ABSTRACT
Methods: The survey was designed by an international team, translated and adapted to simplified Chinese, including 132 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation recommended by guidelines. It was distributed and collected from February to May 2021, with data analysed by WPS spreadsheet and wjx.cn. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographics and clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatments, preventative behaviours and interventions, and their associated outcomes. Results: The survey was accessed 503 times with 341 (67.8%) completions covering 23 provinces and four municipalities in China. Most (282/341, 82.7%) respondents reported no symptoms during the pandemic and the majority (290/341, 85.0%) reported having a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test at some point. Forty-five (13.2%) reported having a respiratory infection, among which 19 (42.2%) took one or more categories of modern medicine, e.g. painkillers, antibiotics;16 (35.6%) used TCM interventions(s);while seven respondents combined TCM with modern medicine. All respondents reported using at least one behavioural or medical approach to prevention, with 22.3% taking TCM and 5.3% taking modern medicines. No respondents reported having a critical condition related to COVID-19. Background: We aimed to investigate use of infection control behaviours, preventative and therapeutic interventions, and outcomes among respondents to an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Conclusion: We found evidence of widespread use of infection control behaviours, modern medicines and TCM for treatment and prevention of COVID-19 and other respiratory symptoms. Larger scale studies are warranted, including a more representative sample exploring TCM preparations recommended in clinical guidelines.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The global COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with high mortality, particularly among the elderly and patients with chronic comorbidities, but the vast majority of affected people are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms. The aim was to explore associations between treatments used and reported outcomes in patients who developed symptoms and were tested positive for COVID-19. Methods: Adult participants were recruited to participate in an online survey from the general public in 13 countries (Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA), between July 2020 and May 2021. In this analysis we include participants who had symptoms of acute respiratory infection and/ or confirmed COVID-19 infection. A retrospective treatment-outcome approach to analyse statistical associations between treatments used and outcomes (duration and severity of symptoms). Results: Over 54,000 participants completed the online questionnaire, and over 104,000 participants partially answered it. Regression of each outcome on the most frequently used treatments, adjusting for prespecified confounders (including age and comorbidities), will prioritise the treatments associated with the best outcomes. Conclusion: The treatments associated with the best outcomes could be a priority for further research. However, one cannot conclude that these treatments are effective, because it is difficult to control for all confounders, especially baseline severity of illness. Keywords: COVID-19;survey;Treatment outcomes;International