Medical workers weigh herbs and prepare packages of traditional Chinese medicine designed to boost the immune system in Nantong, Jiangsu province, last month. (XU PEIQIN/FOR CHINA DAILY)
Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine believe their ancient skill can play a major role in defeating the coronavirus pandemic.
As such, they have joined with universities and charities to distribute TCM packages to seniors, one of Hong Kong's most vulnerable communities.
Since February, the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University has been giving away TCM at its clinics and senior care facilities free of charge
Since February, the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University has been giving away TCM at its clinics and senior care facilities free of charge.
The specially prepared medication has a dual purpose; to fortify the immune system and raise people's spirits, prompting a sense of optimism and personal well-being.
The school does something similar every year during the flu season, when it donates medicines free of charge to people age 65 and older.
Bian Zhaoxiang, chair professor and director of the school's clinical division, said his team worked hard on the preparation, which is tailor-made to boost the immune system and induce an optimistic mindset.
Packs of medication are displayed by a patient in Hong Kong. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)
In early February, Cheung Chanchu, 70, received one of the free packs from Lok Sin Tong, a charity that has provided free medication since its earliest days in the mid-1700s, when it also provided free burial services. It has gradually shifted focus and expanded its benefits to medicine, education, and welfare for seniors.
"It was the first time I had ever been given free TCM. The donation and free delivery were heartwarming," Cheung said.
She knows of many others who have picked up the university's TCM packages since Chinese New Year and she urged older friends and family members to get the medication, too.
"Thanks to the medicine, we older people are feeling optimistic and not panicking," Cheung said, adding that she was pleased to see ginseng listed as one of the ingredients. "It is a kind of precious Chinese medicine and good for the health."
She knows that TCM treatment is a gradual process that affects the body slowly, compared with Western medicine. She does not expect three doses of TCM to make her invulnerable to the coronavirus, but she does believe it will improve her immune system.
Cheung has visited local stores to buy the ingredients listed on the medicine's packaging, and is making her own medication in the belief it will make her stronger in the event she comes into contact with the disease.
Polly Seto Man-yee, from the Neighbourhood Elderly Centre in Tai Wo district which is run by Sheng Kung Hui, a foundation in Hong Kong, said many recipients have told her the medicine is not as bitter as some TCM and that the quality of their sleep has improved.
Henry Fong Yun-wah, chairman of the Fong Shu Fook Tong Foundation and Fong's Family Foundation, donated HK$100,000 (US$13,000) to aid HKBU's charitable efforts, which has helped more people feel the benefits.
Fong's donation paid for more than 2,000 doses of TCM that were delivered to hospitals and senior community centers free of charge, helping more than 700 people.
"I deeply appreciate the kindness and philanthropy of Fong, who always cares for vulnerable groups and always maintains his enthusiasm for helping charities," Bian said.
"This donation will improve seniors' health and help reduce panic by boosting confidence in the fight against the coronavirus."
The TCM school estimates that more than 13,000 people have benefited from free medicines since this year's program started.
Improving the physical fitness of vulnerable people is an important mission of the school, Bian said, adding that TCM is a significant weapon in the fight against the virus because it improves the body's natural immunity.
TCM is as old as Chinese culture itself. Its theories place particular emphasis on the mind, especially the inborn vitality of the patient, he said.
A resident, accompanied by a young relative, receives a free TCM package from a Hong Kong university. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)
'Wholeness'
According to an article published by the World Health Organization, the natural sciences separate themselves from the religions, philosophies and other cultural disciplines of Western history, but TCM theories integrate culture and religion as part of the whole.
It is viewed as "wholeness" and therefore has a number of considerations that go beyond those of Western medicine. "Its basic principles are hard to put under the microscope of evidence-based medicine of the present day," the article said.
In making primary healthcare a core policy, the WHO found that the values espoused by TCM address many community health needs.
The article noted that instead of suppressing individual symptoms, TCM regards illness as an holistic issue and addresses the whole person. Its therapies focus on restoring the normal interaction between humans and human nature.
In TCM theory, the power of self-healing and immunity are core concepts, so if health and immunity are maintained the individual remains free of disease and thus "health for all" is achievable, at least in theory.
Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea are increasingly being regarded as early signs of coronavirus infection.
In the TCM concept, patients with these symptoms have "dampness" and a "deficiency of the spleen". Some TCM is effective in removing "dampness" and boosting qi－the "energy force"－and thus lowering the risk of infection, Bian said.
According to Huangdi Neijing, the oldest and greatest TCM medical classic, TCM theory is that of mind or vitality. The text states that "patients with robust vitality will heal. Those who lack strong vitality are likely to die."
Qi refers to the natural energy of humans, a resource used for self-protection, while immunity refers to the body's biological defenses. If a person is lacking in qi, he or she will only offer weak resistance to disease, so boosting qi is similar to enhancing biological immunity.
According to TCM practice, the spleen is responsible for the intake, processing and distribution of nourishment from food, according to Eu Yan Sang, a TCM provider.
"Dampness" refers to a condition whereby the spleen is incapable of transporting and transforming bodily fluids, which results in an accumulation of moisture within the body. The condition is considered turbid, heavy and hard to shake off. The accumulation of "dampness" in the intestines causes loose sto
Vulnerable people
Seniors in precarious health are vulnerable to dying from the coronavirus and older people are more susceptible to the infection, anyway.
An aging population puts a heavy burden on medical resources, but that isn't just a problem in Hong Kong as many other regions are seeing similar challenges as more and more people enter their senior years.
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It has been noted that many seniors have been listed among confirmed cases of COVID-19. The natural immunity of older people is generally much lower than that of younger people, and those with other serious illnesses are more prone to complications from the virus, Bian said.
In addition to medication, he suggested that elderly people should have therapeutic massages or acupuncture periodically. TCM also promotes various exercises and regular practice improves health, thus lowering the risk of infection and death from the virus, he said.
He expects that in the long term, the pandemic will raise awareness of the need for a healthy lifestyle throughout the community, especially among senior groups.
Bian said the TCM school has been receiving positive feedback, with many recipients reporting that they felt a calming influence from the free medication. However, he warned against inappropriate use.
"We only distribute medicine to elderly people with health problems. Those in good health have no need to take our medicine," he said.
TCM, which formed the basis of healthcare in ancient China, has taken a secondary role in the modern era. Scholars and practitioners hope that by providing benefits during the coronavirus pandemic, TCM may regain traction and earn greater trust in the community.
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Bian hopes to see increased international exchanges among TCM communities to explore new discoveries and treatment approaches to infection and rehabilitation, and he expects greater convergence with Western medicine. He said new approaches are especially important to regions faced with aging populations.
"With more and more people realizing its importance, the systems of Western and Chinese medicine will become more integrated, and that will improve our ability and efficiency in resisting disease," he added.
Unlike Western medicine, TCM experts rarely make specific claims about how long it will take for a medication to have an effect.
Most Chinese understand that TCM works as a gradual process, and practitioners and advocates believe that it will gradually begin to play a larger role in the world of modern science.
