Qingfei Paidu for COVID-19

ABSTRACTBackgroundQingfei Paidu Tang (QPT), a formula of traditional Chinese medicine, which was suggested to be able to ease symptoms in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been recommended by clinical guidelines and widely used to treat COVID-19 in China. However, whether it decreases mortality remains unknown.PurposeWe aimed to explore the association between QPT use and in-hospital mortality among patients hospitalized for COVID-19.Study designA retrospective study based on a real-world database was conducted.MethodsWe identified patients consecutively hospitalized with COVID-19 in 15 hospitals from a national retrospective registry in China, from January through May 2020. Data on patients’ characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were extracted from the electronic medical records. The association of QPT use with mortality was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models based on propensity score analysis.ResultsOf the 8939 patients included, 28.7% received QPT. The crude mortality was 1.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8% to 1.7%) among the patients receiving QPT and 4.8% (95% CI 4.3% to 5.3%) among those not receiving QPT. After adjustment for patient characteristics and concomitant treatments, QPT use was associated with a relative reduction of 50% in in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.66 P <0.001). This association was consistent across subgroups by sex and age. Meanwhile, the incidence of acute liver injury (8.9% [95% CI, 7.8% to 10.1%]vs. 9.9% [95% CI, 9.2% to 10.7%]; odds ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.81% to 1.14%], P =0.658) and acute kidney injury (1.6% [95% CI, 1.2% to 2.2%] vs. 3.0% [95% CI, 2.6% to 3.5%]; odds ratio, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.62 to 1.17], P =0.318) was comparable between patients receiving QPT and those not receiving QPT. The major study limitations included that the study was an observational study based on real-world data rather than a randomized control trial, and the quality of data could be affected by the accuracy and completeness of medical records.ConclusionsQPT was associated with a substantially lower risk of in-hospital mortality, without extra risk of acute liver injury or acute kidney injury among patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Cytokine storm (CS) is the main driver of SARS-CoV-2-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in severe coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The pathological mechanisms of CS are quite complex and involve multiple critical molecular targets that turn self-limited and mild COVID-19 into a severe and life-threatening concern. At present, vaccines are strongly recommended as safe and effective treatments for preventing serious illness or death from COVID-19. However, effective treatment options are still lacking for people who are at the most risk or hospitalized with severe disease. Chinese herbal medicines have been shown to improve the clinical outcomes of mild to severe COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy, particular preventing the development of mild to severe ARDS. This review illustrates in detail the pathogenesis of CS-involved ARDS and its associated key molecular targets, cytokines and signalling pathways. The therapeutic targets were identified particularly in relation to the turning points of the development of COVID-19, from mild symptoms to severe ARDS. Preclinical and clinical studies were reviewed for the effects of Chinese herbal medicines together with conventional therapies in reducing ARDS symptoms and addressing critical therapeutic targets associated with CS. Multiple herbal formulations, herbal extracts and single bioactive phytochemicals with or without conventional therapies demonstrated strong anti-CS effects through multiple mechanisms. However, evidence from larger, well-designed clinical trials is lacking and their detailed mechanisms of action are yet to be well elucidated. More research is warranted to further evaluate the therapeutic value of Chinese herbal medicine for CS in COVID-19-induced ARDS.