From the Common Cold to Influenza: Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Ancient and Modern Wisdom in Epidemic Defense

Throughout Chinese history, epidemics and seasonal illnesses have posed recurring threats to human health. Long before modern virology emerged, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) developed its own comprehensive system for understanding, preventing, and treating contagious respiratory illnesses—including what we now recognize as the common cold, influenza, and even more severe epidemics.

In the TCM worldview, the human body is a dynamic system constantly interacting with its environment. Wind, cold, dampness, and heat are not only weather patterns—they are pathogenic factors that can penetrate the body when its defensive qi (wei qi) is weakened. Illness occurs not solely because of exposure, but due to an imbalance between the body’s internal state and the external climate. This nuanced understanding laid the foundation for TCM’s approach to infectious diseases.

Historically, some of the most influential Chinese medical scholars—including Zhang Zhongjing of the Han dynasty and Wu Youke of the Ming dynasty—made significant contributions to the field of epidemic illness. Zhang Zhongjing’s Treatise on Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun) remains one of the most important classical texts for treating febrile diseases. His insights into how wind-cold or wind-heat invade the body, how they progress through the six stages of disease, and how to intervene with herbal formulas, continue to inform clinical practice today. For instance, the formula Ma Huang Tang is still used to treat early-stage cold invasion with symptoms like fever, chills, and body aches, while Yin Qiao San is used for wind-heat conditions with sore throat and fever.

Later, Wu Youke in his treatise Wen Yi Lun (On Epidemic Diseases) proposed that epidemics are caused by “li qi” (pestilent qi), an idea surprisingly aligned with the modern concept of infectious pathogens. He emphasized that epidemic illnesses differ from seasonal colds and require specialized treatment strategies. His theories laid the groundwork for the development of “warm disease” (wen bing) theory, which further refined TCM’s understanding of contagious fevers, especially those with high heat, dryness, and rapid progression.

In modern times, TCM has continued to evolve its epidemic response. During flu outbreaks and even during the COVID-19 pandemic, TCM played a prominent role in China’s national health response. Herbal formulas such as Lianhua Qingwen and Qingfei Paidu Tang were used alongside conventional medicine to relieve symptoms, reduce disease duration, and aid recovery. Hospitals and clinics integrated acupuncture, herbal treatment, and dietary therapy to support immune resilience and respiratory health.

TCM's approach is not limited to treatment—it is also deeply rooted in prevention. Seasonal transitions, especially the shift into autumn and winter, are considered high-risk times when the body must adapt to changing climate and protect itself from external invasion. TCM emphasizes lifestyle adjustments, warming diets, emotional balance, and tonifying the Lung and Spleen systems to prevent illness. Classic prescriptions such as Yu Ping Feng San, which boosts defensive qi and stabilizes the body's surface, are still widely used as immune-supporting tonics.

What makes TCM particularly valuable in the face of respiratory illnesses is its flexibility and personalization. No two colds are treated exactly the same. A patient with chills, nasal congestion, and a floating pulse will receive a very different treatment than one with fever, sore throat, and dry cough. Rather than fighting the virus directly, TCM enhances the body's own capacity to regulate and defend itself, while addressing accompanying symptoms like fatigue, poor appetite, or lingering cough.

Today, as the world continues to face viral outbreaks and seasonal waves of illness, the ancient insights of Chinese medicine remain deeply relevant. Its emphasis on early intervention, individualized care, and harmony with nature offers not just a system of healing, but a broader philosophy of health. It reminds us that resilience is built not only through science and medicine, but also through self-awareness, lifestyle balance, and the timeless art of nurturing the body’s innate wisdom.