A team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Tehran on Saturday along with a shipment of donations from China to support Iran's anti-epidemic effort. Photo: Ambassador of China to Iran

The Red Cross Society of China is considering dispatching a medical team to Italy amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the European country, the Global Times has learned, as China gears up to provide support to epidemic-hit countries with both medical staff and materials supply, plus its experience in containing the virus.

Chinese and Italian sides are in communication over sending a medical team, Red Cross Society of China's director Chen Zhu told the Global Times Tuesday. Chen did not disclose details about the plan.

Chinese Red Cross has sent medical teams to Iran and Iraq for COVID-19 fight. The volunteer group of five health experts arrived in Tehran on February 29 with medical supplies. On Tuesday, the Chinese Red Cross held a video conference with Chinese experts dispatched to Iran to learn about their work and difficulties on the ground.

Zhou Xiaohang, head of the expert team to Iran, told the video conference that Iran faces a shortage of medical supplies, including protective outfits. The price of masks has surged and some medical staff have to wear the same protective suits on different days.

Italy and Iran have been listed as two of the top five countries that have the most COVID-19 confirmed cases outside China. Italy and Iran have been listed as two of the top five countries that have the most COVID-19 confirmed cases outside China. By Tuesday, Iran has 8,042 confirmed cases and 291 deaths due to the virus; Italy has 9,172 with a death toll of 463.

Chen said a plane carrying more test kits for Iran will depart from Shanghai on Thursday.

There are also some difficulties in promoting China's clinical experience against COVID-19 in Iran, including the experience of using traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). Iranian hospitals and officials has asked the Chinese team to provide documents on the experience of TCM, whose effect on COVID-19 have been discussed througout the epidemic in China.

But as the situation improves, TCM has gradually provevery helpful in relieving patients' symptoms. According to media reports, more than 90 percent of COVID-19 patients in China improved after receiving TCM.

Gao Fu, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who also attended the Tuesday video conference, said Chinese experts will collect the current papers on clinical experience and translate them, as well as China's therapy scheme, into Persian for Iranian experts.

Chen said China's experience on battling COVID-19 has been proved effective, and that bringing the epidemic in Iran under control is important for the Middle East.