Chinese Medicine in Fighting against Covid-19: Role and Inspiration / 中国结合医学杂志

Covid-19 pandemic has caused hundreds of thousands deaths and millions of infections and continued spreading violently. Although researchers are racing to find or develop effective drugs or vaccines, no drugs from modern medical system have been proven effective and the high mutant rates of the virus may lead it resistant to whatever drugs or vaccines developed following modern drug development procedure. Current evidence has demonstrated impressive healing effects of several Chinese medicines (CMs) for Covid-19, which urges us to reflect on the role of CM in the era of modern medicine. Undoubtedly, CM could be promising resources for developing drug candidates for the treatment of Covid-19 in a way similar to the development of artemisinin. But the theory that builds CM, like the emphasis of driving away exogenous pathogen (virus, etc.) by restoring self-healing capacity rather than killing the pathogen directly from the inside and the 'black-box' mode of diagnosing and treating patients, is as important, yet often ignored, an treasure as CM herbs and should be incorporated into modern medicine for future advancement and innovation of medical science.

Autocuidado autorreferido: contribuições da Medicina Clássica Chinesa para a Atenção Primária à Saúde / Self-referred self-care: the contributions of traditional Chinese Medicine to Primary Health Care / Autocuidado auto-referido: contribuciones de la medicina clásica china a la Atención Primaria de la Salud

As recomendações biomédicas para o autocuidado tendem a prescrições comportamentais preventivistas (heterorreferidas). A introdução de lógicas não biomédicas no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), como a Medicina Chinesa, não tem sido suficiente para mudar a perspectiva do autocuidado na Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Frente à redução do autocuidado da Medicina Chinesa na sua diáspora para o Ocidente, discute-se o potencial de enriquecimento do autocuidado a partir da totalidade de práticas da Medicina Clássica Chinesa e sua possibilidade de contribuir para os objetivos da APS. Este ensaio é baseado em três fontes: entrevistas com acupunturistas da APS, autoetnografia e análise da literatura. Conclui-se que a Medicina Clássica Chinesa fomenta o autoconhecimento, autopercepção e aprendizado (autorreferidos) pelas suas técnicas e ou sua abordagem, podendo ser um potencializador das ações de fomento ao autocuidado na APS.

Biomedical recommendations on self-care tend towards (hetero-referred) preventive behavioral prescriptions. The incorporation of non-biomedical approaches such as Chinese medicine into the public health care system has not been enough to change perspectives on self-care in primary health care (PHC). In the face of the reduction of self-care in Chinese medicine in its diaspora to the West, the literature has discussed the potential for enhancing self-care by building on the practices of traditional Chinese medicine and its potential to contribute to the objectives of PHC. This essay draws on three sources: interviews with acupuncturists working in primary care services, autoethnography and an analysis of the literature. It is concluded that traditional Chinese medicine fosters (self-referred) self-knowledge, self- awareness and learning through its techniques or approach, potentiating actions designed to promote self-care in PHC.

Las recomendaciones biomédicas para el autocuidado tienden a prescripciones comportamentales de prevención (hetero-referidas). La introducción de lógicas no biomédicas en el Sistema Único de Salud, como la medicina china, no ha sido suficiente para cambiar la perspectiva del autocuidado en la atención primaria de la salud (APS). Ante la reducción del autocuidado de la medicina china en su diáspora hacia occidente, se discute el potencial de enriquecimiento del autocuidado a partir de la totalidad de prácticas de la medicina clásica china y su posibilidad de contribuir con los objetivos de la APS. Este ensayo se basa en tres fuentes: entrevistas con profesionales de acupuntura de la APS; autoetnografía y análisis de la literatura. Se concluyó que la medicina clásica china fomenta el autoconocimiento, la autopercepción y al aprendizaje (auto-referidos) por sus técnicas o su abordaje, pudiendo ser un potenciador de las acciones de fomento al autocuidado en la APS.

