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Sceptics of China’s TCM Covid-19 remedy Lianhua Qingwen face online attacks
- Complaints lodged after Chinese health platform publishes an article saying the traditional medicine has no effect in preventing infection
- A leading Chinese neurologist is also criticised for post saying ‘unproven’ treatments inappropriate in pandemic fight
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Organisations and individuals who have questioned the efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Lianhua Qingwen as a Covid-19 treatment are being denounced on Chinese social media.
After publishing an article that said Lianhua Qingwen had no effect in preventing Covid-19 and that its distribution would strain logistics capacities, the Chinese health platform DXY received more than 33,000 comments on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform.
While many Weibo users agreed with the article and praised DXY for its publication, some criticised it for discrediting traditional Chinese medicine and supporting Western treatments.
“[TCM] affects your interests. You have been discrediting TCM since your establishment so as to open up the domestic [Chinese] market for your foreign capital [investors],” said one comment with 1,432 likes.
A leading Chinese neurologist, Rao Yi, was also criticised after posting on WeChat last Sunday, saying it was inappropriate to use traditional Chinese medicine whose efficacy had not been proven. Some Weibo users said Rao was ignorant about TCM and its effects amid the pandemic.
Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical, the manufacturer of Lianhua Qingwen, said on Wednesday that Lianhua Qingwen had been recommended for treatment of Covid-19.
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