Effects of moxibustion for COVID-19 convalescence: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still spreading around the world. Moxibustion, as a significant therapy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely used to treat COVID-19, especially in recovery period. The study will aim to assess the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for COVID-19 convalescence. METHODS: We will systematically search the relevant randomized controlled trials in the 7 databases from inception to February 2021, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Clinical Trials Database, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. No language and publication status restrictions will be applied. Two reviewers will independently conduct and screen all included studies and the meta-analysis will be performed with RevMan V5.3 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, England). RESULTS: The study will provide a high-quality convincing assessment of the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for the treatment of COVID-19 convalescence, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: Our study will give more comprehensive evidence of the effectiveness of moxibustion for COVID-19 convalescence. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021230364.