On the afternoon of February 24, a press conference on the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Beijing was held. Gao Xiaojun, spokesperson of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, introduced the TCM prevention and control of the epidemic. According to the conference, as of February 22, the overall TCM treatment rate of the epidemic in Beijing was 87%. Among the patients received TCM treatment, the proportion of Chinese medicine decoction was 82%. The total effective rate of the disease with TCM treatment reached 92%.
Gao Xiaojun pointed out that Beijing has established a mechanism of double check-ups by both TCM and western medicine doctors. For all types of confirmed cases, as long as meeting the requirements, the patients were treated with TCM. Various cases, including suspected cases, were given TCM treatment. For the first diagnosis and treatment of newly admitted patients, according to the requirements, TCM physicians would participate in and decide the TCM treatment plan.
Beijing has also conducted traditional Chinese medicine consultations for critical cases. For severe and critically ill patients, Beijing mobilized the TCM technical force and organized consultations and developed treatment scheme with the support of the local TCM experts. For instance, three TCM experts from Dongzhimen Hospital and Ditan Hospital participated in the consultation of a critically ill patient, formulated a TCM prescription and applied it to the patient day and night. The patient's temperature dropped to 37.2℃ the next morning. At present, the patient's condition has become stable without further deterioration. There were many other similar cases. TCM has made positive contributions to improving the cure rate and reducing the mortality.
Beijing has set up TCM expert groups of the city, the districts and the hospitals. It also established the mechanism of distributing COVID-19 and TCM respiratory experts to districts to provide TCM guidance. The expert group was divided into five sub-groups to guide TCM preventive treatment, severe and critical patient treatment, rehabilitation, and scientific researches. For those who were at risk of becoming severe or critical, the appointed TCM experts determined by the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration would conduct consultations to decide the treatment.
Beijing has formulated scientific and effective prevention and treatment guideline. Based on the National Health Commission's diagnosis and treatment scheme, combined with Beijing's climate and other characteristics, and the symptoms of diagnosed patients, two editions of the "Beijing COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment Scheme" have been formulated, and the third edition is currently in review. It also has summed up the pathogenesis and changes of the local patients, the recommended treatment procedures, and recommended prescriptions and TCM drugs. For the general population, close contacts, patients of chronic diseases, and children, prevention recommendations were made to guide medical institutions for scientific prevention.
Beijing has strengthened the TCM prevention and control in communities. It has established a three-member working mechanism for community clinical therapists, preventive health workers, and publicity researchers to provide TCM prevention services to key projects, units, and populations. It will provide early TCM treatment for suspected cases found in community investigations, preventive medication for people from Hubei and people from outside Beijing, and close contacts. Medical training and publicity was conducted for the community prevention and control.
Beijing has promoted TCM preventive medication. TCM institutions of second-class and above provided about 400,000 preventive decoctions. It established prevention and treatment, drug interventions and comprehensive interventions. At this stage, designated hospitals, medical staff with fever clinics and close contacts are targeted. Over 20,000 observed close contacts and other key populations took preventive medications.
Beijing has strengthened the integration of TCM clinical practice and research in designated hospitals. Beijing organized 20 designated hospitals in the city to start the COVID-19 research projects, all cases were included in the group records, and big data analysis and study were carried out. The researches focused on the clinical effectiveness of confirmed cases, especially the effectiveness of TCM treatment. Huashi Baidu Granule of Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences has been applied for in-hospital preparations. Moreover, it also organized designated hospitals and related institutions to apply to Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Fund Project on COVID-19 Prevention and Emergency Research Project.
