According to China's Ministry for Science and Technology, by late February more than 85 per cent of coronavirus patients in China had received herbal remedies alongside mainstream anti-viral drugs. Loading "It has been very helpful in China," said Dr Lin Tzi Chiang, owner of Chinese medicine store NatureWise and president of Australia's Chinese medicine association. At NatureWise, orders for herb formulas designed to treat flu-like symptoms and boost the immune system have almost doubled over the past two weeks. Some herbs – including the popular honeysuckle and Thorowax root – have sold out, and Dr Lin has limited sales of some items to three orders per person at his Footscray and Springvale outlets.

Several other Chinese medicine stores also said they were experiencing shortages. Many Chinese-Australians, according to Dr Lin, have watched the Chinese government assert the success of herbal remedies and acupuncture in stemming the coronavirus outbreak. The government's proclamations have fuelled demand among the vast Chinese diaspora from Melbourne to New York, where there have also been reported shortages of Chinese herbal medicines. Lonicera confusa, commonly known as honeysuckle, has been one of the most popular choices in recent weeks. Credit:Justin McManus Mainstream anti-viral drugs administered to coronavirus patients are used to alleviate symptoms like fever, but doctors using herbal remedies in China have taken a more holistic approach, using traditional medicines which they claim improves overall body health and immunity. Chinese medicine, which dates back more than 3500 years, was formally recognised by the World Health Organisation last year, a move criticised by some medical groups who believe there is no evidence to prove the efficacy of the branch of medicine.

Respected physician Mukesh Haikerwal, former president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association, said there was no evidence to suggest Chinese medicine was an effective treatment for COVID-19, but said it should not be discounted. Loading "There was a time when I'd have said 'no way Jose'. But since my time working with the World Medical Association and having been to hospitals in China, you can't write these things off," he said. "China has had more cases [of COVID-19] than other countries. If they've got literature that shows this is effective, and that literature can be replicated, then there may be something in it." A spokesman for the Victorian Health Department did not provide an explicit guideline for use of Chinese medicine to treat coronavirus. The spokesman said there is "no specific treatment" for the virus and "early diagnosis and general supportive care are important."