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. 2020 Jun 1;18:167. doi: 10.1186/s12916-020-01612-y

Table 2.

Design of registered trials

Number Percentage
Trial phase
 Pilot study 77 35.0
 Phase 1 2 0.9
 Phase 1/phase 2 3 1.4
 Phase 2 5 2.3
 Phase 2/phase 3 6 2.7
 Phase 3 6 2.7
 Phase 4 42 19.1
 NP 79 35.9
Number of arms
 0 2 0.9
 1 49 22.3
 2 107 48.6
 3 25 11.4
 4 10 4.4
 5 5 2.3
 6 1 0.5
 8 1 0.5
 NP 20 9.1
Study design type
 Parallel design 151 68.6
 Factorial design 17 7.7
 NP 52 23.6
Randomization
 Randomized 122 55.5
  Computer software 68 55.7
  Phone/WeChat 1 0.8
  NP 53 43.4
 Non-randomized 73 33.2
 NP 25 11.4
Masking (blinding)
 Blinding 23 10.5
  Participant 5 21.7
  Investigator 1 4.3
  Investigator, outcomes assessor 1 4.3
  Participant, care provider, outcomes assessor 1 4.3
  Participant, care-provider, investigator, outcomes assessor 4 17.4
  NP 11 47.8
 Non-blinding 67 30.5
 NP 130 59.0
Total sample size
 0–100 112 50.9
 101–200 44 20.0
 201–300 17 7.8
 > 300 47 21.3
Severity of illness
 Mild 2 0.9
 Mild/common 14 6.4
 Mild/severe 2 0.9
 Mild/common/severe 8 3.6
 Mild/common/critical 1 0.5
 Common 27 12.3
 Common/severe 6 2.7
 Common/severe/critical 3 1.4
 Severe 24 10.9
 Severe/critical 7 3.2
 Critical 6 2.7
 NP 120 54.5
The number of major outcome
 One 104 47.2
 Two 37 16.8
 Three 31 14.1
 More than three 47 21.4
 NP 1 0.5
Control intervention type
 Positive drug 14 6.4
 Positive drug and conventional therapy 3 1.4
 TCM 3 1.4
 TCM and positive drug 1 0.5
 Placebo 19 8.6
 No treatment 6 2.7
 Conventional therapy 89 40.5
 NP 85 38.6
Intervention type of experimental group
 Antiviral drug 37 16.8
 Biologicals 22 10.0
 Hormone drug 7 3.2
 Compound Chinese herbal medicine 24 10.9
 Traditional Chinese Medicine injection 5 2.3
 TCM and conventional western medicine 26 11.8
 TCM and antiviral drug 1 0.5
 Biologicals and conventional treatment 10 4.5
 Antiviral drug and hormone drug 2 0.9
 Antiviral drug and biologicals 3 1.4
 Antiviral drug and conventional treatment 3 1.4
 Antiviral drug and biologicals and hormone drug 1 0.5
 Antiallergic and conventional treatment 1 0.5
 Anti-inflammatory drug 2 0.9
 Vitamin C 2 0.9
 Sedative 2 0.9
 Drug to regulate intestinal flora and conventional treatment 1 0.5
 Daoyin + conventional treatment 1 0.5
 Acupoint stimulation and qigong and conventional treatment 1 0.5
 TCM and moxibustion 1 0.5
 NP 68 30.9

NP not provided, TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine