Effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine on coronavirus disease 2019 in 92 patients: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antipyretic effect of early treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 369 patients from January 26th, 2020 to April 15th, 2020, who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Among 92 eligible cases, 45 cases were identified as treatment group Ⅰ ( 45) and 47 cases were identified as treatment group Ⅱ. Patients in the treatment group Ⅰ were treated with TCM herbal decoction within 5 d after admission. Patients in the treatment group Ⅱ were treated with TCM herbal decoction after the 6th admission day. The onset time of antipyretic effect, the antipyretic time, the time of negative oropharyngeal swab nucleic acid conversion, and the changes of cell count in blood routine test were compared. RESULTS: The treatment group I showed shorter average antipyretic duration (4 7 d; <0.05), and shorter average time for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nucleic acid test results to turn negative (7 11 d; <0.05) than the treatment group II. For patients ( 54) with body temperature>38 ℃, patients in the treatment group I had shorter median onset time of antipyretic effect than those in the treatment group II (3 4 d; <0.05). The absolute lymphocyte (LYMPH) count and absolute eosinophil (EOS) count on the 3rd day after admission and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio on the 6th day after admission of patients in the treatment group I were notably different from those in the treatment group II at the same time point (0.05). Based on Spearman's rank correlation analysis, the change of body temperature on the 3rd day after admission was positively correlated with the increase of EOS count and the increase of EOS count and LYMPH counts on the 6th day after admission (0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Early TCM intervention within 5 d after hospital admission shortened the onset time of antipyretic effect and fever duration of COVID-19 patients, reduced the time required for PCR test results to turn negative. Moreover, early TCM intervention also improved the results of inflammatory markers for COVID-19 patients. LYMPH and EOS counts can be used as indicators of TCM antipyretic effect.

The psychological status of 8817 hospital workers during COVID-19 Epidemic: A cross-sectional study in Chongqing.

BACKGROUND: There was an outbreak of COVID-19 towards the end of 2019 in China, which spread all over the world rapidly. The Chinese healthcare system is facing a big challenge where hospital workers are experiencing enormous psychological pressure. This study aimed to (1) investigate the psychological status of hospital workers and (2) provide references for psychological crisis intervention in the future. METHOD: An online survey was conducted to collect sociodemographic features, epidemic-related factors, results of PHQ-9, GAD-7, PHQ-15, suicidal and self-harm ideation (SSI), and the score of stress and support scales. Chi-square test, t-test, non-parametric, and logistic regression analysis were used to detect the risk factors to psychological effect and SSI. RESULTS: 8817 hospital workers participated in this online survey. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and SSI were 30.2%, 20.7%, 46.2%, and 6.5%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that female, single, Tujia minority, educational background of junior or below, designated or county hospital, need for psychological assistance before or during the epidemic, unconfident about defeating COVID-19, ignorance about the epidemic, willingness of attending parties, and poor self-rated health condition were independent factors associated with high-level depression, somatic symptom, and SSI among hospital workers (P<0.05). LIMITATIONS: This cross-sectional study cannot reveal the causality, and voluntary participation could be prone to selection bias. A modified epidemic-related stress and support scale without standardization was used. The number of hospital workers in each hospital was unavailable. CONCLUSION: There were a high level of psychological impact and SSI among hospital workers, which needed to be addressed. County hospital workers were more severe and easier to be neglected. More studies on cognitive and behavioral subsequence after a public health disaster among hospital workers are needed.