There have been long-standing debates between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine for a while now. Following the concerning COVID-19 cases, Sekolah Menengah Chung Hua Port Dickson invited traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Dr Teong Siew Kiong and western medicine practitioner Dr Lok Jye Chyi to share their perspectives towards this crucial matter on the 22nd of May 2021 at 8pm via online.
The principal concept of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the vital force of life, called Qi, in the body. An imbalanced Qi of a person caused by an alteration in Yin and Yang (opposite and complementary forces that make up the Qi) resulted in disease and illness. TCM diagnoses through the symptoms of the patient described and appearances (eye, skin and tongue color as well as pulse), then addresses the general systemic problem with a focus on preventing any potential adverse effects. The efficacy of TCM is slower compared to Western Medicine but is long-lasting.
TCM practitioners’ first approach toward the novel virus is to diagnose whether the patient’s condition is mild, moderate or severe.
Mild conditions
Patients show symptoms of cold, light fever, sore throat or weariness. Practitioners will prescribe “Cong Chi Decoction with Jade Windscreen Powder Plus” (葱豉汤合玉屏风散加味) which stimulates spontaneous sweating for toxic removal in the body.
Moderate conditions
The symptom includes fever, dry cough, headache, soreness in the joints of the limbs and inconsistent pulse rate. Patients will be suggested to consume “Nine Ingredients Notopterygium Decoction” (九味羌活汤). It dispels external cold and removes wind-dampness in the body.
Severe conditions
In this stage, patients are severely infected by the virus and have difficulty breathing, internal heating and excessive sweating. Such patients require life support and must receive immediate treatment. The traditional Chinese Medicine from China called Lianhua Qingwen Capsules (连花清瘟胶囊) has proven to be very effective. However, this herb is currently prohibited in Malaysia.
During recovering, patients are advised to exercise Tai Chi (太极拳) and Ba Duan Jin (八段锦) to improve their immune system and overall health. For more information on TCM, check out from the Malaysian Chinese Medical Society of Epidemic Control and Prevention (CMEC) official Facebook page and website by scanning the QR code below.
Now let’s take a look at western medicine, also known as modern medicine. It provides diagnosis through lab tests and focuses on eliminating the symptoms. Unlike TCM, western medicine normally fails to address adverse effects on the body. However, western medicine produces immediate results which are the go-to for emergency or life-threatening illnesses and diseases.
There are 3 tests for COVID-19, which are the PCR (detects virus’ RNA), RTK-Ag (detects virus’ pathogen) and RTK-Ab (detects virus’ antibody) antigen tests. The PCR antigen test produces the most accurate results but has the most uncomfortable process among the three as the specimen collection is through the nasopharyngeal or faeces. After tested positive, patients with mild symptoms have to be quarantined for lesser spread of the virus; Patients with severe symptoms (difficulty breathing due to low oxygen saturation in the blood) are sent to the intensive care unit (ICU) and rely on breathing machines.
One prime aspect to keep in mind is that we should always support one another without physical contact. That way, patients can reduce negative emotions, such as fear and loneliness, which will stimulate happy hormones to promote stronger immunity. We should also continue to follow the SOP and prevention guidelines to minimize the continuous spread of this epidemic virus.
Both Dr Teong and Dr Lok advised to never consume TCM and western medicine at the same time to prevent potential drug to drug interactions. Despite the constant debate on whether TCM or western medicine is better, both doctors agreed that by combining the people-oriented approach of TCM and the advanced technology development of western medicine, we can have the best of both worlds.
