關於 which science subject is the most important ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

TỪ VỰNG CHỦ ĐỀ EDUCATION [Gồm Thành ngữ + Từ vựng chung + Bài mẫu]
🎗PHẦN THÀNH NGỮ
- to learn something by heart = to learn something so well that it can be written or recited without any effort: học thuộc lòng
- bookworm = a person who reads a lot: mọt sách
- teacher’s pet = a student in a class who is liked best by the teacher and therefore treated better than the other students: học sinh cưng của giáo viên, được giáo viên yêu thích
- to draw a blank = to fail to get an answer or a result: không tìm thấy hay nhớ ra điều gì
- copycat = someone who has few ideas of their own and does or says exactly the same as someone else: người bắt chước ý tưởng của người khác
- to get the hang of something = to learn how to do something, esp. when it is not simple or obvious: hiểu cách làm gì, học cách làm gì đó
- to burn the midnight oil = to study/work late into the night: thức khuya để học/làm việc
- to pass with flying colours = If you do something such as pass an exam with flying colours, you do it very successfully: đỗ/đậu … 1 cách dễ dàng
- to go back to basis = to return to teaching or paying attention to the most important aspects of a subject or activity: quay lại những điều cốt lõi
- to cover a lot of ground = to review a large amount of information or discuss many topics: xem lại thật nhiều tài liệu, thông tin

🎗TỪ VỰNG EDUCATION
- to get higher academic results: đạt được kết quả học tập cao
- to study abroad = to study in a different country: du học
- to drop out of school: bỏ học
- to gain international qualifications: có được bằng cấp quốc tế
- to improve educational outcomes: nâng cao đầu ra của giáo dục
- to top international educational league tables: xếp đầu bảng giáo dục quốc tế
- to encourage independent learning: thúc đẩy việc tự học
to pass/fail the exam: đậu/ rớt kỳ thi
- to gain in-depth knowledge: có được kiến thức sâu sắc
- core subjects such as science, English and maths: những môn học nòng cốt như khoa học, tiếng Anh và toán
- to have the opportunity to … : có cơ hội làm gì
- to interact and take part in group work activities: tương tác và tham gia vào các hoạt động nhóm
- opposite-sex classmates: bạn khác giới
- to learn a wide range of skills: học được các kỹ năng khác nhau
- communication or teamwork skils: kỹ năng giao tiếp hay làm việc nhóm
- co-existence and gender equality: sự cùng tồn tại và sự bình đẳng giới

🎗TỪ VỰNG STUDY ABROAD
▪LỢI ÍCH
- It gives you the opportunity to experience a different way of living/ make new friends: Nó mang đến cho bạn cơ hội trải nghiệm một cách sống khác / kết bạn mới.
- Living on your own while studying abroad makes you more independent because you have to learn to cook, clean, pay bills and take care of yourself: Sống một mình trong khi du học ở nước ngoài làm bạn trở nên tự lập hơn vì bạn phải học cách nấu ăn, dọn dẹp, chi trả hóa đơn và chăm sóc chính bản thân bạn.
- You can learn invaluable life lessons and practical skills such as stress management, communication or problem-solving skills which are very important for your future career: - Bạn có thể học các bài học cuộc sống vô giá và các kỹ năng thực hành như quản lý căng thẳng, giao tiếp hoặc kỹ năng giải quyết vấn đề rất quan trọng cho sự nghiệp tương lai của bạn.
- It gives you the chance to improve your speaking skills: Nó mang lại cho bạn cơ hội để cải thiện kỹ năng nói của bạn.
- Recruiters tend to favour candidates graduating from an international university over those who don’t have any international qualification: Các nhà tuyển dụng có khuynh hướng ưu ái các ứng cử viên tốt nghiệp từ một trường đại học quốc tế hơn là những người không có bằng cấp quốc tế.

