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. 2022 Jan 13;28(9):779–784. doi: 10.1007/s11655-021-2880-1

Medication Rule Analysis of the Diagnosis and Treatment Programs of Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 in China

Xin-yu Ji 1, Yan Ma 1, Shuai Shi 2, Si-hong Liu 3, Lin Tong 3, Cheng Lyu 1, Hua-min Zhang 4, Yan-ping Wang 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8755402  PMID: 35023061

Abstract

Objectives

To summarize the measures and rules of Chinese medicine (CM) and provide reference for clinical application in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Methods

The data source was from CM COVID-19 prevention and treatment programs on government websites and official media websites of the different provinces and cities. The search lasted from December 8, 2019 to March 10, 2020. Main variables were medication frequency and combinations of medicines. Cluster analysis and complex network analysis were used by prevention and treatment stage and by area.

Results

Among 27 CM diagnosis and treatment plans, 203 therapeutic prescriptions were enrolled, of which the top 4 herbs were: Radix glycyrrhizae, Semen armeniacae amarum, Herba ephedrae, and Herba agastachis, respectively. The core combinations were Herba ephedrae and Semen armeniacae amarum. Forty-eight preventive formulae were identified. Ten herbs, including Radix Astragali seu hedysari, Radix glycyrrhizae, Radix saposhnikoviae, Flos lonicerae, etc. were most frequently used. The core prescription of CM compatibility was Radix astragali seu hedysari, Radix glycyrrhizae, and Radix saposhnikoviae, which is the main component of Yu Ping Feng San. There were 45 prevention and treatment prescriptions in East China; the most used CM was Radix glycyrrhizae, Herba agastachis, Pericarpium citri reticulatae, and Gypsum fibrosum. Fifty prescriptions were identified in North China. According to CM analyses, Herba agastachis, Semen armeniacae amarum, Herba ephedrae, and Poria were most frequently used.

Conclusions

CM for COVID-19 prevention mainly focuses on improving human immunity; for treatment, prescription focuses on clearing the lungs and removing dampness. Prescriptions vary with regions, perhaps due to climatic and environmental differences, which help clinicians to quickly make CM plans and treat patients according to clinical status, further minimizing resource wastage.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary materials (Appendices) are available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s11655-021-2880-1

Keywords: COVID-19, Chinese medicine, regularity of medication

Electronic supplementary material

11655_2021_2880_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (516.6KB, pdf)

Supplementary material, approximately 516 KB.

Author Contributions

Wang YP, Zhang HM, and Lu C conceived this study and developed the first draft of this manuscript. Ji XY and Shi S drafted the manuscript. Liu SH and Tong L collected the data; Shi S created the figures; and Ji XY and Ma Y revised the manuscript. All authors contributed to the editing of the final manuscript and approved the final version.

Footnotes

Supported by National Science and Technology Major Project (Nos. 2018ZX10101001-005-003, 2018ZX10101001-005-004), the National Key Research and Development Project (Nos. 2018YFC1704401, 2019YFC1709802)

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflict of interests.

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Associated Data

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Supplementary Materials

11655_2021_2880_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (516.6KB, pdf)

Supplementary material, approximately 516 KB.

Articles from Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

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