Traditional Chinese medicine effective in treating mild Covid-19 cases, overseas study finds
- Clinical trial conducted in Pakistan using Jinhua Qinggan granules, recommended for use in mainland China’s treatment of the disease, found a shorter recovery time
- But researchers acknowledge that patients with severe underlying medical conditions were not included in study
An overseas clinical trial suggests that Jinhua Qinggan granules, a traditional Chinese medicine, are effective in treating mild cases of Covid-19, according to a study published earlier this week.
The paper posted on medRxiv, an online publisher of preliminary medical research findings, said a trial in August involving 300 volunteers at a Pakistani hospital showed it was effective in treating mild presentations of the disease.
The study’s participants, all adult Pakistanis with mild symptoms, were randomly assigned to receive either 5g of Jinhua Qinggan or placebo granules three times daily for 10 days. The participants were divided into two groups of 150. In total 256 patients completed the study, 129 taking Jinhua Qinggan and 127 the placebo.
Treatment using Jinhua Qinggan showed greater clinical efficacy at 82.67 per cent after 10 days, compared with the placebo group at 10.74 per cent, the researchers found.
Jinhua Qinggan, sometimes known as JHQG, comprises 12 ingredients including honeysuckle, Baikal skullcap root and sweet wormwood herb.