A historic turning point: Chinese medicine taking lead role in treating Covid-19 patients in China

On January 8, 2021, Shijiazhuang, the capital of China’s Hebei province, held the fourth press conference on the prevention and control of covid-19 epidemic. According to Meng Xianghong, Deputy Mayor of Shijiazhuang City Government, Chinese medicine is given a lead role in the treatment of covid-19 patients. A Chinese medicine treatment plan is implemented for each patient. The Chinese medicine treatment has clearly positive effects, and all patients have stable vital signs. 

 Shijiazhuang city government has implemented the following measures: 

(1) The isolation wards must be staffed with Chinese medicine practitioners who are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of patients at the front line. Both Chinese and western medicine doctors participate in doing patient rounds.  Doctors should make sure that patients take Chinese medicine decoction as soon as possible. 

(2) It is required that the treatments of all close contacts and asymptomatic patients follow the principle of “Chinese decoction taking the primary role, western medicine the supporting role, and multiple measures being carried out simultaneously”.

(3) All local governments should come up with an appropriate preventive Chinese medicine formula to be used for the local high risk groups to support their immune system, and prevent the covid-19 infection.   

(4) All local governments are required to utilize various channels such as official websites, and social media channels, to educate the public methods to improve their immunity, such as meridian slapping, Gua Sha, and Baduanjin practice.