Omicron is coming, how effective is Chinese medicine in dealing with mutant strains?

◎ Science and Technology Daily reporter Fu Lili

"We are very concerned about the cases of Aomi Kerong imported from abroad in China, and according to the epidemic theory of Traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, it is still necessary to grasp the core pathogenesis and the evolution of the symptoms of the disease, and combine the characteristics of the disease season, region and human physique to distinguish and treat the disease." On December 16, at the December press conference of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhang Zhongde, deputy head of the expert group of the leading group for the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, vice president of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and vice president of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said.

The picture shows the scene of the press conference. Photo by Fu Lili

Zhang Zhongde said that the recent new mutant strains have an epidemic trend in foreign countries, traditional Chinese medicine has its mechanism for the classification of epidemic diseases, the main clinical manifestations of this disease are still being collected, according to the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine, if there is a patient appearing, the doctor will be the first time to collect clinical symptoms on the spot, analyze the core disease mechanism, according to the symptomatic law after collection, see what is the difference between and the past, in order to determine the treatment principles and prescription drugs.

"Practice has shown that traditional Chinese medicine has a good effect on mild and ordinary types of patients infected with Delta mutant strains, and also has a certain effect on blocking severe diseases." Zhang Zhongde said.

Zhang Zhongde introduced that the clinical findings show that the fever rate of infected patients with Delta mutant strains exceeded 80%, mainly symptoms such as high fever, cold, headache, dry throat, fatigue, bloating, and loss of appetite, and acute weakness symptoms such as asthma, hypoxia, and sweating were more obvious in severe patients, and the proportion was relatively high. After in-depth discussion and comprehensive analysis and judgment, the current round of epidemic situation is still wet poison and depression, and the core causes and pathogenesis of Chinese medicine have not changed significantly, only due to different factors such as region, climate, eating habits, etc., there are differences in symptomatic characteristics, there are different focus on damp and heat, and there are performances of cold, heat, dryness and stasis, which are also clinically in line with the "three causes" view of Chinese medicine.

For example, patients in Xiamen and Putian, Fujian Province, have symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and nausea, and the wet evil is more severe, which is related to the region and eating habits. Patients in Gansu and other northwest regions have symptoms such as dry cough, dry throat, dry mouth, and itchy throat, which is in line with the performance of "dry and evil lungs". Therefore, according to the "three causes and conditions" view of traditional Chinese medicine, all localities can argue and treat the symptoms on the basis of the original eighth edition of "three medicines and three parties" and adjust the treatment appropriately. Patients with severe illness are corrected early and fully corrected by ginseng. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the treatment of lung and intestine, the treatment of the lungs, and the patients who do not have stool, reuse rhubarb, and maintain the smoothness of the stool.

"Traditional Chinese medicine is still very effective in treating people with Delta virus infection." Zhang Zhongde said that during the epidemic in Guangzhou from May to June, 166 local cases were treated. Among them, the number of patients treated with traditional Chinese medicine alone reached 118, accounting for more than 71%, successfully blocking the transition from 57 patients with severe disease tendencies to severe disease.

Zhang Zhongde stressed that the characteristics and advantages of the role of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of diseases with multiple components, multiple links and multiple targets, the clinical diagnosis and treatment of diseases in traditional Chinese medicine, the need to analyze and summarize the main symptoms of patients, the most important thing is to find the core mechanism of the disease and determine the treatment plan.

It is undeniable that Chinese medicine has played a unique role in the fight against COVID-19, how to explain its mechanism and mechanism?

In this regard, Zhang Weidong of the Naval Military Medical University responded that with the support of many national projects, it has carried out a large number of basic research, and used many modern methods in the mechanism research carried out at the molecular, cellular and animal levels. For example, in the mild stage, we can see that Chinese medicine has a good effect on cough, fever and fatigue, what is the mechanism behind it? Further research found that the "three drugs and three parties" in the stage of mild disease can improve the body's immunity.

In the severe stage, due to the excessive immunity of people caused by the new crown virus, and then the "inflammatory storm" is generated, at this time, Chinese medicine can have a good regulatory effect on the inflammatory storm, inhibiting the release of excessive inflammatory factors by immune cells to alleviate the inflammatory storm.

"In terms of mechanism research, we used data to speak and found that some ingredients in Chinese medicine played a very good role, such as glycyrrhizic acid in licorice, ephedrine in ephedra, skullcap and hanxanthine in skullcap." Zhang Weidong said.

Li Yu, director of the Science and Technology Department of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that it is necessary to give full play to the advantages of the integration of clinical research in traditional Chinese medicine and promote clinical and mechanism research at the same time. Obtain evidence of the clinical efficacy of TCM, clarify the mechanism of TCM's role from multiple levels, and use scientific methods to clarify and explain the efficacy and mechanism of TCM.

Source: Science and Technology Daily

Editor: Liu Yiyang

Review: Wang Xiaolong

Final Judge: Liu Haiying