Photo: VCG

 Lianhua Qingwen capsules, a form of Chinese herbal medicine, have been included in the 2021 version of Heilongjiang’s COVID-19 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prevention and control scheme, as a way to curb the new epidemic outbreak in the region. 

Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province is among the latest regions facing a resurgence of the epidemic. The province reported eight new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and four asymptomatic cases on Monday, according to the local authorities on Tuesday.

The local TCM authorities issued the 2021 version of the TCM prevention and control program on Monday, including TCM treatment, acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, anti-epidemic sachets, massage and rehabilitation. Based on the program, Lianhua Qingwen capsules were also included to treat COVID-19 patients.

TCM has played an important role in treating COVID-19 patients, and it’s not the first time Lianhua Qingwen capsules have been recognized as a potential treatment for the disease. 

Chinese academician Zhang Boli said on January 31 during a visit to North China’s Hebei Province, that TCM has played an active role in the treatment of COVID-19 patients during the recent epidemic outbreak in Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei, which reported 866 local confirmed cases and 25 asymptomatic cases during the last month. 

Zhang said 70 percent of patients were treated with TCM in Shijiazhuang, and their prognosis situations improved afterwards. 

Most patients that have been infected during the recent wave of the epidemic are expected to be discharged from hospital before Chinese New Year, Zhang said.

Along with its good reputation domestically, TCM has also gained wider acceptance overseas in fighting the coronavirus. 

On November 23, 2020, Lianhua Qingwen Capsules were approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines, and they are also available in other countries and regions including Russia, Canada, Singapore and Uganda.

Global Times