[Connotation of Xiao Chaihu Decoction combined with Maxing Shigan Decoction based on severe cases and modern pathophysiological mechanism and application for severe pulmonary infection and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in critical care medicine].

Xiao Chaihu Decoction combined with Maxing Shigan Decoction is a classic herbal formula. All of them are derived from Treatise on Cold Damage(Shang Han Lun) by ZHANG Zhong-jing. This combination has the effects of harmonizing lesser yang, relieving exterior syndrome, clearing lung heat, and relieving panting. It is mainly used for treating the disease involving the triple-Yang combination of diseases and accumulation of pathogenic heat in the lung. Xiao Chaihu Decoction combined with Maxing Shigan Decoction is a classic combination for the treatment of exogenous diseases involving the triple-Yang combination. They are commonly used in exogenous diseases, especially in the north of China. This combination is also the main treatment strategy for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) accompanied by fever and cough. Maxing Shigan Decoction is a classical herbal formula for treating the syndrome of phlegm-heat obstructing the lung. "Dyspnea after sweating" suggests the accumulation of pathogenic heat in the lung. Patients with mild symptoms may develop cough and asthma along with forehead sweating, and those in critical severe may develop whole-body sweating, especially the front chest. Modern medicine believes that the above situation is related to lung infection. "Mild fever" refers to syndromes rather than pathogenesis. It does not mean that the heat syndrome is not heavy, instead, it suggests that severe heat and inflammation have occurred. The indications of Xiao Chaihu Decoction combined with Maxing Shigan Decoction are as follows.(1) In terms of diseases, it is suitable for the treatment of viral pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, lobar pneumonia, mycoplasma pneumonia, COVID-19 infection, measles with pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS), avian influenza, H1N1 influenza, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation, pertussis, and other influenza and pneumonia.(2) In terms of syndromes, it can be used for the syndromes of bitter mouth, dry pharynx, vertigo, loss of appetite, vexation, vomiting, and fullness and discomfort in the chest and hypochondrium. It can also be used to treat alternate attacks of chill and fever and different degrees of fever, as well as chest tightness, cough, asthma, expectoration, dry mouth, wanting cold drinks, feeling agitated, sweating, yellow urine, dry stool, red tongue, yellow or white fur, and floating, smooth, and powerful pulse, especially the right wrist pulse.

Electroacupuncture in Regulating Gastrointestinal Symptoms of COVID-19: A Mini-review.

Nearly three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still no effective treatment. In the meantime, more and more evidence indicate that gastrointestinal symptoms are important manifestations of COVID-19. Therefore, the involvement of multiple system symptoms brings a lot of burden and harm to patients. To our knowledge, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a remarkable effect on improving gastrointestinal function. In particular, a considerable number of clinical practices during the pandemic have demonstrated the significant value of electroacupuncture (EA) in regulating the gastrointestinal function of COVID-19. In summary, EA can regulate the gastrointestinal function of COVID-19. As more is learned about EA, its potential value in COVID-19 deserves further consideration. In this review, we will elucidate the potential efficacy and mechanism of EA in the treatment of gastrointestinal symptoms of COVID-19.

