In addition to strictly following the government’s COVID-19 prevention directives, people can also use a variety of herbs with antibacterial and antiviral properties to fortify their immune system.

Facing the complex situation of COVID-19 epidemic in Vietnam, all social resources are focused to quell the epidemic. The State, the Government, and all agencies are working to avoid the consequences of COVID-19 on human health.

Esteemed guests at the online seminar

In addition to these strong and drastic measures, on March 17, the Ministry of Health issued Official Document 1306 / BYT-YDCT of the Ministry of Health stating: it is possible to enhance prevention and control of acute respiratory infections due to SARS-Cov-2 with drugs and traditional medicine.

Official guidelines of the Ministry of Health leads to method of combining traditional and Western medicine to support the prevention and control of acute pneumonia in particular, and the prevention of viral diseases in general.

Speaking at the online seminar, “Application of  Traditional Medicine (TM) in prevention and control of viral diseases” Associate Professor and Doctor Ho Ba Do – Vice President of Vietnamese Traditional Medicine Association said that the guidelines of the Ministry of Health are very important and timely as traditional medicine has existed for thousands of years bringing around abundant health benefits. Vietnamese traditional medicine also precedes Western medicine. The role of traditional medicine in health care for Vietnamese people is enormous. Therefore, the combination of traditional medicine and Western medicine to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic is extremely fitting, especially in the context that the disease has yet to have a treatment.

Associate Professor Nguyen Xuan Ninh

Currently, in Wuhan and around the world, the number of people using traditional medicine ranges from 70-80%, traditional medicine, functional food which is a product derived from medicinal herbs (leaves, berries, branches, roots …) and derived from animals and minerals. Traditional medicines and traditional medicine methodology supporting the treatment of respiratory diseases in general and Covid-19 epidemic in particular are very necessary because there is no specific anti-virus drug. Most human illness is mild or severe due to the resistance of the body’s immune system (immunity, the body’s defences). Meanwhile, traditional medicine methodology for respiratory viruses (disease, epidemic) always points toward improving the body’s defence (intrinsic vitality); strong vitality and disturbance force (bacteria, virus) will fail to infiltrate.

“Remarkably, in the Ministry of Health’s remedies, there are herbs that apprear over and over again which are very familiar with our daily life such as licorice, honeysuckle, etc. These are well-known herbs for detoxing remedies in the olden days. Dr. Ho Ba Do also shared that these herbs have been proven by the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine to support the prevention and control of many diseases – not only respiratory diseases but also other diseases.

Honeysuckle

Meanwhile, TS. Phung Tuan Giang – Chairman of the Vietnam Traditional Medicine Development Research Institute, shared: “Using herbal drinks, or herbal remedies to support Covid-19 treatment is very effective in the current period. These drugs have the effects of purification, detoxification, reducing inflammation and boosting the immune system. Such is the remedy “purifying and eliminating poison”. Traditional medicine places importance in disease prevention. Hence, the production of natural antibodies and the increase in probiotics are very important in prevention, in suspected and quarantined cases, frail elderlies and people with chronic illnesses.”

As someone with various studies on medical applications, Associate Professor Nguyen Xuan Ninh – Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine shared: Previously, a 2017 study of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine (Vietnam General Association of Medicine) in 2017 studied Dr Thanh Herbal Tea. . This is a drink made from 9 herbs: honeysuckle, licorice, chrysanthemum, monk fruit, prunella, mesona, red silk-cotton, plumeria, microcos.

These herbs have been shown to have potential in preventing and supporting the treatment of diseases with mechanisms related to inflammation and oxidation, as well as infections, detoxification and other effects. Interestingly, 2 out of 9 herbs in this drink regularly appear in the medicinal remedies recommended by the Ministry of Health, namely honeysuckle and licorice.

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Xuan Ninh, in the current state of SARS-Cov-2 virus spreading widely, with the recommendations from the Ministry of Health, these herbs can be used in supporting remedies to prevent and control illness caused by Covid-19.

 

In 2017, a study of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine on “Evaluating the effectiveness of Dr Thanh Herbal Tea’s formula” gave the following main conclusions: Dr. Thanh Herbal is made from 9 herbs; these herbs have been shown to have potential in preventing and supporting the treatment of diseases with mechanisms related to inflammation and oxidation, as well as Infectious diseases, detoxification, and some other effects. In particular, the herbal ingredients in Dr Thanh Herbal Tea can have anti-bacterial, viral and anti-fungal effects: inhibiting gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, some fungi and viruses, including common bacteria, fungi, viruses such as Staphylococcus aureus, E.coli, Candida, influenza virus, Japanese encephalitis virus.