Changhua to Treat COVID-19 Children with Chinese Herbal Formula 彰縣啟兒童清冠一號居照專案 公費治療

While there are currently no approved anti-virus treatments for children under the age of 12 in Taiwan, many have placed their hope in traditional herbal formula. Chunghua County announced that it will provide 1,000 government-funded spots to treat young, mild COVID cases with Taiwan-developed Chingguan Yihau.

In central Taiwan, Changhua County authorities estimated that as many as 2000 children under the age of 12 will become infected with COVID-19. The Changhua Public Health Bureau announced on the 6th that the bureau would offer 1000 government-funded spots to treat young Changhua residents with the traditional herbal formula Taiwan Chingguan Yihau, otherwise known as RespireAid, to relieve COVID-19 symptoms. 

Wang Hui-mei, Changhua County Magistrate: “A Chinese practitioner will examine patients through scheduled video calls and send them Chinese herbal medicine. I think children would be able to recover soon through this method as well.”

The county's mild COVID cases aged 6 to 11 who are under home isolation are eligible for the service. The local health bureau would arrange for Chinese medicine clinic staff to contact families through video calls and prescribe Chingguan Yihau. Family members who have not been in direct contact with the sick child can pick up medicine from the clinic and would need to pay just a registration fee.

Chen Po-yuan, Traditional Medicine Practitioner: “The clinic would first contact the family to ask for basic information to set up an account, then they would make sure that the child is qualified for the service. The doctor would video call to see the child and prescribe medicine. The clinic would then arrange for family members to go pick up the medicine.”

Chinese medicine practitioners say that Chingguan Yihau for children comes in lower doses compared with that of adults. Dosages are different depending on the child's conditions and symptoms. Clinical results show that Chingguan Yihau helps to reduce the amount of coronavirus in the body and the number of days needed to be hospitalized. The Changhua Chinese Medical Association is calling on the public to not push the medicine out of stock by buying and hoarding Chingguan Yihau for prevention purposes. Chingguan Yihau should be left to those who really need to be treated.

Peng Te-kuei, Chairperson, Changhua Chinese Medical Association: “We may prescribe other herbal medicine in supplement to Chingguan Yihau for the patient depending on the patient's condition for better results. So please remember, don't buy the medicine if you don't need it.”

Chinese medicine practitioners also noted that Chingguan Yihau is of cold nature, so it may not be suitable for children who get diarrhea easily. Parents should discuss with doctors for a final decision. 

疫情嚴峻，目前12歲以下兒童確診無抗病毒藥物可使用，彰化縣衛生局更推估全縣將有2000位兒童確診。縣府今日宣布，啟動兒童清冠一號居家照護專案，提供1000個公費治療的名額。

彰化縣長王惠美表示：「透過視訊，然後望聞問切的部分，提供給我們視訊的鄉親中藥治療，我想孩子們透過這樣的方式也會盡快康復。」

只要是彰化縣6到11歲的兒童，確診輕症居家照護者，衛生局會依其意願協助轉介到中醫診所，透過視訊看診開立清冠一號藥方，再由未接觸確診兒童的家屬到診所領藥即可，只需負擔掛號費。

中醫師陳博淵說：「診所會跟個案先聯繫好，把基本資料建立，確認他是符合公費的資格之後，安排醫師跟他視訊診療，然後診療完畢之後、有處方之後，我們還會安排如何領藥。」

中醫師表示，兒童版清冠一號藥方，劑量較成人版低，並且會依個人體質症狀不同而有所調整，屬於治療用藥，臨床療效證實能有效降低患者病毒數量與住院天數。因此彰化縣中醫師公會呼籲民眾切勿掃貨搶購，誤把清冠一號當成預防性用藥拿來當保養茶飲，造成藥材短缺，延誤確診者治療。

彰化縣中醫師公會理事長彭德桂表示：「我們會因為他病情不同、體質不同，我們會另外加入不同中藥當輔助治療，效果會更好，所以記得千萬不要自購。」

不過醫師也強調，因為藥性偏寒，本身體質虛、平常就容易腹瀉的小朋友可能就不適合，家長可與醫師充分討論後再行決定。