​Jinan applies Chinese medicine in treating coronavirus patients

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely applied in treating novel coronavirus pneumonia patients as it has proved effective in improving the recovery rate.

Official data show that a total of 60,107 confirmed cases were treated with Chinese medicine, accounting for 85.2 percent of the total.

After the coronavirus outbreak, Jinan introduced methods integrating Western medicine with traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients.

At present, among the 47 confirmed cases in Jinan, 45 cases have been treated with traditional Chinese medicine.

To date, 32 patients have recovered and been discharged from the hospital, all but two of whom received TCM intervention and treatment.

The government has also provided 10,000 free doses of TCM decoction for suspected cases and close contacts of infected patients, which has effectively controlled the incidence rate.

The combined treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine plays a positive role in relieving symptoms, improving immunity and shortening hospital stays.

At the onset of the epidemic, the Jinan Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and some time-honored TCM companies including Shandong Hongjitang Pharmaceutical Group worked 15 days to produce the decoction.

A total of 100,000 doses of TCM decoction were provided to 25,995 people who were close contacts with patients in the city and also staff members on the frontline in hospitals, train and bus stations, and highways.

More than 1,500 TCM pharmacists in Jinan have taken part in the battle against the virus, and 15 have traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of outbreak in China, to help treat patients.