. The focus of TCM treatment for COVID-19 is to adjust the imbalance of yin and yang in the body, to stimulate and restore the immunity that the body already has in order to clear the virus, that is, to support the righteousness and dispel the evil.
Q: At what stage is Chinese medicine more suitable for infected patients?
A: Chinese medicine can quickly improve and relieve a series of symptoms such as fever, sore throat and cough caused by COVID-19 virus infection, reduce the proportion of critical illnesses and promote rapid recovery of the body, so Chinese medicine should intervene early in the treatment.
Q: Is the application of TCM suitable for pediatric infected patients?
A: Children with COVID-19 infection are also suitable for TCM treatment, but they need to pay attention to some of their own physical characteristics and use the medicine under the guidance of professional physicians. For example, children are not yet full of vital energy, their internal organs are delicate, their spleen, lungs and kidneys are often insufficient, and their heart and liver are often surplus.
Q: Is the current treatment plan of Chinese medicine in Shanghai combined with the local climate and other characteristics of Shanghai?
A: The Shanghai version of COVID-19 Chinese medicine treatment plan is specially developed by the expert group according to the geographical and climatic conditions of Shanghai, taking into account the characteristics of Shanghai being located in the south of the Yangtze River and its humid climate, and also taking into account the fact that it is currently in spring, when it is warm but still cold, which is the season of high incidence of respiratory infectious diseases.
Q: How to ensure personalized Chinese medicine consultation and treatment during the treatment period?
A: Each person is different and in a different state, and TCM advocates individual treatment. You can ask your doctor to prescribe preventive prescriptions for you.
Q: Are there any adjustments to the TCM protocols for the Omicron mutant strain?
A: In Shanghai, according to the 9th edition of the treatment protocol issued by the state and the geographical characteristics, the TCM protocol was rapidly promoted in the designated hospitals to carry out rescue and treatment, and good results were achieved.
Q: Is it necessary for negative people to take Chinese medicine for prevention?
A: For people who are not infected with the new coronavirus, they can carry out TCM herbal regimen according to the three principles of strengthening the spleen, resolving dampness and clearing heat. Recommended to use the infusion tea formula: 6 grams of honeysuckle, 6 grams of rhizome, 9 grams of astragalus, 3 grams of perilla leaf, 3 grams of patchouli, 1 dose daily brewed with boiling water to drink as tea, decoction can also be taken internally.