[Traditional Chinese Medicine in Pandemic Response] Multi-Pronged Efforts: TCM Fully Engaged in Hebei’s COVID-19 Prevention and Control

On the afternoon of January 9, the Public Information Office of the Hebei Provincial Government held a press conference on “Hebei Province’s COVID-19 Prevention and Control Efforts.” Duan Yunbo, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Hebei Provincial Health Commission, as well as a member of the Office of the Hebei Provincial Leading Group for COVID-19 Response and Deputy Head of the Medical Treatment Group, answered questions from reporters on the topic of “How have traditional Chinese medicine and herbal remedies been integrated into COVID-19 prevention and control?” The following is a verbatim transcript.

China News Service reporter: We know that traditional Chinese medicine and herbal remedies played a significant role in last year’s fight against the epidemic. Hebei Province is a major province for TCM. Could you please explain how TCM and herbal medicines have been integrated into COVID-19 prevention and control during the current wave of the pandemic?

Duan Yunbo: As we all know, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases emphasizes strengthening the body’s intrinsic resistance and reparative capacity, as well as maintaining overall homeostasis, which gives TCM unique advantages in this field. Hebei Province is indeed a major province for TCM, and we have also been designated as a national pilot province for the use of TCM in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
 

In this round of epidemic prevention and control, we have followed the “ Adopt an integrated approach of traditional Chinese and Western medicine to provide comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for patients. In accordance with the requirements, and building on last year’s experience, we will further strengthen the integrated Chinese–Western medicine diagnosis and treatment mechanism. We have stationed traditional Chinese medicine physicians in every ward of designated hospitals, where they conduct joint rounds and collaboratively develop treatment plans with Western medicine physicians, thereby implementing integrated TCM–Western medicine diagnosis and treatment for patients. Under the guidance of national and provincial TCM experts, Currently, all patients are treated according to syndrome differentiation and individualized treatment plans, with each receiving a tailored therapeutic regimen. Traditional Chinese medicine decoctions are administered promptly at the earliest opportunity. In particular, for severe cases, a daily multidisciplinary consultation is conducted to ensure timely implementation of appropriate interventions, thereby maximizing the comprehensive and in-depth involvement of TCM throughout the entire course of treatment. At the same time, in order to leverage the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in disease prevention, proactive efforts are being made to implement the TCM principle of “treating diseases before they manifest.” Proactive dissemination of health knowledge has been undertaken on the use of traditional Chinese medicine—such as herbal tea substitutes, air fumigation with TCM herbs, and acupoint tapping and massage—to enhance human immunity. In addition, local authorities, taking into account current climatic conditions and the physical constitutions of urban and rural populations, have formulated preventive prescriptions using TCM decoction pieces and proprietary TCM preparations, centrally decocted and prepared preventive TCM herbal formulas, distributed these to close contacts, and implemented TCM-based interventions. As of January 8, 82% of individuals across the province undergoing medical isolation and observation had received either traditional Chinese medicine decoctions or proprietary Chinese medicines. Meanwhile, targeted interventions using these formulations have been implemented in key areas, positions, and populations involved in epidemic prevention and control, such as fever clinics and medical isolation facilities. To date, a total of over 28,000 doses have been distributed.