Effects of traditional Chinese medicine on treatment outcomes of severe COVID-19 patients: A single-centre study. (preprint)

ABSTRACT

No specific effective therapeutic drugs have been identified for COVID-19. Critically ill COVID-19 36 patients in the ICU experience high mortality. This project aims to study the effects of traditional 37 Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment on deadly outcomes caused by COVID-19. A total of 123 critically 38 ill COVID-19 patients who received close monitoring at the ICU of Vulcan Hill Hospital between 39 ICU patients received supportive management. Eighty-one patients were given additional TCM 41 treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period (up to 39 days) and the clinical outcome 42 of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. We observed that patients treated with TCM had 43 lower mortality than the non-TCM treatment group (16 of 81 vs. 31 of 42; 0.3 person/month vs. 2.9 44 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with 45 improved survival [multivariate HR, 0.13; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.06–0.24; P < 0.001]. 46 Furthermore, we found that TCM treatment could partially improve the inflammation status by 47 reducing the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and recovering multiple organic functions. TCM 48 treatment may decrease inflammation status by reducing the level of proinflammatory cytokines and 49 allowing the recovery of multiple organic functions, which could improve the survival rate of critically 50 ill COVID-19 patients.