ABSTRACT
Objective:To analyze the clinical effect of traditional Chinese medicine Lianhua Qingwen in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and provide the basis for medication guides through a retrospective study in a cohort of COVID-19 confirmed patients. Method:A retrospective analysis of clinical records was conducted in COVID-19 confirmed patients at The Ninth Hospital of Wuhan and CR&WISCO General Hospital including the treatment group (21 patients, basic treatment in combination with Lianhua Qingwen granules, 1 packet/time, 3 times/day) and the control group (21 patients, basic treatment). Comparison between the two groups was made in terms of the disappearance rates of cardinal symptoms (fever, cough and weakness), duration of fever, and disappearance rates of other symptoms (muscle pain, expectoration, nasal obstruction, running nose, dry throat, pharyngalgia, shortness of breath, chest distress, dyspnea, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and diarrhea). Result:The baseline data were similar between the two groups. When compared with the control group, patients in the treatment group had the higher clinical effect, including the disappearance rate of fever (85.7% vs 57.1%, χ2=4.200, P=0.040), the disappearance rate of cough (46.7% vs 5.6%, P=0.012), the disappearance rate expectoration (64.3% vs 9.1%, P=0.012), the disappearance rate of shortness of breath (77.8% vs 0, P=0.021), and the duration of fever [(4.6±3.2) d vs (6.1±3.1) d, P=0.218]. Conclusion:Lianhua Qingwen can significantly relieve cardinal symptoms in COVID-19 confirmed patients by inhibiting fever and cough, reducing their duration, as well as improving individual symptoms. All these results provide preliminary clinical evidence for Lianhua Qingwen granules in the COVID-19 treatment.