A total of 86 overseas Chinese experts in 14 countries participated in an online meeting Sunday, exchanging ideas about how to treat SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

The Internet meeting lasted a whole day and at least 170 suggestions on three topics were gathered -- SARS diagnosis in the initial period, vaccines and anti-SARS drugs.

Li Xueyong, vice-minister of science and technology, expressed gratitude to all the participants.

A cross-Straits symposium in the form of a videoconference was also held Sunday on how to prevent and treat SARS with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Scores of TCM experts from the mainland and Taiwan attended the three-party event organized by the China Association of Chinese Medicine, with separate meeting rooms in Beijing, Guangzhou and Taipei.

The move followed a similar symposium between Western medicine experts from the three cities and aimed to push ahead with joint efforts by both sides of the Taiwan Straits to fight the SARS outbreak.

Li Junde, secretary-general of the association, said mainland people, especially medical workers, are deeply concerned with the worsening SARS situation on the island.

"We hope TCM experts from across the Straits can share their experience in applying TCM treatment to combat SARS to bring this epidemic under control at an early date,'' he told the two-hour meeting.

Li said mainland health care workers have achieved initial success in treating SARS through TCM treatment, which may help their Taiwan counterparts make better use of such therapy.

Taiwan Sunday reported 22 new SARS cases, 12 deaths and 20 suspected SARS cases. The number of SARS cases in Taiwan has grown to 570, with 72 deaths, and is expected to rise further.

Cao Hongxin, president of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said TCM treatment has proved effective in curing SARS in clinical practice in Beijing and Guangzhou -- the two worst-affected cities on the mainland.

In Beijing, more than 1,800 TCM medical workers have joined the frontline battle against SARS, with up to 1,000 SARS patients being treated with pure TCM therapy or combined use of TCM and western medicine.

In a keynote speech at the symposium, Cao said TCM treatment can play an important role in reducing the death rate among SARS patients, alleviating their symptoms, improving results of treatment and speeding up their recovery.

After hundreds of clinical tests, about 150 TCM researchers have chosen a total of eight TCM medicines with good curative effects and recommended them for use in treating SARS, according to Cao.

Tong Xiaolin, a TCM doctor from the Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital, revealed the State Administration of TCM is applying a research program from the World Health Organization for the systematic use of TCM to help prevent and treat the highly infectious disease.

Upon its completion, the program involving policy-making, clinical treatment, technical support and medicine research will help promote the value of TCM in combating the disease outbreak, Tong said.

(China Daily May 26, 2003)