. 2024 Nov 7;14(11):e088959.

doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-088959.

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine therapies for the treatment of mild/moderate acute COVID-19: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Anqi Li¹, Gordon Guyatt², Derek Chu³, Lehana Thabane², Jason W Busse^{2

4}, Behnam Sadeghirad², Qingyong He¹, Long Ge^{5

6}, Qiukui Hao⁷, Sunita Vohra⁸, Benno Brinkhaus⁹, Claudia M Witt¹⁰, Yachan Li¹¹, Geetha Krishnan¹², Thomas Agoritsas^{13

14}, Lisa Susan Wieland^{15

16}, Sarika Chaturvedi¹⁷, Kavita U Kothari¹², Bhushan Patwardhan¹⁸, Min Fang¹⁹, Lingjun Kong²⁰, Jun Ren¹⁹, Myeong Soo Lee²¹, Angela Cheung²², Patrick M Okwen²³, Bernice Downey²⁴, Lin Ang²⁵, Jialing Zhu²⁶, Yuqing Zhang^{27

28}

Affiliations

¹ Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
² Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Mcmaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
³ Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Evidence-Based Social Sciences Research Centre, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
⁶ Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
⁷ School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁸ Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
⁹ Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
¹⁰ Institute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
¹¹ Integrated Health Service Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹² World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹³ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Hamilton, Stockholm, ON, Sweden.
¹⁴ University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁵ University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
¹⁶ Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Public Health and Environment, R D Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, MP, India.
¹⁸ Dr D Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
¹⁹ Department of Tuina, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
²⁰ Institute of Tuina, Shanghai Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
²¹ Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Dajeon, Korea (the Republic of).
²² Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
²³ Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Bamenda, Cameroon.
²⁴ McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
²⁵ Clinical Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Korea (the Republic of).
²⁶ Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
²⁷ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Mcmaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada madisonz1220@gmail.com.
²⁸ CEBIM (Center for Evidence Based Integrative Medicine)-Clarity Collaboration, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

PMID: 39515857
PMCID: PMC11552603
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-088959

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine therapies for the treatment of mild/moderate acute COVID-19: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Anqi Li et al. BMJ Open. 2024.

. 2024 Nov 7;14(11):e088959.

doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-088959.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
² Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Mcmaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
³ Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Evidence-Based Social Sciences Research Centre, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
⁶ Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
⁷ School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁸ Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
⁹ Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
¹⁰ Institute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
¹¹ Integrated Health Service Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹² World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹³ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Hamilton, Stockholm, ON, Sweden.
¹⁴ University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁵ University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
¹⁶ Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Public Health and Environment, R D Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, MP, India.
¹⁸ Dr D Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
¹⁹ Department of Tuina, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
²⁰ Institute of Tuina, Shanghai Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
²¹ Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Dajeon, Korea (the Republic of).
²² Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
²³ Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Bamenda, Cameroon.
²⁴ McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
²⁵ Clinical Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Korea (the Republic of).
²⁶ Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
²⁷ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Mcmaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada madisonz1220@gmail.com.
²⁸ CEBIM (Center for Evidence Based Integrative Medicine)-Clarity Collaboration, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

PMID: 39515857
PMCID: PMC11552603
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-088959

Abstract

Background: Increasing evidence has emerged for traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) to treat COVID-19 which requires systematic summaries of the net benefits of interventions against standard care and one another. The study aims to conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) regarding TCIM therapies for treating mild/moderate acute COVID-19, potentially informing the WHO guideline development and clinical decision-making.

Methods and analysis: We will search Embase, MEDLINE, Virtual Health Library on Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, WHO's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform with additional searches of Chinese and Korean literature sources for randomised controlled trials comparing TCIM with placebo, standard care, no treatment or with an alternate type of TCIM to treat COVID-19. We will limit the search dates from 2020 to 28 March 2024. Reviewers will, in duplicate, screen eligible articles, extract data and evaluate the risk of bias. We will conduct frequentist network meta-analyses for network comparisons and each outcome. We will assess the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach and classify interventions from most to least effective or harmful.

Ethics and dissemination: This NMA is based on the existing trials and data which is not subject to ethical approval. We will publish the NMA in a peer-reviewed journal. This may provide methodological reference and clinical evidence for TCIM on future epidemic-prone diseases.

Prospero registration number: CRD42024517321.

Keywords: COVID-19; Complementary Medicine; Network Meta-Analysis; Protocols & guidelines.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: We would like to disclose that Dr. Guyatt Gordon and Dr. Thabane Lehana are listed as members of the Editorial Board of BMJ Open, as noted on their website (https://bmjopen.bmj.com/pages/editorial-board). This association has been declared in accordance with the journal’s submission policies. All other authors have no potential conflicts of interest to declare related to this submission.

Figures

**Figure 1. Flow diagram of the study screening process.**

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. World Health Organization COVID-19 epidemiological update– 15 March 2024. 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/covid-19-epidemiological-update-... Available.
1. World health organization WHO global report on traditional and complementary. 2019. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/978924151536 Available.
1. World Health Organization International clinical trials registry platform (ICTRP) 2024. https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform Available.
1. Kim T-H, Kang JW, Jeon S-R, et al. Use of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022;9:884573. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.884573. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Alyami HS, Orabi MAA, Aldhabbah FM, et al. Knowledge about COVID-19 and beliefs about and use of herbal products during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Pharm J. 2020;28:1326–32. doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.08.023. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine therapies for the treatment of mild/moderate acute COVID-19: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Affiliations

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine therapies for the treatment of mild/moderate acute COVID-19: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources