Can Chinese medicine really deal with flu?
The present peak in the number of influenza cases has filled our hospitals and caused more than 200 deaths.
Although the cause of this year’s spike is uncertain, there is speculation that it is a minor mutation in this summer’s dominant strain of influenza A H3N2. This small change could make the current vaccine ineffective. Despite the uncertainty, we should be thankful for advances in modern medicine that identify viruses and develop vaccines. These advances stand in stark contrast to the Hospital Authority’s advice on Chinese medicine.
First, which of the myriad types of Chinese medicine should flu sufferers take? If leading government health experts were to say “it is best to take Western medicine” during a major flu outbreak, they would be heavily criticised. So, with a blanket claim that Chinese medicine can relieve flu symptoms, which actual Chinese medicine is most effective?
Second, one would expect that because those with non-acute symptoms would recover without taking medicine, the claim that some have felt relief from Chinese medicine is hardly convincing evidence of its efficacy. There is a distinct possibility that those who feel relief from Chinese medicine are confusing correlation with causation. Their symptoms would have disappeared whether they took the medicine or not.
My concern is that when an authority figure makes public claims about the effectiveness of Chinese medicine, the public believes it and acts upon it.