Research shows Chinese medicine is effective in COVID 19 treatment

Translated by Dr. Ann Wang. 

The team led by Dr. Tong Xiaolin, member of China Academy of Sciences and chief researcher of the China Academy of traditional Chinese medicine, recently disclosed three scientific research achievements. The results showed that none of the COVID 19 patients were turned into severe case by using Chinese medicine Treatments, and the risk of death in severe / critical patients was reduced by 80%. Dr. Tong Xiao Lin said COVID 19 have mild-severe / critical -rehabilitation, are the three different stages, they became complete chain of treatments in traditional Chinese medicine. The studies of treating COVID 19 in China have proven that the whole process of traditional Chinese medicine has been effective, showing its unique advantages and functions, it is ancient Chinese wisdom that contributing to the global fighting against the epidemic.
 
None of the mild case turn into severe case The first study was conducted in Wuchang community, using cold damp inhibiting formula (Wuhan anti epidemic formula) for intervention treatment. The study was jointly completed by Tong Xiaolin team of Guang’anmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Chinese medicine, Wuchang District government, Hubei Provincial Hospital of traditional Chinese medicine, Liu Baoyan team of China Academy of traditional Chinese medicine and Liu Jianping team of Beijing University of Chinese medicine. They were confirmed COVID 19 patients received herbal treated at home in isolation area of Wuchang as the target group. The cold damp inhibiting (Wuhan anti-epidemic formula) was used. Those who did not take any herbal medicine as comparison group. The worsted case turning rate and other influencing factors of the two groups were analyzed.The results showed that 721 cases were involved in the final analysis, 430 cases in the cold damp inhibiting formula group and 291 cases in the control group. The main outcome measures COVID 19 patients: 0 cases (0%), and 19 cases (6.5%) in the control group. The mean age of the patients was 48.5 ± 14.4 years, and the median age was 48 years. The number of patients with basic diseases was 334, accounting for 46.3%, and the number of patients with herbal medicine was 452, accounting for 62.7%. The research shows that the use of herbal medicine in the community has a protective inpat on controlling of the outbreak. Dr. Tong Xiaolin introduced that after considering factors such as gender and age, using stratified analysis and propensity score matching, the difference of aggravation rate between cold damp inhibiting formula group and the control group was still statistically significant. 

More than 80% reduction rate in the risk of death in severe / critical cases The study was carried out in a designated hospital for critical cases and was jointly completed by Wuhan integrated hospital of Chinese and Western medicine and Guang’anmen Hospital of China Academy of traditional Chinese medicine. 1476 COVID 19 cases in Wuhan integrated hospital of Chinese and Western medicine were analyzed. Among them, 662 cases of severe / critical were analyzed for the risk of death in patients with severe or critical COVID 19. The results showed that there were total of 71 cases of death, there were 15 cases in traditional Chinese medicine group and 56 cases in non traditional herbal medicine group. The statistical analysis showed that the risk of death in the traditional Chinese medicine decoction group decreased by 87.7%, which was statistically significant compared with the group without traditional Chinese medicine treatment. According to Dr. Tong Xiaolin, 312 cases were successfully matched by propensity score with age, gender and disease severity as matching variables. 49 cases of death, there were 13 cases in Chinese herbal medicine group and 36 cases in non  Chinese herbal medicine group. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the risk of death in herbal medicine group decreased by 82.2%, the difference was still statistically significant.
 
 
Lower recurring rate of positive testing results after dischargeThe research was carried out in Wuhan rehabilitation station and was completed by Hubei Provincial Hospital of traditional Chinese medicine and Guang’anmen Hospital of China Academy of traditional Chinese medicine. The follow-up observation from recovered COVID 19 patients, found cured patients with negative result of nucleic acid test recurred. Whether it can reduce the rate of recurring of testing result in patients has attracted people’s attention.They analyzed the recovered patients with COVID 19 observed in six rehabilitation stations in Wuhan, and the average isolation observation time of all observers was about 10 days. A total of 420 discharged patients were observed. Among them, 325 people received comprehensive intervention of traditional Chinese medicine treatment, that is including recovery period herbal treatment, Baduanjin exercise, acupoint moxibustion, foot bath and so on. A control group of 95 people did not receive any intervention.

The results showed that after comprehensive intervention of Chinese medicine treatment, the symptoms of coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, fatigue, palpitations, insomnia, and sweating of the observers were significantly improved. The recued testing positive recurring rate of the traditional Chinese medicine comprehensive intervention group was 2.8% (9/325); the control group rate was 15.8% (15/95). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant.Dr. Tong Xiaolin, using single factor analysis, found that the factors that may affect the recurring results of nucleic acid in discharged patients include age, basic diseases and comprehensive intervention of traditional Chinese medicine. After adjusting 8 factors, such as age, gender, basic diseases, course of treatment and so on, the comprehensive intervention of traditional Chinese medicine is the independent influencing factor of nucleic acid recurring.