Medication Rule Analysis of the Diagnosis and Treatment Programs of Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 in China

Objectives To summarize the measures and rules of Chinese medicine (CM) and provide reference for clinical application in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Methods The data source was from CM COVID-19 prevention and treatment programs on government websites and official media websites of the different provinces and cities. The search lasted from December 8, 2019 to March 10, 2020. Main variables were medication frequency and combinations of medicines. Cluster analysis and complex network analysis were used by prevention and treatment stage and by area. Results Among 27 CM diagnosis and treatment plans, 203 therapeutic prescriptions were enrolled, of which the top 4 herbs were: Radix glycyrrhizae , Semen armeniacae amarum , Herba ephedrae , and Herba agastachis , respectively. The core combinations were Herba ephedrae and Semen armeniacae amarum . Forty-eight preventive formulae were identified. Ten herbs, including Radix Astragali seu hedysari , Radix glycyrrhizae , Radix saposhnikoviae , Flos lonicerae , etc. were most frequently used. The core prescription of CM compatibility was Radix astragali seu hedysari , Radix glycyrrhizae , and Radix saposhnikoviae , which is the main component of Yu Ping Feng San. There were 45 prevention and treatment prescriptions in East China; the most used CM was Radix glycyrrhizae , Herba agastachis , Pericarpium citri reticulatae , and Gypsum fibrosum . Fifty prescriptions were identified in North China. According to CM analyses, Herba agastachis , Semen armeniacae amarum , Herba ephedrae , and Poria were most frequently used. Conclusions CM for COVID-19 prevention mainly focuses on improving human immunity; for treatment, prescription focuses on clearing the lungs and removing dampness. Prescriptions vary with regions, perhaps due to climatic and environmental differences, which help clinicians to quickly make CM plans and treat patients according to clinical status, further minimizing resource wastage.