Effectiveness of Xiangsha Liujun pills on decreased digestive function in convalescent patients of coronavirus disease 2019: a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Xiangsha Liujun pills on the decreased digestive function in patients in the recovery phase of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 200 COVID-19 patients in the recovery phase were included in our study in Ezhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Totally 200 subjects were randomly divided into a treatment group (Xiangsha Liujun pills) and a control group (placebo), with 100 in each group. Subjects took Xiangsha Liujun pills or placebo orally three times a day for two weeks. Three visits were scheduled at week 0 (baseline), week 1 (the middle of the intervention) and week 2 (the end of the intervention) for each eligible patient. The total efficacy rates for improving the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) symptoms (fatigue, poor appetite, abdominal distension and loose stools) and the disappearance rates of symptoms were observed and compared in the treatment and control groups. Adverse events were recorded during the study period. SAS 9.4 was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients were included in this study, among which 4 participants withdrew because the drugs did not work. Three patients were excluded for age. Before the treatment, there was no significant difference between the TCM symptoms scores of subjects. After 1 week of treatment, the full analysis set (FAS) showed that the efficacy rates for abdominal distension and loose stools in the treatment group were significantly higher than the control group ( 0.05). There were no significant differences in the efficacy rates for fatigue and poor appetite between the two groups (0.05). In addition, the disappearance rate of fatigue in the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group (0.05); there were no significant differences between the two groups after treatment in the rates of poor appetite, abdominal distension, and loose stools (>0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, the efficacy rates for fatigue, poor appetite, abdominal distension, and loose stools in the treatment group were significantly higher than the control group (0.05). The disappearance rate of loose stools in the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group ( 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the disappearance rates of fatigue, poor appetite, and abdominal distension between the two groups ( 0.05). No severe adverse events were reported by subjects during the study. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical study confirmed that Xiangsha Liujun pills can effectively improve the symptoms related to the decreased digestive function in COVID-19 convalescent patients.

Identification of Potential TMPRSS2 Inhibitors for COVID-19 Treatment in Chinese Medicine by Computational Approaches and Surface Plasmon Resonance Technology.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia continues to spread in the entire globe with limited medication available. In this study, the active compounds in Chinese medicine (CM) recipes targeting the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) protein for the treatment of COVID-19 were explored. METHODS: The conformational structure of TMPRSS2 protein (TMPS2) was built through homology modeling. A training set covering TMPS2 inhibitors and decoy molecules was docked to TMPS2, and their docking poses were re-scored with scoring schemes. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to select the best scoring function. Virtual screening of the candidate compounds (CCDs) in the six highly effective CM recipes against TMPS2 was conducted based on the validated docking protocol. The potential CCDs after docking were subject to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiment. RESULTS: A training set of 65 molecules were docked with modeled TMPS2 and LigScore2 with the highest area under the curve, AUC, value (0.886) after ROC analysis selected to best differentiate inhibitors from decoys. A total of 421 CCDs in the six recipes were successfully docked into TMPS2, and the top 16 CCDs with LigScore2 higher than the cutoff (4.995) were screened out. MD simulations revealed a stable binding between these CCDs and TMPS2 due to the negative binding free energy. Lastly, SPR experiments validated the direct combination of narirutin, saikosaponin B1, and rutin with TMPS2. CONCLUSIONS: Specific active compounds including narirutin, saikosaponin B1, and rutin in CM recipes potentially target and inhibit TMPS2, probably exerting a therapeutic effect on COVID-19.

[Traditional Chinese medicine treatment of asymptomatic infection of SARS-CoV-2].

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been infected rapidly and is generally susceptible to population. Moreover, it has become the most serious public health problem in the world. In the process of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) intervention has achieved positive efficacy and which is widely recognized. However, the COVID-19 epidemic is still very serious, especially due to the characteristics of asymptomatic infection such as concealment, limitations and subjective symptoms, which has increased the difficulty of prevention and control. In view of asymptomatic infection, isolation is the main management. There is little mention of specific treatment options in each version of COVID-19 treatment plan. Through systematic study of TCM theory, we explored the way of diagnosis and treatment of asymptomatic infections. Based on the theory of latent evil, clearing away latent pathogens to truncate the course of disease and reduce the incidence. Based on the theory of prevention of disease, strengthen the lung and stomach to protect the place from pathogen and prevent the transmission of disease evil. It is supplemented by accurate treatment according to individual, timing and local conditions, in order to provide reference for the treatment of asymptomatic infection.

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.

Assessment of the potential value of combining western medicine therapies with traditional chinese medicine in the treatment of COVID-19: Mechanistic perspectives.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) since early 2020 is one of the most significant global health issues in history. Although there is currently no specific treatment for COVID-19, researchers have provided a whole array of potential treatments, both from the Western medicine approach, which is molecular target and pathogenesis based, and from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) approach, which is based on the exposure to toxins/pathogens and the balance of the body to combat them for recovery. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research is to find combinations of Western medicine and TCM that may offer better therapeutic efficacy synergystically with a better adverse events profile. The findings of the research may provide a new insight in the development of the treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: From the Western medicine perspective, drugs target the mechanisms of viral infection, including the stages of viral entry (Arbidol, Camostat Mesylate, Convalescent Plasma therapy) and viral replication (Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Redemsivir, Ribavirin). Additional therapies target host defenses, preventing cytokine storms (Tocilizumab) and stimulating the immune system (Interferons). On the other hand, TCM also proposed a number of treatment methods for COVID-19 with new scientific approaches identifying their antiviral and immunomodulatory activities. The novel combination of Western medicine and TCM can be proposed by analyzing their respective molecular targets. RESULTS: Although TCM is not generally accepted in the Western community because of the general lack of knowledge on their detailed mechanisms, studies and clinical trials suggest that TCM could be beneficial in combating COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Based on the principle of combining TCM and Western medicine, two combinations are tested effective in clinical trials, and three possible combinations that might be effective are proposed in the paper.

The effects and mechanisms of the anti-COVID-19 traditional Chinese medicine, Dehydroandrographolide from Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall, on acute lung injury by the inhibition of NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.

BACKGROUND: Dehydroandrographolide (Deh) from Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. PURPOSE: To explore the role of Deh in acute lung injury (ALI) of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and its inflammatory molecular mechanism. METHODS: Liposaccharide (LPS) was injected into a C57BL/6 mouse model of ALI, and LPS + adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was used to stimulate BMDMs in an in vitro model of ALI. RESULTS: In an in vivo and in vitro model of ALI, Deh considerably reduced inflammation and oxidative stress by inhibiting NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis and attenuated mitochondrial damage to suppress NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis through the suppression of ROS production by inhibiting the Akt/Nrf2 pathway. Deh inhibited the interaction between Akt at T308 and PDPK1 at S549 to promote Akt protein phosphorylation. Deh directly targeted PDPK1 protein and accelerated PDPK1 ubiquitination. 91-GLY, 111-LYS, 126-TYR, 162-ALA, 205-ASP and 223-ASP may be the reason for the interaction between PDPK1 and Deh. CONCLUSION: Deh from Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall presented NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in a model of ALI through ROS-induced mitochondrial damage through inhibition of the Akt/Nrf2 pathway by PDPK1 ubiquitination. Therefore, it can be concluded that Deh may be a potential therapeutic drug for the treatment of ALI in COVID-19 or other respiratory diseases.

What can we learn from the Baduanjin rehabilitation as COVID-19 treatment?: A narrative review.

AIM: To understand Baduanjin rehabilitation therapy in mild COVID-19 patients. DESIGN: A narrative review. METHODS: A literature search for COVID-19 and Baduanjin treatments was conducted on Chinese and English electronic databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Ebscohost, SPORTDiscus and ProQuest. RESULTS: Twelve studies on the Baduanjin rehabilitation for COVID-19 patients have been included. We acknowledged the considerable published research and current clinical practice using Baduanjin for COVID-19 treatment in the following areas: anxiety, depression, insomnia, lung function rehabilitation, immunity and activity endurance. CONCLUSION: The use of Baduanjin as adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 patients' rehabilitation is still limited, therefore, more clinical studies are needed to confirm its efficacy.

