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Traditional Chinese Medicine guidelines for coronavirus disease 2019
Ning Liang1, Yanfang Ma2, Jingya Wang1
1Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Insights
This study summarizes Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), recommending 17 Chinese medicines. These evidence-based guidelines offer clinical practice support for COVID-19 management.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Infectious Disease Management
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a global health challenge.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history of use in treating various diseases.
- There is a need to consolidate evidence on TCM for COVID-19.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize evidence on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating COVID-19.
- To provide timely clinical practice guidance for healthcare professionals.
- To inform global efforts in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Guidelines developed following the World Health Organization rapid guideline process.
- Evidence gathered from published guidelines, clinical studies, and expert consensus.
- Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework applied.
Main Results:
- Seventeen Chinese medicines recommended for COVID-19 treatment.
- Recommendations include 2 Chinese herbal granules.
- Recommendations include 7 Chinese patent medicines and 8 Chinese herbal injections.
Conclusions:
- The guidelines offer evidence-based recommendations for TCM in COVID-19 care.
- An updated literature review is needed for future guideline versions.
- This summary aims to support global COVID-19 management strategies.
Objective:
To summarize the evidence from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and provide timely clinical practice guidance.
Methods:
The guidelines were developed in accordance with the World Health Organization rapid guideline process. The evidence on TCM for COVID-19 from published guidelines, direct and indirect published clinical evidence, first hand clinical data, and expert experience and consensus were collected. The grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) method was used to grade the evidence and make the recommendations.
Results:
Based on the available evidence, the guidelines recommended 17 Chinese medicines for COVID-19: 2 Chinese herbal granules, 7 Chinese patent medicines, and 8 Chinese herbal injections.
Conclusion:
As the literature search was conducted on March, any subsequent versions of these guidelines require an up-to-date literature review. We hope that the evidence summary in these will be helpful in global efforts to address COVID-19.
