Exploring an Integrative Therapy for Treating COVID-19: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Area of Science:

• Integrative medicine
• Pharmacology
• Infectious diseases

Background:

• COVID-19 poses a significant risk for developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
• Standard treatments for COVID-19-associated ARDS have limitations.
• Chinese medicine (CM) offers potential therapeutic avenues for viral infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel Chinese medicine-based drug, Keguan-1.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Keguan-1 in suppressing ARDS in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 48 newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients.
• Patients received either standard therapy (control) or standard therapy plus Keguan-1 (testing arm).
• Outcomes assessed included adverse events, fever resolution, ARDS development, and lung injury over a 2-week treatment period.

Main Results:

• Keguan-1 demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with no significant difference in adverse events compared to the control group.
• The testing arm showed a significant improvement in the time to fever resolution (P=0.035).
• A significant reduction in the development of ARDS was observed in the Keguan-1 group (P=0.048).

Conclusions:

• Integrative therapy with Keguan-1 is safe for COVID-19 patients.
• Keguan-1, as an adjunct to standard therapy, is superior in suppressing ARDS development compared to standard therapy alone.