[Analysis of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in plateau areas].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the distribution characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in plateau areas, and to provide theoretical basis for further clinical treatment of patients with COVID-19. METHODS: From August 9 to August 24, 2022, patients with COVID-19 admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region (designated hospital for COVID-19) were included, and their baseline characteristics (age, gender, source), clinical classification and distribution of TCM syndrome types were collected and analyzed. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 statistical software. RESULTS: A total of 161 COVID-19 patients were enrolled with ethnic distribution: 124 (77.02%) Tibetans, 35 (21.74%) Han, and 2 (1.24%) Hui, 68 males and 93 females. The male-to-female ratio was 0.73:1. Aged 1 to 94 years, the average age was (39.06±23.64) years old, of which 4 patients were under 1 year old (excluded because the information was missing). A total of 157 patients were enrolled, and 124 patients (78.9%) were under 60 years old, including 120 cases of common type, 4 cases of severe type, 0 cases of critical type, 7 cases over 80 years old, 1 case over 90 years old, and 32 cases under 18 years old. The clinical manifestations of the patient are mainly cough, expectoration, fever, aversion to cold, dry throat, headache, fatigue, running nose, dry mouth, bitter mouth, etc. Most of the tongue is pale, red, and white greasy moss or thin white coating. In TCM, the most common syndrome was cold-dampness blocking lung syndrome (99 cases, 63.06%), followed by cold-dampness stagnant lung syndrome (22 cases, 14.01%), damp-heat accumulating lung syndrome (22 cases, 14.01%), and humidity stagnant lung syndrome (11 cases, 7.01%). Syndromes of epidemic (2 cases, 1.27%), epidemic toxins blocking the lung pattern (1 cases, 0.64%), toxins with dryness intense heat in both qi and ying phases pattern (0 cases) accounted for less than 2%, and the distribution of various syndrome types in COVID-19 patients was uneven (χ 2 = 0.48, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The most common TCM syndromes of COVID-19 patients in Lhasa are cold-dampness blocking lung syndrome, followed by cold-dampness stagnant lung syndrome, damp-heat accumulating lung syndrome, and humidity stagnant lung syndrome.

An integrated approach of high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based chemical profiling, network pharmacology, and molecular docking to reveal the potential mechanisms of Qishen Gubiao granules for treating coronavirus disease 2019.

Qishen Gubiao granules, a traditional Chinese medicine preparation composed of nine herbs, have been widely used to prevent and treat coronavirus disease 2019 with good clinical efficacy. In the present study, an integrated strategy based on chemical profiling followed by network pharmacology and molecular docking was employed, to explore the active components and potential molecular mechanisms of Qishen Gubiao granules in the therapy of coronavirus disease 2019. Using the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry technique, a total of 186 ingredients corresponding to eight structure types in Qishen Gubiao preparation were identified or structurally annotated with the elucidation of the fragmentation pathways in the typical compounds. The network pharmacology analysis screened 28 key compounds including quercetin, apigenin, scutellarein, luteolin and naringenin acting on 31 key targets, which possibly modulated signal pathways associated with immune and inflammatory responses in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019. The molecular docking results observed that the top 5 core compounds had a high affinity for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and 3-chymotrypsin-like protease. This study proposed a reliable and feasible approach for elucidating the multi-components, multi-targets, and multi-pathways intervention mechanism of Qishen Gubiao granules against coronavirus disease 2019, providing a scientific basis for its further quality evaluation and clinical application.

DiDang decoction improves mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism via the HIF-1 signaling pathway to treat atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: DiDang Decoction (DDD) is a traditional classical prescription that has been used to treat atherosclerosis (AS) and hyperlipidemia (HLP) in China. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of DDD remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: To validate the mechanism of DDD in AS and HLP based on network pharmacology and in vitro experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical components of DDD were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database and literature mining, and the disease targets of AS and HLP were obtained from the Gencards, OMIM, and DisGeNET databases. The intersection genes were imported into the STRING database to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the DAVID database was used for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Combined with the results of KEGG pathway analysis, the HIF-1 signaling pathway was selected for further in vitro experiments. RESULTS: The results showed that network pharmacology predicted 112 targets related to DDD treatment of AS and HLP, and the top 10 related pathways are: Lipid and atherosclerosis, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, Chemical carcinogenesis - receptor activation, Pathways in cancer, Proteoglycans in cancer, Fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, HIF-1 signaling pathway, Alcoholic liver disease, PPAR signaling pathway, and Coronavirus disease-COVID-19. In vitro experiments showed that DDD effectively reduced lipid accumulation in FFA-treated L02 cells; DDD attenuated mitochondrial damage and reduced ROS content; DDD inhibited ferroptosis and apoptosis; DDD up-regulated the expression of HIF-1α, Glutathione Peroxidase 4(GPX4), and Bcl2 proteins, and down-regulated expression of Bax protein. CONCLUSION: DDD exerts therapeutic effects on AS and HLP through multiple targets and pathways, and improves mitochondrial function, reduces ROS content, inhibits ferroptosis and apoptosis by activating the HIF-1 signaling pathway, which provides reliable theoretical and experimental support for DDD treatment of AS and HLP.