▪KHÓ KHĂN
- You might encounter culture shock and other culture-related problems: Bạn có thể gặp phải cú sốc văn hóa và các vấn đề liên quan đến văn hóa khác.
- Living costs in some countries are very high. Many overseas students have to do a part-time job to pay for their bills. This can affect their studies: Chi phí sinh hoạt ở một số nước rất cao. Nhiều sinh viên nước ngoài phải làm công việc bán thời gian để trả tiền cho hóa đơn của họ. Điều này có thể ảnh hưởng đến việc học của họ.
- You might experience feelings of frustration, loneliness and homesickness: Bạn có thể cảm thấy thất vọng, cô đơn và nhớ nhà
- If you are struggling with the language of the country you are hoping to study in, you will face lots of problems: Nếu bạn đang gặp khó khăn với ngôn ngữ của đất nước mà bạn đang hy vọng được học tập, bạn sẽ gặp rất nhiều vấn đề.

👉👉 PHẦN BÀI MẪU: Page mình xem ở đây nhé:
https://ielts-nguyenhuyen.com/tu-vung-ielts-writing-chu-de-education/

[時事英文] 中美網絡戰鬥力
　
在過去的二十年中，對常規軍事作戰的理解已從二維戰場（battlefield）轉變為多維系統的作戰空間（battlespace），資訊戰（information warfare）也早已開始。我們今天先透過紐約時報的報導探討傳統資訊戰的定義。
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
《2015 紐約時報》報導：
　
As China president Xi Jinping begins a trip to the United States that could include the first arms control accord for cyberspace between the United States and China, a new RAND report that rates the cyber warfare capabilities of the world’s two largest economies shows how important such an agreement could be. The report, which rates the capabilities of both militaries over the course of two situations, a conflict over Taiwan and one over the Spratly Islands, dedicates an entire chapter to the respective cyber capabilities of both sides.
　
1. arms control（國與國一致進行的）軍備控制
2. accord (n.) （國家之間的）協議；條約
3. cyberspace 網際空間
4. rate (v.) 評估
5. cyber warfare 網路戰
6. a conflict over ⋯⋯的衝突
7. dedicate 奉獻，獻出（全部精力、時間等）*
8. respective 各自的；分別的
　
中國國家主席習近平正在對美國進行國事訪問，此行有可能會簽訂中美網路空間的首個軍備控制協議。蘭德公司也在此際發佈報告，對全球兩大經濟體的網路戰能力進行評估，顯示了這樣一個協議有多麼重要。該報告評估了兩軍在兩種局勢下的戰力，一是臺海衝突，二是南沙群島爭端。報告用了整整一章來分析美中各自的網路戰能力。
　
*dedicate: https://bit.ly/2VNp0NL
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
As it maps out the potential conflicts, and in turn the potential ways each country could attack the other’s network, it becomes apparent why a first agreement between President Obama and Mr. Xi might focus on the rules of the road for attacks on core infrastructure instead of on better publicized Chinese attacks aimed at gaining advantages and intellectual property for companies.

In particular, it argues unclassified networks for key infrastructure are more vulnerable than those of the military, and that broad attacks have a huge potential to cause unanticipated escalations. Even so, it says that the United States would probably do better than might be expected given the high-profile media coverage of Chinese cyberattacks.
　
9. map sth out 詳細安排；籌劃
10. potential conflict 潛在的衝突
11. the rules of the road 使用規則
12. gain advantage 取得優勢
13. intellectual property 智慧財產權
14. have a huge potential 有著巨大的可能性
15. unanticipated escalation 意料之外的逐步升級
16. high-profile 高調；備受關注的
17. cyberattack（由駭客發起的）網路攻擊
　
報告對潛在的衝突進行了描述，進而又對雙方可能採取哪些方式來攻擊彼此的網路進行了分析，從中可以看到為什麼歐巴馬和習近平簽訂的第一個協議可能會側重在攻擊核心基礎設施的規則上，而不是更為人知的中國為獲得商業優勢和智慧財產權進行的網路攻擊。這份報告特別指出，關鍵基礎設施使用的非機密網路較軍方網路脆弱，而且那樣的廣泛攻擊很有可能導致雙方沒有預計到的衝突升級。即便如此，報告說，鑒於中國的網路攻擊得到了大篇幅的報道，美國在網路戰中的表現可能比人們預期的出色。
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
The Chinese military “has been heavily involved in large-scale cyber espionage since the mid-2000s, which has made it the subject of much media attention.

