COVID-19 Patients' Views and Experiences of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment in South Africa. 2022

Zijing Hu

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a public health emergency of international concern. Since no effective and sustainable treatment was available for COVID-19, patients felt an overwhelming and desperate need to seek alternative treatments. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been gaining popularity outside of Asian countries, especially in Africa. However, no studies have been conducted on African patients' views of the use of TCM to treat various illnesses, including COVID-19. The study aimed to explore South African patients' views of and experiences with TCM for treating COVID-19 infections. The study adopted a qualitative research approach located within the interpretivist paradigm. A single case-study design was employed to investigate the views and experiences of ten post-COVID patients on the use of TCM to treat the disease. The research setting was a TCM practice in Gauteng province in South Africa (SA), with two registered TCM practitioners. Participants were ten post-COVID patients who had had pneumonia and who used TCM to treat the disease. TCM was effective and inexpensive for COVID-19 treatment. Some challenges were revealed for the adoption of TCM in SA, including patients' lack of TCM knowledge and the inaccessibility of TCM services. TCM was beneficial in treating COVID-19 pneumonia. Public awareness of TCM should be promoted, especially as an alternative treatment for COVID-19 in SA. Continuous professional training is recommended for TCM service providers.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008516 Medicine, Chinese Traditional A system of traditional medicine which is based on the beliefs and practices of the Chinese culture. Chinese Medicine, Traditional,Chung I Hsueh,Traditional Medicine, Chinese,Zhong Yi Xue,Chinese Traditional Medicine,Traditional Chinese Medicine,Traditional Tongue Assessment,Traditional Tongue Diagnosis,Hsueh, Chung I,Tongue Assessment, Traditional,Tongue Diagnoses, Traditional,Tongue Diagnosis, Traditional,Traditional Tongue Assessments,Traditional Tongue Diagnoses
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000086382 COVID-19 A viral disorder generally characterized by high FEVER; COUGH; DYSPNEA; CHILLS; PERSISTENT TREMOR; MUSCLE PAIN; HEADACHE; SORE THROAT; a new loss of taste and/or smell (see AGEUSIA and ANOSMIA) and other symptoms of a VIRAL PNEUMONIA. In severe cases, a myriad of coagulopathy associated symptoms often correlating with COVID-19 severity is seen (e.g., BLOOD COAGULATION; THROMBOSIS; ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME; SEIZURES; HEART ATTACK; STROKE; multiple CEREBRAL INFARCTIONS; KIDNEY FAILURE; catastrophic ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROME and/or DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION). In younger patients, rare inflammatory syndromes are sometimes associated with COVID-19 (e.g., atypical KAWASAKI SYNDROME; TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME; pediatric multisystem inflammatory disease; and CYTOKINE STORM SYNDROME). A coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in the genus BETACORONAVIRUS is the causative agent. 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease,2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection,2019-nCoV Disease,2019-nCoV Infection,COVID-19 Pandemic,COVID-19 Pandemics,COVID-19 Virus Disease,COVID-19 Virus Infection,Coronavirus Disease 2019,Coronavirus Disease-19,SARS Coronavirus 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infection,Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection,COVID19,2019 nCoV Disease,2019 nCoV Infection,2019-nCoV Diseases,2019-nCoV Infections,COVID 19,COVID 19 Pandemic,COVID 19 Virus Disease,COVID 19 Virus Infection,COVID-19 Virus Diseases,COVID-19 Virus Infections,Coronavirus Disease 19,Disease 2019, Coronavirus,Disease, 2019-nCoV,Disease, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, 2019-nCoV,Infection, COVID-19 Virus,Infection, SARS-CoV-2,Pandemic, COVID-19,SARS CoV 2 Infection,SARS-CoV-2 Infections,Virus Disease, COVID-19,Virus Infection, COVID-19
D000093485 COVID-19 Drug Treatment The use of DRUGS to treat COVID19 or its symptoms. COVID-19 Drug Therapy,COVID19 Drug Therapy,COVID19 Drug Treatment,Coronavirus Disease 2019 Drug Treatment,Coronavirus Disease-19 Drug Treatment,COVID 19 Drug Therapy,COVID 19 Drug Treatment,COVID-19 Drug Therapies,COVID19 Drug Therapies,COVID19 Drug Treatments,Coronavirus Disease 19 Drug Treatment,Drug Therapy, COVID-19,Drug Therapy, COVID19,Therapy, COVID-19 Drug,Therapy, COVID19 Drug,Treatment, COVID-19 Drug
D013019 South Africa A republic in southern Africa, the southernmost part of Africa. It has three capitals: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). Officially the Republic of South Africa since 1960, it was called the Union of South Africa 1910-1960. Republic of South Africa,Union of South Africa
D058873 Pandemics Epidemics of infectious disease that have spread to many countries, often more than one continent, and usually affecting a large number of people. Pandemic

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