Based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics to analyze the mechanism of action of Astragalus membranaceus in the treatment of vitiligo and COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly around the world. However, the treatment of vitiligo combined with COVID-19 has not been reported. Astragalus membranaceus (AM) has a therapeutic effect on patients with vitiligo and COVID-19. This study aims to discover its possible therapeutic mechanisms and provide potential drug targets. Using the Chinese Medicine System Pharmacological Database (TCMSP), GEO database and Genecards websites and other databases, AM target, vitiligo disease target, and COVID-19 related gene set were established. Then find the crossover genes by taking the intersection. Then use GO, KEGG enrichment analysis, and PPI network to discover its underlying mechanism. Finally, by importing drugs, active ingredients, crossover genes, and enriched signal pathways into Cytoscape software, a "drug-active ingredient-target signal pathway-" network is constructed. TCMSP screened and obtained 33 active ingredients including baicalein (MOL002714), NEOBAICALEIN (MOL002934), Skullcapflavone II (MOL002927), and wogonin (MOL000173), which acted on 448 potential targets. 1166 differentially expressed genes for vitiligo were screened by GEO. CIVID-19 related genes were screened by Genecards. Then by taking the intersection, a total of 10 crossover genes (PTGS2, CDK1, STAT1, BCL2L1, SCARB1, HIF1A, NAE1, PLA2G4A, HSP90AA1, and HSP90B1) were obtained. KEGG analysis found that it was mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as IL-17 signaling pathway, Th17 cell differentiation, Necroptosis, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Five core targets (PTGS2, STAT1, BCL2L1, HIF1A, and HSP90AA1) were obtained by analyzing the PPI network. The network of "active ingredients-crossover genes" was constructed by Cytoscape, and the 5 main active ingredients acting on the 5 core crossover genes acacetin, wogonin, baicalein, bis2S)-2-ethylhexyl) benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate and 5,2'-Dihydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxyflavone. The core crossover genes obtained by PPI and the core crossover genes obtained by the "active ingredient-crossover gene" network are intersected to obtain the three most important core genes (PTGS2, STAT1, HSP90AA1). AM may act on PTGS2, STAT1, HSP90AA1, etc. through active components such as acacetin, wogonin, baicalein, bis2S)-2-ethylhexyl) benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate and 5,2'-Dihydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxyflavone to activate IL-17 signaling pathway, Th17 cell differentiation, Necroptosis, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection, and VEGF signaling pathway and other signaling pathways to achieve the effect of treating vitiligo and COVID-19.

Discovery of drugs to combat covid-19 inspired by traditional Chinese medicine.

Contributions from traditional knowledge and history have proven useful in recent years to advance drug discovery. In response to the emergence of covid-19, scientists revisited traditional Chinese medicine. This source of inspiration for drugs to treat this new disease is described here at three different levels: traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, traditional Chinese medical formulas, and traditional Chinese medical texts. Drug discovery inspired by traditional Chinese medicine still faces serious resistance for various reasons, including its system of formulas and clinical trial design. A perspective that includes related issues would benefit the reasonable application of traditional knowledge in drug research and development.

