TCM can help halve COVID-19 death rate: report

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A recent study has shown that Qingfei Paidu soup, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) widely used to treat COVID-19, can help reduce the rate of death among hospitalized patients by half, China Daily reported Monday.

The study, led by researchers from Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, examined more than 8,900 hospitalized COVID-19 cases in Hubei Province, the hardest-hit region during the epidemic, from January to May last year.

Nearly 30 percent of the patients had taken Qingfei Paidu as part of their therapies. Results suggest that the mortality rate for those undergoing the TCM treatment stands at 1.2 percent, while the rate for other patients is 4.8 percent, said the report.

The study concluded that the use of Qingfei Paidu is associated with a 50 percent reduction of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, without amplifying the risk of developing acute liver or kidney injuries.

The newspaper cited Li Jing, head of the research team, as saying that based on the national diagnosis and treatment guidelines for COVID-19, Qingfei Paidu is the only prescription that is recommended for treating all patients ranging from mild to critical cases.

Qingfei Paidu is a concoction made of dozens of TCM herbs and roots such as ephedra, licorice root and bitter almond.

The study is by far the largest clinical research on Qingfei Paidu and its findings have provided strong evidence proving its marked efficacy in saving the lives of COVID-19 patients, according to the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.