Analysis on the Selection of Herbs in TCM COVID-19 Treatment Protocols Between Malaysia and China

OBJECTIVE: Both Malaysian and Chinese populations have benefited from the utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the treatment of COVID-19. This study aims to analyze the herb selection in TCM COVID-19 treatment protocols employed by Malaysia and China. METHODS: Based on TCM theories, a comparative analysis was conducted on the treatment protocols of the two countries. This analysis encompassed syndrome differentiation and classification, therapeutic principles and formulas, as well as herb characteristics. The herbs within the protocols were subjected to frequency statistics and cluster analysis using SPSS 25, and network analysis was performed using SPSS Modeler 18.0 software. RESULTS: The properties (cold, warm, ping and bitter, pungent, sweet) and meridian (lung, stomach, spleen) associated with the herbs in both protocols exhibit fundamental similarities. Furthermore, the propensity for selecting pairs of herbs is also consistent. The herb pairs selected also have the same propensity. The clustering results reveal six categories, of which in the two protocols are good. The top three herb-pairs in Malaysian Protocols are Gan Cao - Yi Yi Ren, Ban Xia - Gan Cao, Chen Pi - Gan Cao, while the top three in Chinese Protocol are Huo Xiang - Ma Huang, Shi Gao - Gan Cao, Cang Zhu - Gan Cao. CONCLUSION: Characteristics of herbs in Both Malaysian and Chinese Protocols herb reflect the advantages and regional adaptation of TCM principles. These findings offer valuable guidance in the application of herbs or herb pairs for the treatment of COVID-19.