Acceptance and attitude towards the traditional chinese medicine among asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in Shanghai Fangcang hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought severe damage to global health and socioeconomics. In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the most important complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and it has shown a beneficial role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. However, it is unknown whether patients are willing to accept TCM treatment. The objective of our study is to investigate the acceptance, attitude, and independent predictors of TCM among asymptomatic COVID-19 patients admitted to Shanghai fangcang hospital during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai in 2022. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in the largest fangcang hospital in Shanghai, China, from April 22, 2022, to May 25, 2022. Based on the literature review of previous similar studies, a self-report questionnaire was developed to assess the patients' attitude and acceptance of TCM, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent predictors of TCM acceptance. RESULTS: A total of 1,121 patients completed the survey, of whom 91.35% were willing to accept CAM treatment whereas 8.65% of participants showed no willingness. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the patients who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 2.069, 95%CI: 1.029-4.162, P = 0.041 vs. not received), understood the culture of TCM (OR = 2.293, 95%CI: 1.029-4.162, P = 0.014 vs. not understood), thought the TCM treatment is safe (OR = 2.856, 95%CI: 1.334-6.112, P = 0.007 vs. not thought), thought the TCM treatment is effective (OR = 2.724, 95%CI: 1.249-5.940, P = 0.012 vs. not thought), and those who informed their attending physician if using TCM for treatment (OR = 3.455, 95%CI:1.867-6.392, P < 0.001 vs. not informed) were more likely to accept TCM treatment. However, patients who thought TCM might delay your treatment (OR = 0.256, 95%CI: 0.142-0.462, P < 0.001 not thought) was an independent predictor for unwillingness to accept TCM treatment. CONCLUSION: This study preliminarily investigated the acceptance, attitude, and predictors of intention to receive TCM among asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. It is recommended to increase the publicity of TCM, clarify the impact of TCM and communicate with attending doctors that meet the healthcare needs of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

[Expert consensus on traditional Chinese medicine health management in adults with SARS-CoV-2 variant infection at home].

In order to more actively respond to the new situation of prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and to guide home health management for adults who are asymptomatic carriers or exhibit mild symptoms, the World Federation of Chinese Medical Societies Emergency Committee, World Federation of Chinese Medical Societies Respiratory Diseases, World Federation of Chinese Medical Societies Heat Disease Committee, Chinese Association of Chinese Medicine Pulmonary Disease Chapter, the First Aid Group of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of the Emergency Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the First Aid Group of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of the Emergency Branch of the Emergency Physician Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the Emergency Branch of the Shanghai Chinese Medical Association, the Institute of Emergency and Critical Care of the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Health Commission's Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine and other academic institutions have organized the medical experts at treating COVID-19 front line in China to investigate and discuss the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) health management at home for adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants, and concluded the "Expert consensus on traditional Chinese medicine health management at home for adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants", in combination with "Guideline on SARS-CoV-2 variant infection recover at home" issued by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council. The expert consensus included home environment, asymptomatic infection, infection with mild symptoms, recovery period, and TCM non-drug therapy intervention, which will provide a guidance to TCM intervention at home to adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for COVID-19: A Network Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

