"Our experiments found that Lianhua Qingwen capsules can help repair cell damage and reduce inflammation caused by the virus," China's top respiratory expert, Zhong Nanshan, said on Monday during a video conference with Chinese students studying abroad.

He also said the capsule has some inhibitory effects on the coronavirus, but the effect was weak.

The capsules can help improve symptoms like general malaise and fever at a relatively fast pace and is especially effective for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms, Zhong said.