Clinical trials in four provinces have proven a traditional Chinese medicine prescription to be effective in treating patients of the novel coronavirus outbreak, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine said on Thursday.

On Jan 27, the administration launched the program to find effective TCM prescriptions for pneumonia caused by the virus, and started clinical trials of a prescription composed of herbs and other TCM ingredients on 214 confirmed patients of the virus in Shanxi, Hebei, Heilongjiang and Shaanxi provinces.

By Wednesday, the prescription had improved conditions for more than 60 percent of the patients, and stabilize conditions for 30 percent of the patients, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine said.

The prescription is based on a number of treatments mentioned in a classical TCM work dated to Han Dynasty (202 BC-220AD), it said. The prescription can also used to treat cold and flu, it said.

However, the administration made it clear that the prescription is for medical treatment and not recommended for prevention use.