A senior Beijing official said Saturday that a therapy combining both traditional Chinese and western medicine proved quite effective in treating severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Cai Fuchao, Beijing municipal publicity head, told a press conference on SARS that the medical practice proved that the combined therapy reduced the average fever period for SARS patients by two days, adding that no patient who received the therapy turned to critical condition.

Cai said that the therapy also worked effectively to decrease the toxic symptom of SARS patients.

The combined therapy helped the human body absorb the inflammation in lungs, Cai said. Statistics from SARS hospitals showed that after 20 days of receiving the combined therapy, 25 out of 30 SARS patients recovered from severe lungs inflammation. According to Cai, half of the SARS patients in Beijing are receiving the combined therapy, and medical workers are continuing their efforts in that direction.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2003)