Bioscience trends
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Traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of novel infectious diseases: Current status and dilemma.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a valuable form of medicine with a long history in China. It has played a significant role in the control and prevention of infectious diseases including SARS and H7N9 flu. After the outbreak of COVID-19, China's National Health Commission included TCM in the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19. ⋯ The underlying mechanisms of TCM mainly involve action against SARS-CoV-2, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory action, and organ protection. The current work provides a brief description of the current status of and issues with TCM to treat this novel infectious disease. The hope is that TCM can help considerably to control this global epidemic.