Clinical evaluation of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules combined with umifenovir (Arbidol) in the treatment of common-type COVID-19: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT

Objective

To understand the clinical effectiveness and safety of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules combined with umifenovir (Arbidol) in the treatment of common-type COVID-19.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the case data of 200 inpatients diagnosed with common-type COVID-19 at Wuhan Hospital. Participants were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The control group was treated with Arbidol hydrochloride capsules while the experimental group was treated with combination Arbidol hydrochloride capsules and Shufeng Jiedu Capsules (SFJDC) for 14 days.

Results

Defervescence was achieved more rapidly in the experimental group (P < 0.05). The white blood cell count and the lymphocyte percentage in the experimental group were higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). CRP and IL-6 levels in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The proportion of chest CT studies showing resolution of pneumonia in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

A treatment regimen of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules combined with Arbidol to treat common-type COVID-19, combining traditional Chinese and western allopathic medicine, improves time to recovery, has better clinical effectiveness, and is safe.

KEYWORDS:

• Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
• COVID-19
• common type
• Arbidol
• clinical effectiveness

Article highlights

• Shufeng Jiedu Capsules are cost-effective.

• Shufeng Jiedu Capsules have few side effects and good anti-inflammatory effects.

• Shufeng Jiedu Capsules combined with Arbidol in the treatment of common-type COVID-19 can effectively promote the improvement of patients’ clinical symptoms.

• Shufeng Jiedu Capsule combined with Arbidol in the treatment of common-type COVID-19 is safe.

• The combination of traditional Chinese and Western allopathic medicine is worth promoting in the clinical treatment of COVID-19.

Acknowledgments

We thank all our colleagues who helped us during the current study. We are grateful to all the participants of this study. We also thank all the investigators for relentless efforts in collecting clinical and imaging data. We are also grateful to the many front-line medical staff for their dedication in the face of this outbreak, despite the potential threat to their own lives and the lives of their families.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

JC and QX conceived and designed the study. JC, QX, and SL contributed to the literature search. QX contributed to data collection. JC and SL contributed to data analysis. SL contributed to data interpretation. JC, QX, and SL contributed to the figures. JC, QX, and CN contributed to writing of the report. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Guiding project of the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian (2019D010), Fujian Young/Middle-aged Talent Cultivation Project (2019-ZQNB-31), and Xiamen Science and Technology Commission (3502Z20164029).