key: cord-0961217-v8xnj1je
authors: Qing, Guang-chao; Zhang, Hong; Bai, Yang; Luo, Yang
title: Traditional Chinese and Western Medicines Jointly Beat COVID-19 Pandemic
date: 2020-05-02
journal: Chin J Integr Med
DOI: 10.1007/s11655-020-3095-6
sha: 47ee64c6de5388a12a9104b27f6c246b5a7ee1c4
doc_id: 961217
cord_uid: v8xnj1je

nan

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection has been spreading for more than 2 months since it broke out early 2020. (1) The alarming levels of spread and severity have made this virus characterized as a pandemic which has been affecting at least 200 countries, areas or territories around the world. And 1051,635 cases and 56,985 deaths were confi rmed by 10:00 CET April 4, 2020. (2) So far, it is encouraging to note that the outbreak of COVID-19 in China has been basically contained and more than 77,200 patients in China have been cured after a series of treatments, (3) which suggests that patients can be cured through therapy even though there is an absence of specific medications and vaccines.

Vaccines and targeted drugs are most effective in preventing and combating infectious diseases. However, developing such vaccines is particularly timeconsuming and arduous, and the long-term side effects of new medicine could also be a concern. Some recent studies and clinical data have demonstrated that among the limited therapies, Chinese medicine (CM), together with Western medicine (WM), plays an important role in halting the progress of the disease and promoting the recovery of patients in the absence of targeted drugs. (4,5) With discreet assessment, integrated CM and WM treatment with clear and constantly updated prescriptions has been approved for clinical use since the third version of the Handbook of Prevention and Treatment of the Pneumonia Caused by the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which was issued by the Chinese authorities. (6) The latest handbook recommended different CM and WM prescriptions for diversified categories of COVID-19 cases including mild, moderate, severe, critical, convalescent, and suspected (Appendixes 1 and 2). (7) Recent studies have demonstrated that treatment with integrated CM and WM can signifi cantly alleviate fever, cough, and other clinical symptoms. A clinical observation showed that the patients' indexes such as serum amyloid A, lymphocyte percentage, creatine kinase isoenzyme MB, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and blood urea nitrogen in the integrated therapy group recovered faster than those treated with WM only. (8) Combined administration of Toujie Quwen Granules (透解祛瘟颗粒, prepared from 16 CMs such as Fructus Forsythiae, Pseudobulbus Cremastrae, Flos Lonicerae, Radix Scutellariae, Folium Isatidis, etc.) and arbidol up-regulated the expressions of peripheral blood CD4 + /CD8 + and absolute value of lymphocyte in 37 mild COVID-19 patients while arbidol alone not, indicating the positive function of integrated therapy in regulating the balance of immune cells and promoting the recovery of immune function. (9) In another study, the integrated therapy showed a substantial increase in the rate of hospital discharge and reduction in the rate of deterioration. (10) In addition, inflammatory exudation and inflammatory storm associated with COVID-19 often result in acute lung injury, which subsequently causes severe respiratory failure and even death. Antibody drugs like tocilizumab can neutralize interleukin-6 directly, thus effectively alleviating cytokine storms, but they are too expensive to be widely adopted. (11) In comparison, the CM therapy which is relatively low-cost, can considerably relieve the inflammatory reaction as well through affecting the lymphatic system to modulate the patient's immune response. ( 

Jointly Beat COVID-19 Pandemic of the two therapies may make the treatment more economical for patients. This strategy is also suitable for regulating the activation of classic renin-angiotensin system regulatory pathway, which is activated when 2019-nCoV binds with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor and is responsible for multiple organ injuries. ( While the therapeutic results are encouraging, the mechanisms and pathways through which CM works still need to be revealed. Side effects associated with the use of integrated CM and WM therapy should also be evaluated. In addition, the misuse of the integrated therapy by people who try to take precautions against COVID-19 infection should not be encouraged. Rational combination of CM and WM would benefi t the treatment of diverse emerging or serious diseases in the near future.

No confl ict is declared. 

A novel coronavirus outbreak of global health concern

World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation report-75