Yu Yanhong Briefing the Important Role of TCM in COVID-19 Containment and Tre...

国正行

NewsConference of the Information Office of the State
Council: Yu Yanhong Briefing the Important Role of TCM
in COVID-19 Containment and Treatment

Source：SCIO　　March 23, 2020

卫健委余艳红新冠肺炎 国正行

　　YuYanhong: Good Afternoon. It is the third time that I come to the news conference held by the Information Office of the State Council in Hubei. I have briefed the press of the involvement and role of TCM in the last two news conferences and Iam grateful to the journalists for your related reports. Your recognition and acknowledgementis enormouslyencouraging for us to continue our job.

　　With the changing epidemic situation, especially the pandemic occurrence, what can we share with the world in regard to the Chinese experience in TCM? It has attracted your tremendous attention.

　　As the COVID-19 being the global threat, the experts present and I hope, through more dialogue and communication, to share the story of the epidemic containment and treatment with TCM.

　　Secretary General Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the containment of COVID-19 by personal involvementin leadership, instruction, and deployment. He reiterated the integration of TCM and western medicine and the combination of TCM and western medicine drugs. With the leadership of CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core, implementing the deployment of the Leading Group of the CPC Central Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, required by Premier Li Keqiang and Comrade Wang Huning, the Central Steering Group led by Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, forcefully push forward the full and in-depth intervention TCM in the treatment. What has been done with TCM is as follows:

　　I. Pooling the best expertise. Over 4,900 TCM workers come to support Hubei from all over the country, accounting for 13% of the total medical workers coming from outside Hubei. Among the TCM workers, there are 3 academicians and hundreds of experts. The scale and strength of assistance is unprecedented.

　　II. Classifying the treatments. For mild and convalescent cases, TCM intervenes early. For severe and critical cases, the treatment protocol and technical plan were set up for the integrated treatment of TCM and western medicine. During the first days of the epidemic, when many suspected patients were waiting for their test results, TCM decoctions and drugs were given to slow down the progression of the disease and mitigate the pressure of the limited medical resources.

　　III. Screening effective drugs and formulas. In order to promote the technological research, we carried out observations on the clinical efficacy of the TCM drugs and formulas included in the 5th, 6th and 7thDiagnosis and Treatment Protocol. Till now, three drugs and three formulas proved effective, i.e. Jinhua Qinggan Granule, Lianhua Qingwen Capsule, Xuebijing Injection, Lung Cleansing and Detoxifying Decoction, Dampness Resolving and Detoxifying Decoction, and Lung Diffusing and Detoxifying Decoction.

　　It is widely acknowledged that TCM plays an important role and is one of the merits in the epidemicprevention and control. Here I would like to share some numbers. Among the confirmed COVID-19 cases, 74,187 were given TCM, accounting for 91.5% of the total; 61,449 in Hubei, accounting for 90.6% of the local cases. The observationon clinical efficacy shows that the effective rate of TCM exceeds 90%. TCM helps to relieve the symptoms, to reduce the progression from mild to severe and critical, to increase recovery rate, to decrease mortality rate and to bring the convalescentto normal body functions.

　　In the prevention and control of COVID-19, TCM doctors came on the scene as soon as possible. With their good will and good skills, they took actions and brought the advantage of TCM into full play, thus playing an important part in combating COVID-19.

　　TCM is the treasure of ancient Chinese science. It is a holistic medicine that integrates prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. It has a long history and is well known by all Chinese people. In the events of a major epidemic, we would find solutions from it. Such TCM classics as Sun Simiao’s Qian Jinfang , Zhang Zhongjing’s Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, Wu Youke’s Treatise on Pestilence and Wu Jutong’s Item Differentiation of Warm Febrile Diseases systematically summarized the basic theories, clinical practice, classical formulas and technical methods of TCM in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Those classics are the united wisdom of ancient Chinese in continuously exploring, cogitating and summarizing the laws of preventing and treating epidemic diseases. Researcher Tu Youyou was inspired by Ge Hong's Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies and discovered artemisinin, which has saved millions of lives worldwide, and she thus was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

　　TCM has also been effective in treating viral infections. In recent years, viral respiratory infections have been prevalent. TCM has also achieved significant results in the treatment of SARS, H1N1 and other diseases, and has accumulated rich experience in treating newly emerginginfectious diseases. Studies have confirmed that TCM can improve the overall balance and immunity ofthehuman body, while also inhibiting and killing viruses.

