By the method of thirty percent treatment and seventy percent nursing, TCM exercise programs such as ear exercises and breathing exercises have been introduced into the designated hospitals, isolation wards, and makeshift hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. Nurses have applied TCM nursing to help patients reduce their pain and recover as soon as possible.

Introducing Personalized Health Care

The first batch of national TCM teams took over the South First Area of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. The patients there were critical cases with COVID-19, and elderly patients accounted for nearly 60%, whose PMH were complicated, with various complications. This brought great challenge to the nurses.

Based on the pattern differentiation, nurses made personalized care plans for patients from aspects of daily life, diet, and emotional care. Withstanding 4- hour work shift, the nurse wore heavy protective clothing, constantly shuttled around the ward, and stayed with the patient. Sweat soaked in clothes and blurred their eyes.

Granny Chen, aged 83, a critically ill patient was admitted to the hospital. At the beginning, she suffered from panting and suffocation, and did not even have the strength to turn over on her own. The nurse fed the rice cereal to her little by little. Washing her face, wiping her body, and handling the bowel movements were done by nurses to protect her dignity in bed. Grandma Chen finally got through the dangerous period, said on the day of discharge “The nurses are so strong that the Death failed to pull me away.”

Most patients developed symptoms such as fatigue, chest tightness, wheezing, cough, and insomnia. The nurse applied non-pharmaceutical TCM therapy such as acupressure, ear acupressure, etc. to the isolated patients. As a result, the symptoms improved significantly and many patients became TCM fans.

Taking Hot Porridge to Help Sweating

In the consultation at the Western Branch of Wuhan Union Hospital, Liu Qingquan, a member of the expert group of the Central Steering Group and President of Beijing TCM Hospital, gave a formula for severe patients. The usage was to take some hot porridge thirty minutes after the medication. He reiterated that the patients should avoid cold wind.

The doctors and nurses were confused—what did this special instruction mean? Why the patients should take hot porridge after the medication?

Mana, a nurse from Beijing TCM Hospital, instantly understood. This was the Guizhi Decoction of Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases, which states that "service has to be simmered, and hot porrige should be added to help the medicinal effect." For prescriptions with low sweating effect, hot porridge can not only nourish the spleen and stomach, enhance the healthy qi, but also help to sweat. After the porridge, it is necessary to keep from wind in order to promote sweating. It is better to sweat slightly as the body surface is wet. If sweating is strong as the water droplets roll, it is sweating too much, which hurts the healthy qi, and the pathogenic qi will surely take advantage of it.

After Mana explained it to the western medicine doctors, they lamented the profoundness of the TCM culture, but then the question came again. How can they get enough hot porridge under the existing conditions?

It is not easy to get hot porridge, but the patients could drink hot water instead. Although it does not have the effect of nourishing the stomach, it can also help to sweat better. Some patients who are seriously bedridden cannot drink water by themselves after decoction through the stomach tube. The nurses fed them hot water, crouching beside the bed. The critically ill patient got better day by day, and praised her as the guardian from Beijing.

Baduanjin  Became Popular Online

Every morning, with soothing music in Jiangxia Dahuashan makeshift Hospital in Wuhan, medical staff and patients practiced TCM rehabilitation exercises-Baduanjin.

"It is very comfortable after the exercise. I feel warmer and my spirit becomes clearer." Many patients said. The video of practicing Baduanjin was put online and attracted a lot of attention.

Chen Xiaojiao, head nurse of Rehabilitation Centre of Ningxia TCM Hospital, has 12 years of rehabilitation experience. She has mastered many wonderful ways to help patients recover their physical strength. One of them is the recently popular Baduanjin on the Internet.

"Baduanjin has 8 parts, gentle, slow and easy to learn, which can enhance physical fitness and relieve psychological pressure." During more than ten days preparation to enter the makeshift hospital, Chen Xiaojiao taught twice every day to the Ningxia members of the Hubei Medical Team. She hoped everyone could learn well and teach each patient in the cabin.

Since working in the makeshift hospital, Chen Xiaojiao has been teaching patients to do Baduanjin every afternoon. She was worried that patients will not learn well, and she usually demonstrates twice in a row. Wearing protective clothing and isolation clothing, Chen Xiaojiao moved slowly and raised her voice to tell the patients the basics. After doing a whole set of exercises, sweat quickly soaked her clothes.

Keeping Optimistic is the Most Important

In addition to physical health, mental care is equally important to patients with COVID-19. Huang Baichao, a nurse from Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, performed Errenzhuan for the first time in order to help to interact positively with patients.

"It's the New Year in the first month, and the first day of the new year ..."

"Bravo! Bravo" a female patient smiled, and gave Huang Baichao a thumbs up while clapping!

"Auntie, I invite you to watch the authentic Errenzhuan when you come to Changchun" she nodded with a smile.

Tian Fangfang, a nurse at the Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, often said to patients, "Keeping ptimistic is th most important." Tian Fangfang once learned the funny "popular dance" online, hoping to make patients enjoy entertainment while exercising.