Treatment Effect of Qingfei Paidu Decoction Combined With Conventional Treatment on COVID-19 Patients and Other Respiratory Diseases: A Multi-Center Retrospective Case Series

Abstract

Background: Qingfei Paidu decoction (QFPDD) has been widely used in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. However, studies on the treatment effect of COVID-19 patients and other respiratory diseases have not been well demonstrated. Our study aims to determine the treatment effect of QFPDD in combination with conventional treatment on COVID-19 patients and other respiratory diseases.Methods: This retrospective study recruited COVID-19 patients who were treated with QFPDD for at least two courses (6 days) from seven hospitals in five provinces from January 21 to March 18 2020. Demographic, epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, computed tomography characteristics, treatment, and outcome data were collected and analyzed. The improvements in clinical symptoms before and after QFPDD treatment were compared.Results: Eight COVID-19 patients were included in this study. Of them, six were males (75.0%). The median age of the patients was 66 (60–82) years. Four patients were classified as mild and moderate cases (50.0%); there were two severe cases (25.0%) and critical cases (25.0%). The most common symptom was cough (7 [87.5%]), followed by fever (6 [75.0%]), fatigue (4 [50.0%]), asthma (4 [50.0%]), and anorexia (3 [37.5%]). Abnormal findings included decrease in neutrophils (3 [37.5%]), lymphocytes (2 [25.0%]), alkaline phosphatase (3 [37.5%]), lactic dehydrogenase (4 [50.0%]), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (2 [25.0%]), and C-reactive protein (5 [83.3%]) at admission. After one course (3 days) of QFPDD, nasal obstruction and sore throat completely disappeared, and fever (5 [83.3%]), fatigue (2 [50.0%]), and cough (2 [28.6%]) were improved. After two courses (6 days), the fever disappeared completely in all patients, and the other symptoms showed a tendency to improve. In non-severe patients, 87.5% baseline symptoms completely disappeared. In severe patients, 61.1% of the baseline symptoms completely disappeared after patients were administered QFPDD for two courses. Of the abnormal indicators, 55.6% returned to normal levels. The median duration to complete fever recovery was 1.0 day. The median durations of viral shedding and hospitalization were 10.5 and 21.5 days, respectively. None of the patients worsened and died, and no serious adverse events occurred related to QFPDD during hospitalization.Conclusion: QFPDD combined with conventional treatment improved clinical symptoms in COVID-19 patients with other respiratory diseases, and no serious adverse reactions associated with QFPDD were observed. Larger sample studies confirm our findings in the future.

Practices, Knowledge, and Attitudes of Chinese University Students Toward Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Control of COVID-19

“… 23 Based on TCM theory, three Chinese patent medicines (including Lianhua Qingwen Capsule, Jinhua Qinggan Granules, and Xuebijing Injection) as well as three herbal prescriptions (including Xuanfeibaidu Recipe, Huashi Paidu Recipe, and Qingfei Paidu Decoction) have been identified to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and to treat COVID-19. 8 So far, more and more clinical evidences have suggested the inspiring effectiveness and safety of these prescriptions of Chinese herbs such as Qingfei Paidu Decoction, 21 , 22 Lianhua Qingwen Capsule 24 , 25 and Huashi Paidu Recipe 26 in controlling COVID-19. Moreover, the potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 characteristics of some single Chinese herbs particularly attracted increasing interest of scientists.…”

“…16,20 To control the current COVID-19 pandemic in China, the Chinese government has implemented multiple effective strategies, among which the application of traditional Chinese herbal formulas has been officially recommended in the national Guideline of Diagnosis and Treatment Plan for COVID-19 as an important complement to conventional treatment for different phases of COVID-19, including mild, moderate, severe, even critically ill patients. 7,9,[21][22][23] The Chinese state media and medical experts also strongly promoted the idea of using traditional Chinese herbal medicine as an integral part of the COVID-19 control plan. 23 Based on TCM theory, three Chinese patent medicines (including Lianhua Qingwen Capsule, Jinhua Qinggan Granules, and Xuebijing Injection) as well as three herbal prescriptions (including Xuanfeibaidu Recipe, Huashi Paidu Recipe, and Qingfei Paidu Decoction) have been identified to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and to treat COVID-19.…”

Identification of phytochemicals in Qingfei Paidu decoction for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 by targeting the virus-host interactome

“…QFPDD is the only general prescription that has been for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, including patients with mild, moderate, and severe disease and critically ill patients. A comprehensive understanding according to the actual situation of the patients, particularly considering the age, physique, disease status, treatment process, medication effect, and underlying diseases, is necessary to make dialectical differentiations of the syndrome, disease, and treatment based on a traditional Chinese physician’s clinical experience [43] . For clinical application, QFPDD is taken as a water decoction once a day and separately administered in the morning and at night 40 min after meals, resulting in a total of three doses during the course of treatment.…”

“Three medicines and three formulas” in COVID-19: From bench to bedside

“…Compared with Western medicine alone, QFPD can markedly alleviate the patient’s pulmonary inflammation, reduce the length of hospital stay, and improve clinical symptoms and lung CT [54] . Notably, no serious adverse reactions related to QFPD were observed [55] . As the only TCM therapy for the treatment of all stages of COVID-19, QFPD has cured thousands of COVID-19 patients and also prevented the transition of patients from mild to severe stage [56] .…”