Using Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating COVID-19

As of today (December 3, 2020) there have been 1.49 million deaths caused by COVID-19. That might not seem like a lot, since there are 7 billion people in the world, but that is 1.49 million people who don’t get to go home to their families, who wouldn’t get to see their friends, cousins, parents, or children again. To put it into perspective, there are more people dead because of COVID-19 than there are that live in the state of Montana. We have claimed to try everything to stop these deaths, especially in the U.S., but have we really tried everything?

Introduction to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)

For thousands of years, TCM has been used to treat all sorts of viruses, bacteria, and more. Its effective measures and the precise formula has been recorded in plenty of classic pieces of literature. And throughout history, doctors and specialists have found different practices and combinations to effectively fight off all sorts of pestilence, including Smallpox, Influenza, and the Bubonic Plague. So you might be wondering what this magical cure is. Well, there isn’t just one magical treatment, which is part of what makes it work so well, in fact, there are multiple methods used to get the best outcomes.

One of the most well known is acupuncture. Acupuncture is the practice of inserting tiny, thin needles into your skin at strategic points. If you’re thinking that sounds extremely painful, you’re not alone, but a lot of patients report feeling little to no pain during the treatment. Plus, it might help that if it’s on your back you can’t see it.

Accupoints on the body used for accupuncture

Another component of TCM is cupping therapy. You might recognize this one as it is commonly used for althetes. Cupping therapy works by applying heated cups to your skin to create suction. Cupping therapy has been claimed to help with pain, imflammation, blood flow, and relaxation.

Image of cupping therapy being performed

Other components of TCM include, herbal medicines and tai chi as well as other mind body practices. Despite often being called a pseudoscience, there has been some evidence that the practices improve quality of life and help with various diseases.

The Plauge Theory

A plauge theory sounds like something you would use to treat black death not COVID-19, so how is it applicable in our situation? Well, the plauge theory is actually is a theory that applies to any acute infectious disease, such as Smallpox, Influenza, and SARS. Due to many factors, including droughts, wars, and famine, China has definetly had its share of infectious diseases, with 321 infectious diseases traced in Chinese history. Of course, this means that throught history people were coming up with ways to battle these viruses, even before Western medicine had appeared. That is when some TCM pracitioners came up with the plague theory. The plauge theory is a combination of TCM practices that are suited for combatting acute infectious diseases. A two thousand year old text talking about epidemics said, “A variety of infectious diseases can be transmitted from person to person. Regardless of the age of the person, the symptoms are similar.” Two thousand years old! The plauge theory has definetly been in effect for a LONG time.

For hundreds of years, there has been outbreaks of all sorts of diseases the have been treated by TCM in China.

COVID-19 and TCM

So how can TCM help with COVID-19? Well, after COVID-19 became a big issue in China, TCM was issued as part of the protocol for treatment. On top of that there have been a few clinical trials involving COVID-19 and TCM. All of these have seen positive effects from TCM.

Based on the plauge theory, experts in China were able to quickly determine the best formula for the treatment of COVID-19 and get to work! The first part of the treatment was a TCM-based prophlayctic treatment given to suspected cases and exposed people. This drug has seen many positive effects in preventing COVID-19. The second part was for confirmed patients to start a TCM treatment plan, in order to reduce severe cases, drop death rates, and prevent further deterioration. This treatment plan included; moxibustion, cupping therapy, acupuncture, herbs, and more.

I know you’re probably thinking, if this is a pseudoscience does the government approve this. The answer is yes! The Chinese government actually put TCM into their treatment guidlines, and made specific guidlines for using TCM as well. So what are these guidlines?

1. TCM-based classification of disease stages should be consistent with the clinical classifications of Western medicine, and each patient should be classified as; mild, moderate, severe, critical, or convalescent.
2. Recommended TCM dosages, treatment plans, and syndrome types will be based on clinical experience of experts and evidence based studies.
3. A medical observation facility will be set up for suspected cases and a preventive plan using TCM-therapy will be used as prophylaxis.
4. Intravenous injections of Chinese medicine are recommended for severe and critical cases of COVID-19, which are to be prescribed by the medical practitioners of TCM.
5. A TCM protocol will be provided for convalescent patients who meet discharge standards but still have impaired lung function, pulmonary fibrosis, fatigue, poor appetite, constipation, or other symptoms.

So will this really work? The stuides show yes! TCM was involved in the treatment of 74,886 COVID-19 cases in China. That is 92% of the confirmed cases! 90% of 3698 people treated with the TCM formula saw their fever reduced within 3 days. The average time for fever to subside for patients following the treatment plan with drugs was 1.74 days. To put that into comparison, the average fever time of patients not treated with TCM was 8 to 11 days. That’s a huge difference! On top of that, there was a signifincantly lower deterioration rate in patients treated with TCM, which means less deaths. Also, in a makeshift cabin hospital, 564 mild to moderate COVID-19 cases were treated with TCM, and none of them progressed to severe or critical.

Some common COVID-19 symptoms that TCM works to alleviate

What now?

So now that we know this is a valid treatment choice, do we switch to it as a treatment plan? The short answer is yes! Experts recommend for best results, these treatment plans should be a combination of TCM practices and Western medicine. They believe that this will yield the best results, including in critical patients. By implementing TCM into our current treatment plans we can reduce deterioration, decrease the death toll, and increase the experience of those with COVID-19. Knowing this, would you use TCM to treat COVID-19?

If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I am a 15-year-old who is interested in regenerative medicine, biocomputing, and public health. If you want to see me continue to grow and 10X myself, sign up for my newsletter here!