TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Integrated Chinese and Western medicine can significantly reduce fatality rates for COVID-19 infections, according to the Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

Among the 29 patients hospitalized due to COVID between May and July last year, 84.6% were cured and 15.4% died after receiving combined Chinese and Western therapies. In comparison, 64 cases treated with only Western medicine during the same period saw a 40% death rate, the hospital said.

COVID-19 can trigger a cytokine storm in lung tissues, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Patients experiencing ARDS are likely to suffer acute pulmonary edema in 72 hours, followed by diffuse alveolar damage, a type of lung injury, and breathing difficulties.

Researchers at the hospital found that Mongolian milkvetch-based treatment helps inhibit virus replication and prevent a cytokine storm, said Huang Tse-hung (黃澤宏), a physician of the hospital’s traditional Chinese medicine department at a press conference on Wednesday (Aug. 17).

Herbal medicine also provides relief to those suffering from long COVID, or post-COVID conditions such as fatigue, cough, and shortness of breath, Huang pointed out.

Taiwan’s homegrown herbal medicine, the NRICM101, has proven effective in fighting COVID by reducing the likelihood of patients developing severe symptoms. The medication works for all age groups, but a medical prescription is needed.