Review on the potential action mechanisms of Chinese medicines in treating COVID-19

A letter to CDC Director Redfield, CA Governor Newsom, and Dr. Heidi Behforouz

Click here to read about Chinese Herbs and COVID-19  

Video: Chinese Medicine for COVID-19

COVID-19 started to spread rapidly in Wuhan, China in January.  Since there was no effective Western medicine for the new virus, the patients were treated with Western medicine at the beginning only. Sadly, several thousands patients died, including a dozen of physicians who were treating the patients in the hospital. Most of them were died of pneumonia, which resulting in function failure of their lungs. Later, when Chinese medicine was integrated with Western medicine in the treatment, the mortality rate decreased significantly and the cure rate was increased dramatically. Meanwhile, in some provinces where Chinese medicine was given at the very beginning, the mortality rate was much less than in Wuhan.
On March 8, in Bo Zhou, a city in Anhui province, China, known as the capital of Chinese medicine because it has the largest distributing center of Chinese medicine in China, the government announced that the mortality rate of COVID-19 infected patients in the city has been zero and no health care professionals was infected in the hospitals treating COVID-19 infected patients. This is because people living in that city know well about application of Chinese herbs. This demonstrates the powerful advantages of Chinese medicine for treating viral infection.

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​Journey to the Home of Chinese Herbal Medicine

​Our mission:
1. Educate health professionals and consumers about safe and effective application of Chinese herbs.
2. Provide consumers information for identifying fake or poor quality herbs and herbal products.
3. Provide technical support to Chinese herb-related business and manufacturers. 
4. Promote the cooperative research and academicexchanges between China and the U.S.

5. Work as a platform for information exchange of Chinese herbal medicine between China and the U.S. 
6. Provide suggestions to the FDA and USDA about regulations on importing and regulation of Chinese herbs. ​

There are misunderstandings about Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). Some people believe that Chinese herbs are natural, therefore they do not cause harm. Others think that they are toxic. The fact is that Chinese herbal medicine has been applied for over 2000 years to countless people as one of the most popular treatment methods in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The safety and efficacy of most herbs have been well documented and continuously updated for thousand(s) years. However, due to their misuse of ignorant patients and inexperienced healthcare practitioners, or the misleading by unprofessional herbal manufacturers or sellers, many toxic and/or negative results on Chinese herbs have been reported in the West, resulting in most physicians in the West prohibit their patients use any Chinese herbs even though they could not help these patients relieve from suffering. 

Many people do not know that together with few originated from animals and minerals, Chinese herbs are officially called Chinese materia medica (CMM) in China. They should be applied under the guidance of TCM theories and mostly prescribed in the form of formula by well trained TCM doctors on the basis of TCM diagnosis and zheng differentiation. Improper diagnosis, overdosed or too long administration may all cause side effects or toxicity. Our experts will teach and train you how to use Chinese herbs safely and effectively. ​

Link:
FDA: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
         Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) - Botanical Review Team (BRT)
      Dietary supplement concerns? Tell the FTC and FDA
NIH: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
        Office of Dietary Supplements 
AHPA: American Herbal Product Association 
ABC: American Botanical Council
NPA: Natural Product Association
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