Efficacy of the barley-based remedy, a Persian medicine formula, in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalized patients: An open-labeled randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: With the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the growing attention of people around the world to the use of traditional and complementary medicines to control of the disease, evaluating the effectiveness of these treatments has received special attention. AIM: This study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of a barley-based (Hordeum vulgare) remedy combined with conventional medicine in comparison to the conventional therapy in confirmed COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy COVID-19 patients were randomly divided into barley-based remedy plus conventional medicine (barley-based remedy group) and conventional therapy (control group). Both groups were treated for 5 days. The outcomes were oxygen saturation, main symptoms (fever, respiratory rate, cough, and fatigue), and laboratory data (lymphocytic count, and CRP); they were measured for 6 days. RESULTS: In comparison to the control group, the oxygen saturation level in the barley-based remedy group significantly increased, from the second day of the intervention (P < 0.05). The herbal remedy significantly improved fatigue from the third day (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the severity and frequency of cough between the groups were not significantly different. The herbal remedy had no significant effect on the CRP and the lymphocytic count of every time points of measurement. The average of respiratory rate and temperature of patients were in the normal range in both groups during the intervention. CONCLUSION: Barley-based remedy could significantly enhance the blood oxygen saturation and reduce fatigue. However, it needs to be confirmed by large sample size trials.