The research team on Sunkovir, the first traditional medicine to be licenced for treating respiratory tract viral infections in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) - Vietnam has approved the firsttraditional medicine for treating respiratory tract viral infections, includingflu and mild COVID-19.
Sunkovir, licenced by the Ministry of Health on April 12, wasannounced as the first to treat COVID-19 at the seminar on the effectiveness oftraditional medicine products in preventing and treating COVID-19 and seasonalflu in Ho Chi Minh City on April 25.
Dr Truong Thi Ngoc Lan, Deputy Director of the HCM CityTraditional Medicine Institute and the research team’s member, said withinthree days of using Sunkovir, all patients experienced a rapid reduction insymptoms without any worsening.
None of the study's 1,115 COVID-19 patients who used Sunkovirexperienced severe symptoms.
Moreover, Sunkovir significantly reduced the severity of symptomssuch as coughs, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste, nosebleeds, bodyaches, sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue, chest pain, sneezing,chills, sweating, and insomnia from the third day.
On average, patients recovered from all symptoms within sevendays.
The medicine also reduced the need for corticosteroids,anticoagulants, antipyretics, cough suppressants, expectorants, antihistamines,antivirals and gastrointestinal drugs.
Lan said Sunkovir is recommended for respiratory viral infectionssuch as flu and mild COVID-19 in the early stages to reduce symptoms quickly.It can be combined with modern medical treatment regimes such as antipyretics,anti-inflammatories, pain relievers, cough suppressants, and antibiotics ifnecessary.
Dr Huynh Nguyen Loc, Director of the HCM City Traditional MedicineInstitute, said at the seminar that Sunkovir is the first and only traditionalmedicine to be licensed by the Ministry of Health in Vietnam.
This achievement results from the research team's efforts todemonstrate the safety and effectiveness of Vietnamese herbal products in thefight against COVID-19, with the determination of hundreds of Vietnamesedoctors and pharmacists.
In addition to Sunkovir's effectiveness, the seminar updated theresearch results on the effectiveness of traditional medicine products inpreventing and treating COVID-19 and seasonal flu./.
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The research team on Sunkovir, the first traditional medicine to be licenced for treating respiratory tract viral infections in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA) 