To compare the efficacy of different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and provide a higher level of evidence in the form of network meta-analysis (NMA) and systematic review. We searched the studies from the following databases: CNKI, VIP, WanFang, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from the establishment of the respective database until December 2021. Relevant studies were screened according to the pre-established inclusion criteria. The quality of the included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) were assessed using the risk of bias (ROB) tool and the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS), respectively. R software 4.1.1 and Stata 13.1 were used for data analysis and mapping. A total of 34 studies were included in this network meta-analysis that tested 24 TCM interventions and included 3443 patients. Using cluster analysis of time to negative SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the length of hospital stay and composite events, we found that Jinyinhua oral liquid (JYH, 120 mL) + conventional Western medicine (CWM) has the highest SUCRA value at 88.64%, 85.61% and 84.24%. The traditional meta-analysis results revealed that Qingfei Paidu decoction + CWM were significantly different compared with CWM alone for the score of clinical symptoms (MD =-0.75, 95% CI [-1.04, -0.47]). Nine studies reported 57 adverse reactions (ADRs) and 3 adverse events (ADEs) in TCM + CWM groups, and eight studies reported 33 ADRs and 8 ADEs in CWM groups. In conclusion, the combination of TCM and CWM approaches may enhance the efficacy of CWM in COVID-19 patients. Based on the NMA result, JYH (120 mL) + CWM may be a more effective treatment and deserves further investigation. However, the differences in many comparisons between TCM interventions did not reach statistical significance; therefore, further high-quality studies are required to validate these findings.

Prevalence, Patterns, and Clinical Severity of Long COVID among Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Service Users: Preliminary Results from a Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: The emergence and persistence of symptoms after acute COVID-19 is expected to become a major burden on healthcare systems. We assessed the features of the post-COVID-19 Syndrome (Long COVID) burden in a cohort of COVID-19 patients during the fifth major wave in Hong Kong. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 135 patients with confirmed COVID-19 from Feb to Apr 2022 who utilized traditional Chinese medicine telemedicine services was conducted. The COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale was administered using an online survey 12 weeks after the COVID-19 infection. Prevalence of symptom severity and functional impairments were assessed to identify burdens and patterns. The correlation between symptom severity, functional impairments, patient characteristics, and overall health was evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age was 46.8 years, with 46 (34.1%) males. Symptoms, functional impairments, and overall health worsened significantly when compared to the status prior to the infection. More than 50% reported the following sequelae 12 weeks after the acute infection: breathlessness, laryngeal or airway complications, fatigue, weakness, sleep, cognition, and anxiety. The presence of a single symptom or functional impairment significantly correlated with at least seven other problems positively, except for pain. Severity tended to be higher among vulnerable groups, including those who were chronic disease patients, older, less well educated, female, or had incomplete COVID-19 vaccinations. CONCLUSIONS: Long COVID is a significant healthcare burden among telemedicine users in Hong Kong, with complex needs for symptom and functional impairment management. Designing relevant health and rehabilitation services tailored to the needs of these patients is warranted.

The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic in Henan Province: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Since 2020, novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has posed serious threats to health systems and led to tremendous economic decline worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is considered a promising treatment strategy for COVID-19 in China and is increasingly recognized as a key participant in the battle against COVID-19. Clinicians also need accurate evidence regarding the effectiveness of TCM treatments for COVID-19. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by collected from the electronic medical records of the hospitals in Henan Province from January 19, 2020, to March 2, 2020. Demographic characteristics, clinical data, frequency analysis of Chinese patent medicines (CPMs), Chinese medicine injections (CMIs), evaluation of baseline symptom scores, nucleic acid negative conversion, length of hospitalization, and mortality rates were studied. RESULTS: Between 15 January 2020 and 2 March 2020, 131 hospitals with 1245 patients were included. Survey response Chinese herbal decoction, CPMs, and CMIs combined with conventional Western medicine (CWM) used for the treatment of COVID-19. The top 8 CPMs were Lianhua Qingwen capsules, Shuanghuanglian oral liquid, Pudilan Xiaoyan oral liquid, Banlangen granules, Lanqin oral liquid, compound licorice tablets, Bailing capsules, montmorillonite powder. The most frequently used CMIs were Xuebijing, Tanreqing, Reduning, Xiyanping and Yanhuning. TCM combined with CWM improved the patients' symptom scores for fever, cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Nucleic acid negative conversion occurred at11.55 ± 5.91 d and the average length of hospitalization was 14.92 ± 6.15 d. The mortality rate was approximately 1.76%, which is a reduction in patient mortality. CONCLUSIONS: TCM combined with CWM improved clinical symptoms and reduced hospitalization and mortality rates.