Taiwan has seen success with a small group of COVID-19 patients who were treated with Chinese and western medicine in April. Doctors explain why the treatment has proven effective.
Taiwan has recently seen success in using a combination of western and Chinese medicine to treat COVID-19 patients. In April, the National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine (NRICM) began treating 14 patients in Taichung. Twelve of them recovered within 8 to 10 days, with no side effects. They were released after testing negative for COVID-19 in three consecutive tests. The other two patients were infected later than the rest and are still undergoing treatment.
National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine Director Su Yi-chang said, "Chinese medicine can fuse with spike proteins on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. It can prevent the proteins from attaching to human cell receptors, and keep the virus from infecting the human body."
Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) official Chang Shan-chwen said, "Each hospital can choose what treatments they use. CECC experts will discuss whether to include the Chinese medicine treatment in the official guidelines for treating COVID-19." The treatment has passed a review by the health ministry.
The team has created four prescriptions for different severities and stages of the disease. When used in combination with western medicine, it has stabilized the blood pressure and heart rate of COVID-19 patients, and lifted their fever. It can also suppress a cytokine storm, a sometimes fatal overreaction of the immune system occurring in some COVID-19 patients.