Because the most common targets of these attacks have been lightly defended corporate and unclassified government systems, this activity may have created an exaggerated sense of the capabilities that China might bring to bear in an operational military context,” it concludes. Citing a 2013 document distributed throughout China’s People’s Liberation Army called “The Science of Military Strategy,” the report adds that the Chinese army recognizes the major advantages to being aggressive in cyberwar.
　
18. cyber espionage 網路間諜活動
19. media attention 媒體關注
20. bring to bear 運用
21. cite 引用
22. throughout (prep.) 遍及
23. China’s People’s Liberation Army 中國人民解放軍
　
中國軍方「自２０００年代中期起，一直在積极參與大規模網路間諜活動，因此成為備受媒體關注的話題。由於這些攻擊最常見的目標是防禦措施較少的企業以及非機密的政府系統，因此對於中國在網路戰方面的能力，可能存在一種誇大，」該報告認為。該報告援引發表於２０１３年、在中國人民解放軍全軍分發的《戰略學》，稱中國軍方認識到在網路戰中採取攻勢的好處。
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
One danger of that, and also more broadly of employing cyberattacks in a situation of escalating conflict, is that of unintentional escalation. Using several hypothetical situations, the report shows how a cyberattack could deepen a conflict. For example, it points out that if China were to make a move for Taiwan, a cyberattack aimed at hurting the potential for the United States to intercede, could contradictorily force the U.S. to come into the conflict. Likewise it argues that in the case of some kind of regional conflict, United States attacks on Chinese infrastructure that in peace-time would be deemed mainly of civilian importance could take on deeper military implications.
　
24. escalating conflict 逐步升級的衝突
25. unintentional 無意的；非故意的
26. hypothetical 假設的；假定的
27. deepen a conflict 深化衝突
28. point out 指出
29. aim at 瞄準；對準
30. make a move 採取行動
31. intercede 介入；調停
32. contradictorily force 反而迫使
33. regional conflict 區域衝突
34. peace-time 和平時期
35. be deemed 被認為；被視作
36. take on 呈現；開始具有（某種特徵）
37. implication 暗示；牽連
　
這種思維，以及在不斷升級的衝突中廣泛採用網路攻擊的策略的危險之處在於，它會在無意之中導致衝突升級。該報告假設了幾種情況，來說明網路攻擊將如何令衝突升級。假設中國在臺海採取行動，如果它為了預防美國調停而發起網路攻擊，可能反而會迫使美國參與衝突。同樣，報告認為，在發生區域衝突的情況下，美國對通常主要作為民用的中國基礎設施開展網路攻擊，可能就會產生更深層次的軍事影響。
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
Even so, there are plenty of reasons that China and the U.S. would be unlikely to carry out a major attack aimed broadly at civilian populations. In particular, the report points out that close economic relations could mean an unintentional business fallout at home while the interconnectedness of the Internet makes the effects of broad attacks unpredictable (for example, Chinese data stored abroad could be inadvertently disrupted). Also likely to be on the front of Beijing’s mind, the report argues, are a few larger concerns. In particular, during wartime issues surrounding control of potentially destabilizing information within China and tracking of dissident activity are also likely to “loom large.”
　
38. carry out 執行
39. fallout 不良影響；惡果
40. at home 在國內
41. interconnectedness 緊密關係
42. inadvertently 無意地；非故意地
43. on the front of sb’s mind 在……的腦海中
44. wartime 戰時
45. destabilize 使不穩定；暗中顛覆（反對政權）
46. dissident (n.) 異見者；意見不同者；持不同政見者
47. loom large 顯得突出；變得嚴重
　
即便如此，仍有充足的理由認為美中不太可能針對平民開展大規模攻擊。特別是美中經濟關係密切，而網際網路具有很強的相互關聯性，廣泛襲擊的影響是不可預知的，因此這種攻擊可能會造成無法預計的商業後果（例如，中國儲存在國外的數據可能會在無意中遭到破壞）。報告認為，北京可能有幾個更加重視的關注點。特別是，在國內控制那些可能導致社會不穩定的訊息，以及追蹤異見者的活動，有可能在戰爭時期「特別重要」。
　
《紐約時報》完整報導：https://nyti.ms/2RS4b2P
　
圖片出處：https://bit.ly/2RUKKqa