Recent advances of traditional Chinese medicine on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 / 中国天然药物

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a new highly infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus. Recently, the number of new cases infected pneumonia in the world continues to increase, which has aroused great concern from the international community. At present, there are no small-molecule specific anti-viral drugs for the treatment. The high mortality rate seriously threatens human health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a unique health resource in China. The combination of TCM and Western medicine has played a positive and important role in combating COVID-19 in China. In this review, through literature mining and analysis, it was found that TCM has the potential to prevent and treat the COVID-19. Then, the network pharmacological studies demonstrated that TCM played roles of anti-virus, anti-inflammation and immunoregulation in the management of COVID-19 via multiple components acting on multiple targets and multiple pathways. Finally, clinical researches also confirmed the beneficial effects of TCM on the treatment of patients. This review may provide meaningful and useful information on further drug development of COVID-19 and other viral infectious diseases.

Inside a Postpartum Nursing Center: Tradition and Change

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore how traditional ritual practices are incorporated into the context of contemporary healthcare. METHODS: An ethnographic study was conducted, using observations and interviews with 27 first-time mothers and 3 nurses at a postpartum nursing center in Taipei, Taiwan. RESULTS: Nursing routines, policies and care provision at the center affected the way traditional ritual practices were conducted. New mothers in this study constructed their everyday activities at the center by incorporating and modifying the ritual practices inside and outside the postpartum nursing center setting. CONCLUSIONS: Social changes have an influence on traditional postpartum ritual practices so a postpartum nursing center becomes a choice for postpartum women. Thus, health care professionals should value their own functions and roles at the postpartum nursing center since the new mothers regard them as the primary support resource to help them recover from giving birth. Therefore, they need to re-examine their practices from the postpartum women's perspective to provide better support and sensitive care to postpartum women and their families.

Nutrindo a vitalidade: questões contemporâneas sobre a racionalidade médica chinesa e seu desenvolvimento histórico cultural / Nourishing life: contemporary issues of Chinese medical rationality and its cultural development

Nas últimas quatro décadas a Medicina Chinesa estabeleceu raízes estáveis nos países ocidentais. Durante o processo de aculturação, a escola de pensamento denominada Medicina Tradicional Chinesa (ZHŌNG GUÓ YĪ) alcançou uma posição hegemônica nestes países e também na República Popular da China (1949- ). Esta escola foi inicialmente concebida como um projeto para reconstrução da Medicina Chinesa dentro do território da China continental após a revolução de 1949. Um dos propósitos deste projeto foi construir uma síntese entre a MedicinaClássica Chinesa (GǓ DÀI ZHŌNG YĪ) e a ciência ocidental, adequando-se aos valores e ideologia da China comunista. Neste processo foram excluídas ou modificadas, por razões políticas, ideológicas ou paradigmáticas, concepções fundamentais da Medicina Clássica que constituíam um modelo de prevenção e promoção de saúde. Em contrapartida, foram enfatizados seus aspectos diretamente relacionados ao paradigma biomédico, essencialmentevoltados para a cura de doenças.Neste trabalho apreendemos e analisamos as concepções, valores e pressupostos que estruturam a proposta terapêutica da Medicina Clássica Chinesa, enfatizando os aspectos econcepções que constituem um modelo de prevenção e promoção de saúde (YǍNG SHĒNG), reintegrando as concepções modificadas ou excluídas dentro de seu contexto original. Assumindo que durante seu período de formação na dinastia HÀN (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.) a Medicina Clássica Chinesa era um corpo de conhecimento interligado aos saberes e práticasDaoístas, efetuamos a apreensão e análise das concepções inseridas no contexto do modelo cosmológico Daoísta que constituiu os fundamentos para o desenvolvimento dos saberes médicos nesta época.

Changing ethics in medical practice: a Thai perspective.

The pace of social change in Thailand has seen the rise of various medical services and a global clientele. Currently, medical tourism and cosmetic surgery have an important role in medical practice here. A growing medical market offers a range of services at competitive rates and high levels of efficiency. This essay provides an overview of medical practices in Thailand and their effect on ordinary people.