A medical worker decocts preventative medicinal herbs at the traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Changxing county, Huzhou, Zhejiang province, for inspectors at local checkpoints. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has proved to be an important weapon for Zhejiang province in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

According to the province's TCM administration, TCM has been used to treat more than 95 percent of the province's confirmed cases and 92 percent of suspected cases so far.

An 89-year-old patient was recently discharged from the Hangzhou Xixi Hospital after being treated with a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

The oldest patient to be treated at the hospital was in a severe condition when admitted and suffered from many other diseases as well, such as arrhythmia and coronary sclerosis.

The hospital gave her 14 doses of dedicated herbal medicine for her to take while she recovered.

"Traditional Chinese medicine works by analyzing the specific symptoms of a patient and offering a personalized solution," said Xu Zhiying, a prestigious TCM physician. 

In light of the local situation, Zhejiang has published four editions of a set of recommended TCM prevention and treatment solutions for the novel coronavirus.

Shaoxing People's Hospital has offered TCM therapy for all patients admitted there. It has treated 23 confirmed cases, 13 of whom have recovered and been discharged.

In addition, Ningbo arranged for 15 TCM experts to guide local doctors via daily online consultations.

"For suspected cases, the use of TCM can improve their symptoms and strengthen their bodies," said a TCM doctor from the Taizhou Enze Hospital.

Since the first confirmed case emerged in Taizhou on Jan 17, the hospital has developed special herbal medicine to improve people's immune systems and help them avoid infection. It has given more than 8,000 decoctions of the medicine to the public so far.

It had also prescribed herbal medicine to 138 confirmed cases as of Feb 19, which relieved the symptoms of around 90 percent of recipients.