Importance of TCM management during the convalescence of COVID-9

From symptoms onset till the convalescence, COVID-19 undergoes different stages, in which convalescent stage is an important period. Besides profounding understanding and knowledge on convalescence, TCM has offered a comprehensive treatment, aiming at speeding up the recovery, clearance of SARS-CoV-2 in the body, and reduction of the risk for further viral transmission or deterioration. Moreover, recovery of COVID-19 in TCM is not only the restoration of physical conditions, improveｍent of energetic feelings, and alleviation of a lot of minor remaining symptoms, but also the mental improvement for the patients and regaining of the dynamic balance between the physical and mental conditions of the entire body. At present, both modern medicine and TCM only focus on the treatment of hospitalized patients during the acute stages of COVID-19. A consequence of the incomplete or improper treatment of convalescence includes the persistence of some symptoms, resulting directly in the occurrence of long COVID. One study published on The Lancet on August 28, 2021, pointed out the proportion of patients with at least one sequelae symptom was 68% at 6 months and 49% at 12 months respectively, and more patients had anxiety or depression at 6-month vs at 12-month visit. The speech will cover a TCM analysis on the importance of the convalescent stage, the patterns, and TCM treatment, emphasizing that convalescence of COVID-19 is one of the principal stages in this acute pandemic, and TCM provides a unique approach for the complete recovery of COVID-19 and prevention of long COVID-19.

About Dr. Peilin Sun

Professor Sun Peilin has been engaged in TCM clinical practise and teaching for more than forty years. Before settling in Europe in 1990, he was lecturing at the International Acupuncture Training Centre, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine after his graduation from his master’s study in 1988.
Currently Prof. Sun teaches at the Belgian School of Medicine (www.ICZO.be), and other European countries. Meanwhile, he is a visiting professor at a number of China Universities of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a tutor on the masters and PhD degree programmes at Nanjing University of TCM and Shulan College of Chinese Medicine, UK.
Some of his published books include:
– Bi syndrome or rheumatic diseases treated by TCM
– The treatment of pain with Chinese herbs and acupuncture
– The management of postoperative pain with acupuncture
– Sports medicine in TCM, etc.