Clinical Characteristics of Inflammatory Indicators and therapeutic Outcome of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine in COVID-19 Patients

Haifeng Zhang¹, Isaac Kumi Adu^{1, 2} 

¹Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second People's Hospital of Jingzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei College of Chinese Medicine, Jingzhou 434000, China - ²Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, China

Introduction: We explore the clinical characteristics of inflammatory indicators and the therapeutic effects of Combined Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment in patients with Mild type COVID-19 in order to better guide clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. 

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of 83 patients with novel type of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Second People's Hospital of Jingzhou City, Hubei Province from January 28 to March 1, 2020. White blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte count (LYM), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), D-dimer, interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum levels of inflammation indicators such as Serum amyloid A (SAA), procalcitonin (PCT), percentage, and SAA / hs-CRP ratio. Therapeutic data, Arbidol, Lianhua Qingwen Capsule, Antibiotics and Oxygenation, were obtained and analyzed. 

Results: The Eighty-three patients with COVID-19 were mainly diagnosed with fever, cough and sore throat. Serum WBC, LYM, ESR, hs-CRP, D-dimer, IL-6, SSA, PCT levels and SSA / hs-CRP ratios were (4.2 ± 1.2) × 109 / L, (2.4 ± 0.8) × 109 / L 8.6 ± 2.3 mm / 1 h, 42.7 ± 9.1mg / L, 0.4 ± 0.2 mg / L, 7.4 ± 1.2 ng / L, 60.6 ± 5.4 mg / L, 0.3 ± 0.1μg / L, 6.5 ± 0.3, hs -CRP, SSA, SSA / hs-CRP ratio was statistically significant compared with the percentage of LYM (P <0.05), and the percentage of SSA / hs-CRP ratio was 77.11%. All patients received Arbidol and Lianhua Qingwen Capsule, and recovery was within 7-14 days.

Conclusion: Serum hs-CRP and SAA levels are increased in patients with mild type SARS-CoV-2 infection, but the SAA / hs-CRP ratio has higher clinical diagnostic value. Arbidol and Lianhua Qingwen Capsule have potential synergistic effect in patients with mild type COVID-19.