資訊戰爭講義 (Information Warfare): https://bit.ly/2xcimbQ
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
時事英文講義：https://bit.ly/2XmRYXc
　
時事英文大全：http://bit.ly/2WtAqop
　
如何使用「時事英文」：https://bit.ly/3a9rr38
　
＃美中網路戰英文

TCM Treatments of COVID-19

Written in Chinese by Dr. Andy Lee, March 7, 2020 (http://andylee.pro/wp/?p=7660)

Translated to English by Dr. James Yeh, March 13, 2020

I published an essay “From SARS to Novel Coronavirus” in Chinese on January 21, 2020 (http://andylee.pro/wp/?p=7169). At that time, I tried to discuss possible Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments of Novel Coronavirus based on my clinical experience of treating many severe cases of pneumonia caused by various influenza and other diseases. Since then, I have directly and indirectly participated in treating patients of Novel Coronavirus successfully, had discussions with many doctors fighting the epidemic at the front line and many researchers conducting related researches, and read many reports on this subject. Although the “Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia” has been renamed to “COVID-19” (coronavirus disease 2019) and the name of the virus has officially named from “2019-nCoV” to “SARS-CoV-2”, I now firmly believe that my original judgment, views, and interpretations are correct. For the sake of easiness for people to read and share, in this essay, I am reorganizing my previous discussions and including some explanations on certain confusions as well.

First, there are numerous provinces and cities in China using TCM to fight the “COVID-19” (I will use the term “Coronavirus” from now on.) No matter whether the treatments were primarily using TCM or the combination of TCM and the methods of Western medicine, there have been a significant amount of positive outcomes. On the other hand, the views of how to use TCM to treat and the use of corresponding herbal formulas vary quite a bit. Even when TCM remedies were effective, why did some patients fully recover and were discharged from the hospitals but other patients still could not get the virus-free “negative confirmation” from virus DNA tests?

Many TCM doctors participating in the treatments and discussions often look at the Coronavirus issue from a single “Point” or the condition of the patient at that specific moment. Some interpreted the disease as “Dampness” (濕), “Dryness” (燥), “Cold” (寒), or “Heat” (熱). (Translator’s note: These interpretations are often the opposite ends of the spectra, like Dampness is opposite to Dryness; and Cold is opposite to Heat.) From the clinical practice point of view, those treatments based on such conflicting interpretations all had positive effects to some degrees. Then, which interpretation is the “correct one”? In fact, those simple interpretations all have some merits but don’t fully cover the subject in hand. Although TCM is based on “Dialectical Treatment” (辯證論治), i.e. treatment is derived from “observation and diagnosis” of patients’ complex symptoms, the most important thing is that disease shouldn’t be viewed as an isolated problem at a specific time, but the whole development of symptoms along a timeline. Not only we need to observe and diagnose the current ailment but also we have to understand the development history of the disease and to project how the disease will develop in the future. For a single patient, we might be able to focus on the clinical results of this patient. But for epidemics, we have to look at a bigger picture and take into account how this Coronavirus develops health issues inside the human body from TCM’s perspective. And, in clinical treatments, we also need to consider many variants caused by each patient’s preconditions and one’s strength to fight off the disease.

From my experience of curing many patients who were inflicted with flu-induced pneumonia and complications, and the recent participation in treating and curing Coronavirus patients, it is proper to summarize that no matter whether the virus is Coronavirus, bird flu, swine flu, or the “common” flu, we found that the bodily deterioration caused by the virus, in general, follows the description from the TCM theory first covered in the ancient literature “Treatise on Cold Damage on Miscellaneous Disease ” (傷寒雜病論). However, the progressions of the disease from such special viruses are much faster, more severe, and/or more persistent than that of the common flu. Patients’ own original “health” condition also complicates the progression. (Translator’s note: For example, the infliction rate of young children is much smaller than that of adults for Coronavirus.)

