As friends from Shanghai shared in their photos of food items which were delivered to their homes during the lockdown, 連花清瘟 capsules were always in the package even though food items were often insufficient. What were the authorities expecting them to do? Eat 連花清瘟 to satiate their hunger?
About a couple of months ago, some friend of a friend argued with me when I pointed out that 連花清瘟 is actually a scam. He swore by Zhong Nanshan’s reputation and accused me of being prejudiced against TCM. I hope he isn’t living in Shanghai like he claimed. Otherwise, I’m not sure what he would do with all the 連花清瘟.
From his latest article, Zhong Nan Shan seemed to have made a U-turn. Not only is he no longer endorsing 連花清瘟, he even pointed out that zero-Covid is not feasible. He even supported the use of mRNA vaccine as a booster and anti-viral drugs made by Pfizer and Merck.
Then, the “crown prince” of Dalian Wanda Group, Wang Sicong posted a message on Weibo, dispelling the rumour that the WHO endorsed 連花清瘟. The shares for Yi Ling, the company manufacturing 連花清瘟 plunged after that. Wang later posted another message saying that daily testing for Covid has nothing to do with seeing whether you’re positive or negative but whether you’re obedient slave. He was instantly banned.
An influencer doctor joined in the fray, saying that 連花清瘟 is ineffective and healthy people certainly should not take it to prevent infection. Taxpayers’ money have been spent on the product, lining Yi Ling’s pockets while many people go hungry.
Like Xu Xiaodong who had vested interests in beating down fake kungfu masters to promote MMA while operating a MMA gym, Wang Sicong, the influencer doctor and even Zhong Nanshan may have vested interests in antivirals too. Just like Xu Xiaodong, they have been accused of working for foreign powers and disrespecting Chinese traditions. As pragmatists, we should be more interested in what works.