　　In the early days, there wereno effective drugs and vaccines for the virus. We summed up the laws and experience of TCM intreating viral infectious diseases, carefully selected formulas from ancient TCM classics, combined with clinical practice, and formed the protocols of TCM treatment and integrated TCM and western medicine treatment of COVID-19, which become the important feature and advantage of Chinese protocol. We also selected effective formulas represented by "three drugs and three formulas". This fully proves that TCM, the precious heritage passed by our ancestors once again stands the test of time. It is worth cherishing, and is still useful, effective and of low cost.

　　The epidemic respects no borders. The virus is the common enemy of mankind. We are willing to share with all other countries these valuable experience and effective treatment methods we have accumulated. As Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of World Health Organization, said, the epidemic inChina has been reversed, and China's anti-epidemic measures have achieved obvious outcomethrough practice and are worth learning from.

　　Here, through the press, we would like to say that TCM community in China is willing to further strengthen cooperation and exchanges with international colleagues, share experience of epidemic prevention and treatment, and provide effective TCM drugs, expert consultation and aid in our best abilities to the countries and regions in need. Thank you.

　　Reporter from Bloomberg News: To which countries has China given advice on the TCM treatment of COVID-19, and have some other countries used TCM in the treatment? How's the efficacy?

　　Yu Yanhong:Thank you for your concern in the international cooperation of TCM. The public health crisis is a common challenge facing mankind, and solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons. After the outbreak of COVID-19, many countries and nations gave China selfless assistance. People from different countries yelled "Come on, China" and "Come on, Wuhan", making us feel understanding, support and trust across borders. Now, the epidemic is spreading in many countries and regions. China is willing to carry out TCM international cooperation in the prevention and control of the epidemic with countries in need and provide assistance within our capacity. The following work has been carried out:

　　First, sharing treatment experience. In treating COVID-19, we timely took the initiative to cooperate with WHO, and shared the information of TCM prevention and control of the epidemic. The full text of the updatedTCM Protocol on the Diagnosis and Treatment of COVID-19 was translatedand puton the website of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We offered to sharethe protocol with other countries and regions in need, and they can also read the full text online at any time. It should be said the protocol is the most valuable experience obtained from the collectivemanagement and treatment of tens of thousands of patients in a short period of time. It is indeed precious and TCM treatment proves quite good. We also provided technical guidance through vedio conferenceand shared treatment experience with Japan, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Singapore and other countries. Prof. Zhang Boli, Prof. Liu Qingquan andDr.Qiu Haibo communicated with international colleaguesseveral times through onlinemeetings. A few days ago, Prof. Zhang Boli communicated online with US. Yesterday, Dr. Tong Xiaoling, an academician,conducted anonlineconsultation in diagnosing and treating patients far away in Iran.

　　Second, donating TCM products. Some Chinese organizations and institutions have donated TCM patent medicines, processedpieces, acupuncture needles, etc. to a dozen of countries and regions, such as Italy, FranceandHong Kong SAR,MacauSAR China. Just now, Prof. Zhang Boli and Prof. Huang Luqi, both academicians,mentionedthis. So, I won't go into details.

　　Third, sending TCM doctors abroad. Up to now, some TCM experts have already gone to Italy and Cambodia to fight the epidemic. As far as I know, Chinese TCM experts have been keeping close contact with overseas experts. From the feedback they have received, the efficacy is pretty good.

　　TCM is the wisdom of Chinese people in their daily practice of understanding life, elaborating lives, and revealing life and death. It provides the strategies of "prevention of disease and its deterioration” in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. It is worth inheriting, developing and making use of. Tu Youyou, aChinese Nobel Prize owner, once said that TCM is a great treasure, and artemisinin is a gift of TCM to the whole world. I believe that TCM was, is, and will still bean important weapon for mankind to fight the "epidemic". We are willing to work with all countries in the world to overcome COVID-19 as soon as possible, and to write a colorful chapter for the promotion of human health. Thank you!

　　Translated by ZhaoHong ,Wu Sufang