In March 2020, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, supported by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation (which had jointly established the Global MediXchange for Combating COVID-19 (GMCC) programme, with the support of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence and Alibaba Health, to help combat the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19) published its “Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment Compiled According to Clinical Experience” and including a section on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which said,
“Classification and Stage
COVID-19 can be divided into early, middle, critical and recovery stages. At the early stage, the disease has two main types: “wet lungs” and “external cold and internal heat.”
The middle stage is characterized by “intermittent cold and heat.”
The critical stage is characterized by “internal block of epidemic toxin.”
The recovery stage is characterized by “qi deficiency in lung-spleen.”
The disease initially belongs to wet lung syndrome. Due to fever, both intermittent cold and heat treatments are recommended. In the middle stage, cold, dampness, and heat coexist, belonging to “cold-heat mixture” in terms of TCM.
Both cold and heat therapy should be considered.
According to the theory of TCM, heat should be treated with cold drugs. But cold drugs impair Yang and lead to a cold spleen and stomach and cold-heat mixture in the middle-Jiao. Therefore, in this stage both cold and heat therapies should be considered.
Because cold-heat symptoms are commonly seen in COVID-19 patients, the cold-heat therapy is better than other approaches.”
The Report also went on to outline herbal remedies. These should be taken only at the direction of a qualified TCM Practitioner. The notes that follow are for reference only for TCM Practitioners only. The Report said,
“Therapy Based on Classification
(1) Wet lungs
Ephedra Herb 6 g, Semen Armeniacae Amarumg 10 g, Coix Seed 30 g, Liquoric Root 6 g, Baical Skullcap Root 15 g, Huoxiang 10 g, Reed Rhizome 30 g, Cyrtomium Rhizome 15 g, Indian Buead 20 g, Chinese Atractylodes Rhizome 12 g, Officinal Magnolia Bark 12 g.
(2) External cold and internal heat
Herba Ephedrae 9 g, Raw Gypsum Fibrosum 30 g, Semen Armeniacae Amarumg 10 g, Liquoric Root 6 g, Baical Skullcap Root 15 g, Pericarpium Trichosanthis 20 g, Fructus Aurantii 15 g, Officinal Magnolia Bark 12 g, Tripterospermum Cordifolium 20 g, White Mulberry Root-bark 15 g, Pinellia Tuber 12 g, Indian Buead 20 g, Platycodon Root 9 g.
(3) Intermittent cold-heat
Pinellia Tuber 12 g, Baical Skullcap Root 15 g, Golden Thread 6 g, Dried Ginger 6 g, Chinese Date 15 g, Kudzuvine Root 30 g, Costustoot 10 g, Indian Buead 20 g, Thunberg Fritillary Bulb 15 g, Coix Seed 30 g, Liquoric Root 6 g.
(4) Internal block of epidemic toxin
Use cheongsimhwan for treatment.
(5) Qi deficiency of lung and spleen
Membranous Milkvetch Root 30 g, Pilose Asiabell Root 20 g, Roasted Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome 15 g, Indian Buead 20 g, Fructus Amomi 6 g, Siberian Solomonseal Rhizome 15 g, Pinellia Tuber 10 g, Tangerine Peel 6 g, Wingde Yan Rhizome 20 g, Semen Nelumbinis 15 g, Chinese Date 15 g.
Patients in different stages should take different approaches. One dose per day. Boil the medicine in water. Take it every morning and evening.”