As I explained before, the TCM theory discussed that for the common flu or “catching a cold”, the disease starts with “Exterior Deficiency or Weakness” (表虛). That is, the “exterior” of the body is invaded by the “External Pathogen” (外邪), like virus, and has adverse reactions. (Translator’s note: Here the exterior doesn’t mean just the outside surface of the body like the skin, but all the surfaces topologically exposed to the outside like lining of throat, nose, and bronchus of the body.) This is the first stage of the whole episode and often can be effectively treated with the herbal prescriptions such as “Gui Zhi Tang” (桂枝湯). If the patient is not properly treated, the body fluids within the surface and muscles could not function properly. It will cause the transition to the next stage “Exterior Excess” (表實). (Translator’s note: The word Excess has various meanings: excessive reactions all the way to neoplasm, excessive wasteful things, etc.) Viral infection at this stage is matched to one of the several syndromes named with the corresponding herbal remedies such as “Ge Geng Tang” (葛根湯), “Ma Huang Tang” (麻黃湯證), and others. The TCM theory calls this stage “Exterior Coldness” (表寒). In history, many TCM doctors considered this stage as the body being hurt by outside coldness (傷於寒) or in plain words “Catching Cold”. However, that is a misunderstanding. While outside coldness is one of the causes leading to the stage “Exterior Coldness”, it is not the only cause. When the body fluids could not function properly, the normal body fluids which had proper fluidity to circulate and to fulfill vital functions (活水) became a pot of “Dead Water” (死水), i.e. wasteful water which can’t fulfill vital functions. In other words, the ancient literature “Treatise on Cold Damage on Miscellaneous Disease” (傷寒雜病論) is much beyond the simple interpretation of how to treat the ailment caused by “cold damage”, but a classical literature of explaining both the physiology and pathology of human body functions.

Normally, the ailment or symptoms of the common flu would be limited at this stage of “Exterior Coldness”. Even without any treatment, the human body often could fight off the virus with an immune response and fully recover. But when the effects of Exterior Coldness started to penetrate into the interior of the body, the first common organs to be affected will be the organs that have a short path to the outside. (Translator’s note: Topologically, trachea and lung are only a membrane distance away from the outside air.) Then the Exterior Coldness gets transformed into the next stages such as “Interior Coldness” (裡寒) and “Lung Coldness” (肺寒). (Translator’s note: Here “Lung” means the whole respiratory system, not only the lung organ.) Clinically, the patients start to show symptoms of the syndrome named after its herbal remedy “Xiao Qing Long Tang” (小青龍湯). At this stage, the patients have serious coughing and running nose. When the respiratory system is “affected by the coldness”, the body fluid function of the respiratory system gets affected. Just like when the cooling system of a car malfunctions, the engine would overheat. The circulation function of the lung becomes “Dry and Overheated” (燥热). This would lead to the next stage of “Heated Interior” (入裡化熱) and often be matched to its herbal remedy “Da Qing Long Tang” (大青龍湯). At this stage, it does not mean that the whole lung is “dry and heated”. In fact, many pneumonia patients exhibit “mixed coldness and heat” (寒熱夾雜) in the lung. For example, while the upper part of the lung is “dry and heated”, the lower part of the lung might suffer excessive mucus of a high density. Pleural effusion and hydronephrosis might start to develop quickly.

Such a complex situation was extensively discussed in Chapter 7 of the ancient literature “Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber” (金匱要略肺痿肺癰咳嗽上氣病脈證治第七篇). At this complex stage, the illness development varies significantly among patients of different preconditions and other variants. It is no longer the situation that a simple herbal remedy can be applied to all the situations. The TCM theory illustrates various treatments by those herbal remedies such as “She Gan Ma Hung Tang” (射干麻黃湯), “Ting Li Da Zao Xie Fei Tang” (葶藶大棗瀉肺湯), ”Ze Qi Tang” (澤漆湯), “Xiao Qing Long Jia Shi Gao Tang” (小青龍加石膏湯), and others. It doesn’t mean that one of the herbal remedies should be selected to treat a patient directly. Instead, the TCM Theory used these herbal remedies to teach its practitioners how to “think” and create a proper herbal remedy based on the conditions of a specific patient.

