The COVID-19 outbreak has an unexpected silver lining. It has enabled China to strengthen the integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine. It has encouraged the entire process of deep intervention and diagnosis and treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The traditional knowledge of medicine has led to effective prescriptions and  patents, proven to reduce the progress of mild symptoms into severe ones. Traditional Chinese Medicine could improve the recovery rate and reduce the death toll. Its benefits have been studied and actively evaluated by the international world.

Pharmacist fills the prescription.(Photo/ Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

Traditional Chinese Medicine is now playing a role the entire recovery process, from prevention to treatment and rehabilitation. In China's diagnosis and treatment program, Traditional Chinese Medicine prescription has shown good clinical efficacy. More than 4,900 members of the national medical team supporting Wuhan were from the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Data show that out of 74,187 COVID-19 cases, 61,449 used Chinese medicine in Hubei Province, accounting for 90.6% of all patients. Clinical observation shows that the total effective rate of traditional Chinese medicine has reached more than 90%.

A TCM doctor is doing massage for a patient during the coronavirus treatment. (Photo/ Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

According to international clinical evaluation index, for COVID-19 patients, the key index of the true response is the progression rate of symptoms. Traditional Chinese Medicine has unique advantages in reducing fever and cough symptoms, controlling disease progress and improving human immunity. "The combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine is of great significance," a German virologist said in an interview recently. Traditional Chinese Medicine has an obvious impact in preventing virus from attaching to cells and replicating.

Doctor checks the tongue of a patient.(Photo/ Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

"Traditional Chinese medicine is widely recognized in Europe and globally for its unique advantages and remarkable effects, which can be used for targeted treatment in different individuals and help patients to alleviate diseases." said Megyessy Peter, former prime minister of Hungary. "The combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine has become an important part of fighting the epidemic and Traditional Chinese Medicine is making a contribution to the global fight against the epidemic."

Pharmacist fills the prescription.(Photo/ Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

In the southwest Sichuan Province, the application of Traditional Chinese Medicine alleviated the side effects of gastrointestinal and liver dysfunction brought on by Western Medicine. Many patients improved significantly after several days of treatment. Nucleic acid examination was negative and reached the standard of isolation release. The phased evaluation COVID-19 emergency project launched by Sichuan Provincial Hospital of TCM and many units in China showed that the recovery rate of using both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine more than 3 days was 21.43% and the rate of improving condition was 57.14%.(By Edina Liang)