Acupuncture for breathlessness in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: At present, accumulative attention has been paid to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to its global prevalence. Acupuncture may play a beneficial role in patients with breathlessness in COVID-19. This study is designed to determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for breathlessness in COVID-19. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) will be searched from 7 electronic databases, with the last search update being 30 June 2020. Studies by registers of clinical trials will be additionally searched. Two investigators will independently select studies, extract data and evaluate study quality. Finally, a meta-analysis will be used to evaluate the pooled intervention effect if possible. RESULTS: Our present findings will indicate the application of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for dyspnea in COVID-19, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: Our study will provide a reference foundation for clinical optimization of treatment. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020182323.