For example, the Coronavirus has quite a puzzling situation that many Western medicine doctors haven’t yet fully understood. Some severely affected patients exhibited fibrosis of the lung like the SARS phenomenon. Other severely affected patients did not have SARS-like lung fibrosis but had massive liquid cumulated in the lung, which even “drown” some patients to death. From the TCM point of view, it is not strange at all. Fibrosis of the lung is the typical following stage of Heated Interior matching to “Da Qing Long Tang” (大青龍湯). It was named as “Lung Atrophy” (肺痿) in the TCM theory. And the situation that one suffers from massive dense liquid accumulation is matched to symptoms of severe development after the stages matched to “She Gan Ma Hung Tang”( 射干麻黃湯) , “Ting Li Da Zao Xie Fei Tang” (葶藶大棗瀉肺湯), and others as discussed earlier. The TCM theory called it “Lung Abscess” (肺癰). In the TCM theory, Lung Atrophy and Lung Abscess are two progression paths of this virus depending on which path develops faster or even simultaneously. From the past and current reports, SARS virus tilts toward the path of Lung Atrophy, while the Coronavirus tilts a little more toward Lung Abscess.

The above explained the progression of flu and other epidemic virus infections. Now you might understand how different TCM doctors had different views or treatment methods, but all of the treatments had some partially positive effects. If a TCM doctor’s diagnosis at one particular moment was slight hotness of the lung, some mild herbs to “clean up the heat” (清熱解毒輕劑), often used by the “Southern School” doctrine (溫病派), might relieve the patient’s symptoms. But if a TCM doctor’s diagnosis at a different point of the progression was massive mucus accumulation, heavy dosage of strong herbs, often used by the “Northern or Classic School” doctrine (經方派) might be needed to treat Lung Abscess (肺癰). That is why we saw some reports that the “Pneumonia Formula One” (肺炎一號) used in Guangzhou city, which was based on mild herbs to reducing the “heat”, had some positive effects in Guangzhou but not so effective in Shanghai. In Shanghai, many TCM doctors had to switch to stronger herbal ingredient often found in “Da Qing Long Tang” (大青龍湯) and “She Gan Ma Hung Tang”( 射干麻黃湯) as discussed earlier. This was due to different weather patterns and different patients, i.e. different progression paths described in the previous paragraphs. In other words, from the specific moment of the doctor’s diagnosis, both views were correct. But neither of them grasped the progression timeline of this severe illness.

Another point raised earlier was why did some patients fully recover while others did not? According to the information given by the doctors on the front line, there were so-called “Western medicine and TCM combined treatments” in which Western medicine drugs were continuously given to the patients and TCM herbs were used as supplements. When adding TCM herbs had a positive effect and made a speedier recovery, it was all goodness. But when adding TCM herbs did not have positive results, then what? According to the doctors on the front line, the medical team did not really think through the stages of disease progression as discussed earlier and switch to different TCM remedies, but only increased the dosage of Western medicine drugs such as Interferon (干擾素), Chloroquine phosphate (磷酸氯喹) used to treat malaria (抗瘧疾藥物), Arbidol (阿比多爾) used to treat influenza (抗流感藥物), and others. Heavy dosages of such drugs had severe side effects and sequelae. In those “combined” treatments, the medical teams didn’t have enough TCM expertise to make sound decisions on herbal remedies. Instead, they simply used TCM herbs as “extra help”.

