A physician uses burning sticks of mugwort leaves to treat a patient who is recovering from COVID-19 in Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Wuhan, Hubei province, on May 23. [Photo/Xinhua]

Traditional treatments

In April, Wang Qi, a tenured professor at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told a news conference held in Beijing by the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism that he was wearing a scented sachet.

"We have worked out a set of antivirus packages that include some TCM medications, a scented sachet and a mouth and nasal spray. These three tools together have proved effective in inhibiting the inflammation caused by the contagion," Wang said. "The substance dispersed by the sachet can stimulate the IgA and IgM (types of immunoglobulin) levels in blood serum and improve an individual's overall immunity."

Wang's herbal formula has been published online. It recommends mugwort as one of eight herbs to be placed in the sachet because of the plant's ability to "emanate a pleasing scent, dissolve turbidity and prevent infection".

While there are some slight differences in the composition of antivirus sachets put forward by different TCM practitioners, mugwort leaves have emerged as an irreplaceable ingredient in all of them.

For example, a prescription developed by Zhou Zhongying, former president of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, recommends grinding mugwort and six other herbs together and placing them in wearable sachets.

Zhou Ting, a sophomore at Nanjing Audit University in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, said her mother gave her a bag of scented sachets when she returned to campus in April.

"I am not really into traditional Chinese medicine, but wearing a sachet is pretty convenient and the smell is quite comforting and soothing to me," Zhou said.

"Though the epidemic has basically been curbed in China, the risk of a resurgence of the virus still exists. So I think carrying an antivirus sachet with me everywhere I go will offer both psychological relief and some real protection."

Tang Yi, a chief doctor at the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, highlighted the role of moxibustion as a method of home-based healthcare during the epidemic.

"It is suggested that people use exothermic (heat-generating) equipment or sticks of mugwort leaves to heat four targeted acupuncture points on their bodies," he said.

Han Shanming, an acupuncture therapist and a representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage for his moxibustion skills, told Xinhua News Agency that the smoke produced by burning mugwort leaves or the steam that rises from boiling water containing mugwort can help disinfect the surrounding air. In addition, moxibustion can stimulate positive energy and help defend the body from contagion.