key: cord-0986311-gkv76y7v authors: Xu, Anlong title: Why Chinese medicine works for COVID-19 date: 2020-11-12 journal: nan DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcms.2020.11.002 sha: 1dc108316b22ab5cecb23385a4f48100c0b123a8 doc_id: 986311 cord_uid: gkv76y7v nan The dramatic changes brought about by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have prompted societies to question conventional medical systems, which have dominated healthcare around the world for more than 100 years. As we seek to identify solutions and formulate a vaccine, it is also an opportune time to consider resources that are already accessible, namely traditional medicines with a long history in dealing with contagious diseases. In this respect, Chinese medicine, with its millennia-old un-interrupted history of country-wide practice offers valuable tools. Despite having had the first official reported COVID-19 patient, an important aspect of China's ability to contain the virus was its integration of Chinese medicine with conventional medicine in its healthcare system. 1 After the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in the city of Wuhan, the Chinese government immediately organized five batches of national Chinese medicine experts to Wuhan to treat COVID-19 patients, with total of 773 Chinese medicine professionals. 2 As the leading institution for the national Chinese medicine team, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine sent a team of 46 Chinese medicine professionals to join the national effort to contain the epidemic. During their stay in Wuhan for two months, our medical team used a comprehensive and integrated approaches of Chinese medicine along with conventional medicine to treat COVID-19 patients and achieved impressive results, especially that we have successfully saved life of seven patients under ventilation life supporting system on top of having cured 87 patients in intensive care unit (ICU). Chinese medicine's way of addressing a novel pathogen, such as COVID-19, rests on its systematic theory, developed based on over 3000 years of medical experience. 3 Chinese medicine doctors identify general pathogenesis routes of a disease by analyzing the patients' medical symptoms, without knowing the exact nature of the new pathogens. Upon finding the disease's path, doctors can formulate comprehensive treatment plans, including herbal prescriptions, acupuncture, and moxibustion. Thus, even with a novel virus, Chinese medicine can prevent minor symptoms from becoming severe. 4 J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f When treating novel infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Chinese medicine emphasizes a holistic view. Through external diagnosis, e.g. pulse, face, tongue and body temperature, Chinese medicine doctors can identify the location of the disease inside the body and proceed to implement therapeutic Chinese medicine approaches to adjust the body's ecosystem, particularly the spaces where the virus resides. At this point, the pathogens, such as this new virus, may have not left the body. However, by modifying the ecosystem of the body, the Chinese medicine approach can turn the ecosystem of the human body into an "unfriendly" space in which the pathogens may not be able to propagate, nor survive long, and are prevented from spreading to other organs and tissues. These treatments boost the body's immune system so that it can fight the virus and win the battle. From the clinical indicators, particularly blood cells count and various immunological parameters, we know that after being infected with COVID-19, there is a hugely-enhanced immunological response in the body, which is called a cytokine storm. 5, 6 The cytokine storm may lead to the damage to the infected organ, such as the lungs in the case of COVID-19. If the cytokine storm is not controlled immediately, systemic organ failure will soon follow, since the deteriorating force of over-inflammation is systemic within the human body. In that sense, balancing the over-inflammation to the normal level is the key to success in treating COVID-19. Chinese medicine treatments with herbs, acupuncture, and moxibustion, regulate the immune system to the yin-yang balance. Additionally, Chinese medicine considers interactions between the digestive and immune systems. Protecting the digestive track of COVID-19 patients helps prevent severe or fatal cases. 7 Chinese medicine's herbal prescriptions serve to moderate and bring health back to the digestive track, enhancing the chances of survival. 8 Another vital factor, as evidenced by our university medical team's clinical experience treating COVID-19 ICU patients in Wuhan, is individual-based combination therapy. For each patient, particularly the severe and critical cases in the ICU, our university medical team made individualized prescriptions of Chinese herbs and other therapeutic methods designed to complement conventional medicine, based on the individual's particular diagnosis. Individual-based therapy is a long-lasting tradition of Chinese medicine, and has been well documented in classical Chinese medicine books for its role in combating contagious diseases throughout Chinese history. The last element to consider from the perspective of Chinese medicine is to well manage so-called "recovered" COVID-19 patients discharged from the hospital. Although, prior to being discharged, patients will have tested negative for the virus, based on the nucleic acid and immune detection, and will have no fever nor other abnormal physiological problems, they are still very weak and need a long time to recover. In this regard, patients who are considered "recovered" by conventional medicine, are not completely recovered in the view of Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine's unique theory and practice serves to regulate the physiological and immunological system, so as to bring vigor and immunity back to the post COVID-19 patient, thereby reducing the likelihood of contracting the virus again. 9 As societies rethink their approach to healthcare, the clinical benefits of Chinese medicine, and those of many other traditional medicines, are a necessary component to enhance the health and wellness of all people worldwide. Clinical observation and evaluation of Jinhua Qinggan granules in the treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia Give full play to the unique advantages and functions of traditional Chinese medicine to make new contributions to the health of the people The Handbook of Alternative and Complementary Medicine Refection on effects of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) SARS-CoV-2: A storm is raging The inflammatory response in sepsis Treatment efficacy analysis of traditional Chinese medicine for novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19): An empirical study from Wuhan Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of patients infected with 2019-new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A review and perspective Rehabilitation of patients with COVID-19