ABSTRACT
Introduction: As no specific pharmacological intervention has been known for COVID-19, medicinal plants may be a suitable candidate for management of this disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a herbal syrup from licorice as an adjuvant treatment in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods: 213 hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were assigned to receive either standardized licorice syrup as an adjuvant treatment plus standard care [Syrup Group (SYRUP), N = 91], or standard care alone [Standard Group (STANDARD), N = 104], for 7 days. The primary endpoint was duration of hospitalization in survivors. The secondary endpoints included 25% increase in oxygen saturation, C-reactive protein (CRP) difference and lymphocyte difference from baseline, number of death and number of patients transferred to ICU. Results: Mean duration of admission was 5.24 days in SYRUP and 7.14 days in STANDARD (p < 0.001). Oxygen saturation increased in 86 of 91 patients (94.5%) in the licorice group, compared to 83 of 104 patients (79.8%) in the control group (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the number of patients died during hospitalization (p = 0.837). Five patients in SYRUP and 16 patients in STANDARD were transferred to ICU (p < 0.026). Mean reduction in CRP (p < 0.001) and mean increase in the number of lymphocytes (p = 0.008) in SYRUP were significantly higher than STANDARD. Discussion: Licorice syrup as an adjuvant treatment demonstrated promising results on duration of hospital admission, O2 saturation as well as inflammatory markers in COVID-19 patients; however, further clinical studies with larger sample size are suggested to achieve more conclusive results.
ABSTRACT
Background Respiratory tract infections are one of the most important infections among military personals, worldwide. The present study aimed to survey the prevalence of bacterial and viral main etiological agents causing respiratory tract infections among military personnel in Iran. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed from November 2020 to March 2021. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from patients, military personnel with respiratory tract infection symptoms. Detection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was performed with one step qRT-PCR method. TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR assay was used for the detection of influenza A and B viruses. The prevalence of adenovirus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae were determined using nested PCR. Moreover, Bordetella pertussis and Streptococcus pyogenes were identified by conventional PCR assay. The detection of Haemophilus influenzae was performed by the multiplex PCR method. Results Overall, 145 patients were included. Among viral pathogens, COVID-19, influenza A virus, and adenovirus were identified in 85.5%, 4.1%, and 1.4% of patients, respectively. Influenza B virus was not detected among military personnel. The frequency of bacteria etiological agents was as follows: S. pyogenes (2%), M. pneumoniae (0.7%), H. influenzae (0%), and B. pertussis (0%). Muscle aches (75.9%), headache (70.3%), lethargy (69%), cough (66.2%), stuffy nose (56.6%), fever (53.8%), and sore throat (53.1%) were among the most common clinical symptoms. Conclusions Results showed that the military personals are the susceptible group to COVID-19 infection. Therefore, the accurate detection and implementation of control strategies such as vaccination are necessary.