Ecological Study on Differences in COVID-19 Fatality among Wuhan, Rest of Hubei, and Rest of China.

BACKGROUND: China's vigorous anti-COVID-19 campaign has been going on for three months since January 20, which has contained the spread of the virus across China. OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological investigations found that COVID-19 fatality rates in Wuhan, rest parts of Hubei province except Wuhan (Rest of Hubei) and rest parts of Mainland China except Hubei province (Rest of China) were different. An ecological study was conducted to analyze the reasons and provide the world with China's anti-COVID-19 epidemic experiences. METHODS: Infected cases from Mainland China were divided into three populations: Wuhan, Rest of Hubei and Rest of China. Methods were based on The Novel Coronavirus Infected Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Standards. Total confirmed cases, daily severe cases, total deaths from February 12 to April 20 were collected for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 50,333 total confirmed cases in Wuhan made up the most substantial part by comparison with 17,795 in Rest of Hubei and 14,630 in Rest of China, respectively. In the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic, daily severe cases in Wuhan accounted for the majority, and as the epidemic controlled, severe cases in all three populations decreased. Total deaths in Wuhan constituted the most significant proportion, with the highest 3869 in contrast to 643 in Rest of Hubei and 120 in Rest of China. The fatality rates in Wuhan ranged from 2.82% to 7.69%, much higher than 1.80-3.61% in Rest of Hubei, and 0.49-0.88% in Rest of China. Pearson chi-square test for fatality rates in the three populations demonstrated significant differences (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The ecological comparison study among the three populations have proved that social distancing, quarantine, lockdown, cutting off sources of infection and transmission routes, early detection, early isolation, early treatment are all vital to control the epidemic by reducing COVID-19 confirmed cases, severe cases and the fatality rate.

Essential hypertension treated by wuling powder and modified tianma gouteng decoction: a cohort study without controls.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of wuling powder and modified tianma gouteng decoction as an open add-on therapy for treating essential hypertension (EH). METHODS: 72 cases of EH patients took wuling powder and modified tianma gouteng decoction for 2 weeks to treat EH without changing their former medication. New York Heart Association (NYHA) heart function classification, heart rate, blood pressure and 6-min walking test were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: Wuling powder and modified tianma gouteng decoction decreased the EH patients' heart rate, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and increased the 6-min walking distance very significantly (P<0.01). The total effective rate on blood pressure was 91.7%, and the total effective rate on NYHA heart function improvement was 95.1%. No serious side effect appeared. CONCLUSION: From this study, treating EH with wuling powder and modified tianma gouteng decoction as an open add-on therapy seems to be effective and safe. Further randomized trials are needed to test the positive findings.

[Study on treatment of iron-deficiency anemia by shengxuening].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of shengxuening (SXN) in treating iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) and to explore its molecular mechanism on iron metabolism balance regulation. METHODS: Patients with IDA were randomly divided into the treated group and the control group, 50 in each group. They were treated with SXN (0.1 g, three times per day) and ferrous gluconate (0.1 g, three times per day) respectively, for 30 days. Levels of serum iron (Fe), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation (TS), serum ferritin (SF), transferrin (Tf), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and blood routine test, as well as scoring of TCM qi-blood deficiency Syndrome were conducted before and after treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rate in the treated group reached 92%, it was shown that SXN could improve the iron metabolism, increase levels of Fe, TS, SF and reduce levels of TIBC, Tf, sTfR, it has obvious effect in promoting erythrocyte generation and could promote formation of leucocytes and platelets. The total effective rate in the control group was 32%, which was significantly lower than that in the treated group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The effect of SXN in treating IDA and qi-blood deficiency Syndrome is evident, it could improve the iron metabolism, increase levels of Fe, TS, SF and lower levels of TIBC, Tf, sTfR.