How about treatments primarily with TCM remedies? The chief Western medicine expert who leads the fight against the Coronavirus, Dr. Nanshan Zhong, admitted under political pressure that TCM was useful against light or even medium threat situations of Coronavirus but insisted that TCM could not cure severe cases. His statement was based on his belief that there is no ingredient in TCM herbs that could kill Coronavirus. I am sorry to say that Dr. Zhong is incorrect in this aspect. With solid patient cases as proof, TCM can actually cure severe cases of Coronavirus infection and other flu-related infections. When it did not, it is the particular TCM doctors who had not mastered the whole theory and methodology of TCM. But one thing that Dr. Zhong said correctly was that no ingredient in TCM herbs can “kill” the virus. However, the TCM treatment isn’t based on the ability to kill the virus. (Translator’s note: Western medicine drugs could not kill the virus either.) Many people still have the level of limited understanding that TCM can only improve the immunization ability or some herbs such as the root of Isatis tinctoria (板藍根) has some natural antibiotic chemicals. Such understanding is unfortunately poor and very limited. Although modern medical science still could not fully comprehend TCM theory and its clinical outcome, against Coronavirus, the better explanation is that TCM remedies can “improve the internal environment of the human body”. (Translator’s note: So that the patient would not fall into the adverse conditions that the organs fail to function.) In plain words, when the virus causes more mucus, TCM remedies reduce the mucus. When the virus causes fibrosis, TCM remedies reduce the “heat level” of the lung. TCM remedies tend to push the body and organs back to the original healthy states. Once the environment is unfriendly for the virus to keep replicating, the patients will have higher chances to eradicate the virus by themselves and recover. One can probably say that this explanation and method is similar to the idea of using Western medicine Interferon but without severe side effects. That is, TCM can cure not because it has the ability to “kill” virus by some ingredients but to help to restore patients’ “internal environment” to healthier conditions that prevent the virus from replicating quickly. (Translator’s note: If one buys the same argument made by Dr. Zhong that a medication needs to have ingredients to kill the Coronavirus, then all the medications used today would not qualify. Then do we give up? In fact, why TCM was not selected to treat severe cases was because those stronger and less commonly used herbs were not applied properly or the TCM doctors at hand had less confidence for doing so. )

Now, we can go back to discuss how clinically TCM can treat and cure Coronavirus patients. For light to mild cases, most of the different TCM treatment methodologies could help. For medium to severe cases, as I discussed in my previous essay, we need to utilize the strength of certain herbs:

- Sheng Shi Gao (Gypsum, 生石膏): To reduce heat inside the lung (清肺熱) and enhance the liquid circulation in the respiratory system (加強肺津液運作)

- She Gan (Belamcanda chinensis, 射干)、Zi Wan (Aster tataricus, 紫菀) 、Kuan Dong Hua (Tussilago farfara flower, 款冬花)、Sheng Ban Xia (Pinellia ternate, 生半夏)、Ting Li (Sisymbrium indicum, 葶藶)、Da Ji (Euphorbia pekinensis Rupr., 大戟), etc.: To reduce accumulation of excessive mucus and wasteful fluids inside the respiratory system (去肺下方濃稠痰飲、肺積水、胸腔積液等)

- Ma Huang (Ephedra sinica Stapf., 麻黃), etc.: To enhance the lung function (宣肺、發陽)

- Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogon japonicas, 麥門冬)、Xing Ren (Prunus armeniaca, 杏仁): To moisturize the lung (潤肺)

That is, we need to combine the theory and targeted responses of the various herbal remedies such as “Da Qing Long Tang” (大青龍湯), “She Gan Ma Hung Tang” (射干麻黃湯) , “Ting Li Da Zao Xie Fei Tang” (葶藶大棗瀉肺湯), ”Ze Qi Tang” (澤漆湯)“, etc. as discussed earlier, and properly adjust the dosages and ratios of ingredients to fit the requirements of individual patients based on their conditions. In addition, if the patients have other ailments, those conditions need to be taken into account also, such as:

- For “Coldness and Wetness of the Middle and Lower Abdomen“ (中下焦寒濕) or “Deficient Kidney Function” (腎陽不足): Add Bao Fu Zi (processed Aconitum carmichaelii Debx root, 炮附子)、Xi Xin (Asarum sieboldii, 細辛), etc.

- When the liver function is weak or damaged by heavy dosages of Western medicine drugs such as interferon: Add Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix, 柴胡)、Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalnsis Geprgi root, 黃芩), etc.

There is no question that it is very challenging to fight off the Coronavirus. The clinical treatments will seriously test TCM doctors’ thorough understanding of TCM and their ability and courage to call the right shots under a great amount of pressure. On the other hand, it is also a good time to prove that TCM can be effectively used to fight various viruses in a superb and speedy fashion with little sequelae and at a much lower cost.

