In ancient times (~200 A.D. near the end of the East Han Dynasty),  Zhang Zhongjing, the highly revered TCM sage, collected the wisdom of medical professionals that came before him and wrote Shang Han Za Bing Lun, which centuries later was splited into two books: Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases), and Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet). Shang Han Lun systematically lists 397 patterns of signs and symptoms in febrile diseases and their treatment options with 113 herbal formulations. It is pretty much equivalent to a modern day expert consensus on disease management. 

Those herbal formulations have been tested in real world clinical practices for nearly two thousand years and have been proven effective time and again, saving millions of lives. Thus Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases has become a TCM classic, a book whose full text must be learned by heart by TCM practioners. 

Facing dynamic and complex changes of climate and human response to diseases and treatments, China's TCM professionals have produced a more recent (~300 y ago, in the Qing Dynasty) classic on treating infectious diseases independent of Shang Han Lun, called Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Detailed Analysis of Warm Heat Diseases). TCM practitioners after that usually learn both books by heart so that they can obtain convincing outcomes and good reputation.  

Aside from the above two clincial practice guidelines for infectious diseases, there are other TCM classics such as Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon which provides theoretical foundations for TCM, and Shennong's Herbal Classic of Materia Medica which summazies TCM experiences on herbal drug use.  In addition, numerous TCM case reports and discussions have been wirtten by famous TCM doctors throughout the Chinese history, many are still read today for their high clincial reference value. 

In modern words, TCM is a mature and sophisticated system of symptom-based treatments (so called Treatment based on Pattern Identificaiton). It can sort nearly all possible human disease presentations and responses into certain TCM patterns and offer corresponding likely effective treatments. Therefore, regardless of pathogen, TCM can almost always quickly find effective solutions to a "new" disease from its existing weaponry. 

TCM has full confidence in fighting COVID-19 as this is not a difficult disease in the eyes of TCM.  Now it is clear many infected people are asymptomatic and some only have mild symptoms and can recover on their own. Data worldwide strongly suggest that most people who die from the infection are older people or people with underlying conditions. Clearly, people have different physiological conditions and some conditions are more resistant to COVID-19 than others. TCM techniques can certainly help the human body to be in a healthier condition which will be less susceptible to coronavirus infection and will recover more rapidly when infected. 

For COVID-19 treatment, China's national top recommendation is "Qing Fei Pai Du Tang", or Lung-Clearing and Detoxification Soup, which has shown over 90% efficacy for COVID-19 in a clinical trial conducted in Jan/Feb during the pandemic in China. It has been a dominant formulation used in Wuhan. It is based on combining four classic herbal formulations fromTreatise on Cold Damage Diseases. It has been widely accepted and recommended by China's TCM doctors as a general one-size-fits-all formulation for COVID-19 patients, particularly when there are no TCM professionals available to give individualized consultation. 

For fighting COVID-19,TCM also has other techniques, such as acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, as well as exercise like Ba Duan Jin (Eight-sectioned Exercise) and Taiji boxing. All these can help to improve constitution and relieve signs and symptoms. 

Because TCM treatments are based on pattern identification and it has mature and complete tool sets, TCM is always ready. There is no need to wait (like a vaccine has to). The accuracy of pattern identificaiton and efficacy of the treatments can be quickly fine-tuned and tested in clinical practices.  TCM is a highly effective life-saving medicine for the past, the present, and the future. 

Let's have confidence in TCM in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blessed are the people whose traditional medicine still works.