TCM Treatment Evaluation for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Ginseng-(Renshen).shtml" target='_blank' title="Radix Ginseng (Renshen)">Radix Ginseng (Renshen) is mentioned here because it is relied upon to protect a person from disease; it is also considered important in treating serious lung diseases. White fungus is a tonic that is considered beneficial as a food to prevent illness and is also commonly used to resolve lung ailments.
Flos Chrysanthemi (Juhua) is used to treat "wind-heat" syndromes, such as influenza, with symptoms of fever, sore throat, and cough, somewhat like what is experienced with early stage of SARS. Andrographis is a potent bitter herb that is used to treat infections; it has become a popular remedy for common cold and flu.

Herba Andrographitis (Chuanxinlian) is classified in the Chinese system as an anti-toxin herb, where a toxin can refer to an infectious organism (pathogen). Suppliers of Chinese herbs are running low on andrographis because so many people are worried about SARS and rushing to get preventive health care products and just-in-case remedies to have at home.

From the TCM perspective, prevention of illness is usually a matter of nourishing the body to enhance its resistance to the invasion of foreign influences; for this, tonic herbs are used as one strategy. At the first stage of an infectious disease with fever, like SARS, herbs for dispelling wind-heat are given, in an effort to repel the invading pathogen and halt the disease before it takes up residence in the body. If the disease takes hold, anti-toxin herbs are then employed. Once a person becomes quite ill and debilitated by the disease, it may be time to bring in the tonics again, this time to help preserve the life of a patient who is suffering from the infection's damaging effects.