For fighting such a new and aggressive virus epidemic, there is no single TCM herbal formula that can treat all situations. One must have deep knowledge of the stages of the disease, along with close examinations on patients’ preconditions, so one can use the most effective prescription to intercept and turn the symptoms around. On the other hand, many provinces and cities in China provided TCM guidelines on Coronavirus treatments and pre-fixed herbal formulas to address people’s demands on a herbal remedy for “common usage”. Among them, I found the current recommendation from the Chinese National TCM Administration the most appropriate for a good percentage of Coronavirus patients. The herbal remedy was recently named as “Qing Fei Pai Du Tang” (清肺排毒湯), which could probably be translated to “clean up the lung and get rid of the toxic”. In line with the discussion above, this specific herbal formula includes Ma Huang (Ephedra sinica Stapf., 麻黃), Zhi Gan Cao (processed Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., 炙甘草)、Xing Ren (Prunus armeniaca, 杏仁)、Sheng Shi Gao (Gypsum, 生石膏)、Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamom, 桂枝)、Ze Xie (Alisma orientalis, 澤瀉)、Zhu Ling (Polyporus umbellatus, 豬苓)、Bai Zhu (Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., 白朮)、Fu Ling (Poria, 茯苓)、Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix, 柴胡)、Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalnsis Geprgi root, 黃芩)、Jiang Ban Xia (Pinellia ternate, 薑半夏)、Sheng Jiang (Ginger, 生薑)、Zi Wan (Aster tataricus, 紫菀)、Kuan Dong Hua (Tussilago farfara flower, 款冬花)、She Gan (Belamcanda chinensis, 射干)、Xi Xin (Asarum sieboldii, 細辛)、Shan Yao (Dioscorea oppositifolia, 山药)、Zhi Shi (Citrus aurantium, 枳實)、Chen Pi (Citrus reticulata Blanco, 陳皮)、and Huo Xiang (Pogostemon cabin, 藿香). Since such an herbal remedy was designed for “common usage”, it has to consider all degrees of disease severity. Therefore, the dosages can’t be too heavy, as the majority of the patient cases are light to mild. As the result, “Da Qing Long Tang” (大青龍湯) discussed earlier became a lighter herbal formula named as “Ma Xing Gan Shi Tang” (麻杏甘石湯). The stronger herbal ingredients such as Ting Li (Sisymbrium indicum, 葶藶) and Da Ji (Euphorbia pekinensis Rupr., 大戟) to treat pleural effusion and hydronephrosis are not included. Hence, for severe cases, the herbal remedy from the Chinese National TCM Administration needs to be enhanced with additional ingredients and larger dosages.

In summary, as long as the TCM doctors have sufficient knowledge and clinical experience, by applying the proper methodology, TCM alone is capable of dealing with severe Coronavirus infections. (Translator’s note: There is much to do to develop a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment methodology which can help many TCM doctors to pinpoint the patient’s condition and stages of the infection to make the proper decision, especially when fully qualified TCM doctors are of short supply.) At this moment, there is no “special drug” in Western medicine to cure Coronavirus, but to resort to cortisone, antibiotics, interferon, anti-malaria, anti-flu drugs to maintain the lives of patients and passively wait and hope that the patients’ bodies can find their own way to turn the situation around. Even then, the Western medicine drugs mentioned above all potentially have significant side effects and sequelae. Patients with severe cases might be able to get out of the deathbed but most likely live with some permanent damages to the body. Dr. Zhong, China’s chief Western medicine expert on the Coronavirus epidemic, also warned that the current path of developing the “special drug” would most likely lead to severe sequelae to the patients. Given that is the case, why don’t we put much more effort to fully develop the TCM treatment of viral infection, not just for Coronavirus but also for future viruses which will bound to happen in the future?

(Translator’s note: As China is getting good control of the virus spread and gradually recovers from this epidemic, the knowledge learned will be invaluable to the rest of the world. Europe and the United States are on the exponential rise of new cases as of the writing on 3/14/2020. Various models predict that in the US alone Coronavirus infections can reach millions, as discussed in the Opinion Column of New York Times, “How Much Worse the Coronavirus Could Get, in Charts” by Nicholas Kristof and Stuart A. Thompson, March 13, 2020. China should continue to put efforts to develop TCM diagnostic and treatment methodology so that millions of people in the rest of the world can be helped and saved. TCM is not just for science, it is for humanity.)

（http://andylee.pro/wp/?p=7729）
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