Efficacy and Safety of Complementary Therapy With Jing Si Herbal Tea in Patients With Mild-To-Moderate COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study

Po-Chun Hsieh; You-Chen Chao; Kuo-Wang Tsai; Chung-Hsien Li; I-Shiang Tzeng; Yao-Kuang Wu; Cheng Yen Shih

doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.832321

Efficacy and Safety of Complementary Therapy With Jing Si Herbal Tea in Patients With Mild-To-Moderate COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study

Front Nutr. 2022 Mar 14:9:832321. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.832321. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Po-Chun Hsieh¹, You-Chen Chao^{2

3}, Kuo-Wang Tsai⁴, Chung-Hsien Li², I-Shiang Tzeng⁴, Yao-Kuang Wu^{3

5}, Cheng Yen Shih⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
³ School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Research, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁵ Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁶ Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: Since late 2019, there has been a global COVID-19 pandemic. To preserve medical capacity and decrease adverse health effects, preventing the progression of COVID-19 to severe status is essential. Jing-Si Herbal Tea (JSHT), a novel traditional Chinese medicine formula was developed to treat COVID-19. This study examined the clinical efficacy and safety of JSHT in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we enrolled 260 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. The enrolled patients were divided into the JSHT (n = 117) and control (n = 143) groups. Both groups received standard management. The JSHT group was treated with JSHT as a complementary therapy.

Results: Compared with standard management alone, JSHT combined with standard management more effectively improved the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold value, C-reactive protein level, and Brixia score in the adult patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, especially in the male and older patients (those aged ≥60 years). The results revealed that the patients treated with JSHT combined with standard management had 51, 70, and 100% lower risks of intubation, Medisave Care Unit admission, and mortality compared with those receiving standard management only.

Conclusions: JSHT combined with standard management more effectively reduced the SARS-CoV-2 viral load and systemic inflammation and alleviated lung infiltrates in the patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, especially in the male and older patients (those aged ≥60 years). JSHT combined with standard management may prevent critical status and mortality in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. JSHT is a promising complementary therapy for patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Keywords: Jing Si Herbal Tea; complementary and alternative medicine; herbal medicine; mild-to-moderate COVID-19; phytomedicine; traditional Chinese medicine.