Tong Xiaolin, a chief researcher at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that during the recovery stage COVID-19 patients often experience coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue and other symptoms, and some non-pharmaceutical TCM interventions, including moxibustion, have proved effective in relieving such conditions.

"Through moxibustion and cupping, we have seen curative effects in both mild cases in makeshift shelter hospitals and severe cases at designated hospitals (those reserved to treat the illness)," he said. Tong added that a research project into the recovery process is underway to evaluate the patients' data and findings in detail.

With the backing of TCM experts and the growing awareness of mugwort leaves, Yihuang is intensifying efforts to expand cultivation areas for the plant, upgrade the local industry and address any difficulties faced by local farmers.

Subsidies

"The county government has decided to offer a subsidy of 400 yuan for every 0.067 hectares of newly planted mugwort land. As of early this month, the planting area in the county had reached 200 hectares and is expected to reach 333 hectares by the end of the year. It will probably exceed 1,000 hectares in two years," said Yu, deputy head of Yihuang.

"The county is also planning to establish a storage and logistics network that combines harvesting, processing, packaging and transportation to further boost the rural economy."

A moxibustion-themed demonstration base was set up in the county last year. "The facility, covering 3,000 square meters, is intended to enable customers to experience moxibustion, foot baths containing mugwort leaves, and learn more about the time-honored culture of mugwort use," said Ouyang Jianqun, an official with the county's health commission.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has choked the domestic tourism industry, the base has seen more than 600 visitors from overseas and 180,000 domestic visitors since it opened, he said.

Yang, head of the growers' cooperative, is now busy shuttling between investment meetings and dealing with calls from across China enquiring about purchasing locally produced mugwort leaves.

He is fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead. "The cloudy and rainy weather in the county means it can be difficult to fully dry fresh mugwort leaves. The county government is working on building a drying plant to help us solve the issue," he said.

"What we are aiming for now is not only to bring mugwort leaves to every household in Yihuang county, but to many more families nationwide."