China approves sale of traditional medicines to help treat COVID-19

Chinese government on Thursday approved the sale of at least three traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) products, in an attempt to promote ancient herbal therapies and medicines amid the global pandemic outbreak. In a statement issued by China’s National Medical Products Administration, health authorities claimed that the ancient formulas are the effective prescription against the new coronavirus disease. The medicinal agency claimed that the Qingfei Paidu and Xuanfeibaidu Granules, which are herbal products, are derived from ancient classic recipes and could be safely considered as  “an option for COVID-19 treatment.” 

According to National Medical Products Administration’s statement, the ancient remedies prescribed by China are "lung-clearing and detoxing granules,” that kill the damp toxins caused by the invasion of the SARS-CoV-2. The agency claimed that the traditional medicines in TCM have been used for hundreds of years to cure diseases and has often been touted by President Xi Jinping, who is a staunch supporter of the ancient herbal therapies. 

"Traditional medicine is a treasure of Chinese civilization embodying the wisdom of the nation and its people,” Xi Jinping had earlier said at a national conference on TCM in 2019, as cited by CNN network.

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Residents forced to gulp potions

China’s Ministry of Science and Technology administered tens of thousands of COVID-19 patients with the herbal remedies last year amid the virus outbreak, according to state-run press reports. Secretary of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yu Yanhong at a conference in March last year claimed that the traditional remedies have alleviated COVID-19 symptoms among the patients and drastically reduced the severity of the virus. Furthermore, he claimed without substantial proof that the herbal treatment has reduced mortality rate and enhanced recovery. 

In China’s Xinjiang region last year as the coronavirus cases peaked, the Chinese government forced a woman to drink a herbal potion after taking her into detention. The treatment made her nauseous, while the guards watched her gulp it, sources of AP confirmed. While Chinese health experts called it a breach of medical ethics, PRC implemented draconian’ measures forcing residents in the areas with dense clusters to swallow traditional Chinese medicines. 

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