Lianhua Qingwen Capsules Reduced the Rate of Severity in Patients with COVID-19: A System Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND: The rate of severity is a critical factor affecting the prognosis and mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Lianhua Qingwen capsules or granules (LQ) have been a promising Chinese patent medicine in treating infectious diseases and recommended for treating COVID-19. This meta-analysis aims to demonstrate the association between LQ treatment and the rate of severity in patients with mild or moderate COVID-19. METHODS: 7 electronic databases were systematically searched from the inception dates to March 27, 2021, using the search terms to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Two reviewers independently identified studies, extracted the data, and assessed study quality. All analyses were conducted on RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 5 RCTs involving 830 patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 were identified according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of included studies is moderate. Compared with conventional therapy, there was a significant association of LQ treatment with a higher clinical efficacy (RR = 1.24, 95% CI (1.13, 1.36), P < 0.00001), rate of CT improvement (RR = 1.22, 95% CI (1.10, 1.34), P=0.0001), and a lower rate of conversion to severe cases (RR = 0.47, 95%CI (0.31, 0.71), P=0.0003). CONCLUSION: LQ combined with conventional therapy had great effects in reducing the rate of severity, and these findings supported the routine treatment of LQ in patients with mild or moderate COVID-19.