A group of homoeopathic medicines for COVID‑19: A systematic review of clinical features

Abstract

Background: Historically, several homoeopathic medicines are known to have attributed a significant role in the control and management of infectious epidemic diseases. Objectives: This study aimed to compile a list of prospective homoeopathic medicines for the treatment and prophylaxis of the COVID 19 epidemic by conducting a systematic review and statistical analysis of clinical characteristics of this emerging coronavirus disease. Materials and Methods: A systematic review protocol was developed according to the reporting items of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses statement. Articles for review were selected from PubMed, World Health Organization database, MedRxiV, and BioRxiv. Studies in English and simplified Chinese from December 2019 to March 26 2020 were included. Data on clinical characteristics, laboratory and CT chest results of COVID 19 were extracted and analysed. Several symptoms and their intensity were statistically analysed. Results: Seventy three studies were included. Amongst COVID 19 patients, fever (119.869 ± 24.425 [95% confidence intervals: 71.149–168.589]), dry cough (91.028 ± 19.555 [52.007–130.050]) and dyspnoea (24.594 ± 5.949 [12.722–36.465]) were the most common symptoms. Leucopenia (16.06 ± 5.07 [5.95–26.18]) in blood, ground glass opacity (62.23 ± 18.82 [24.74–99.72]), patchy (21.48 ± 12.36 [3.13–46.11]) and consolidation (18.67 ± 9.18 [0.373–36.968]) in the lungs were observed. The selected sign and symptoms were repertorised, which resulted in a list of multiple homoeopathic medicines as potential medicines for COVID 19, led by Arsenic Album (94.59%) and Bryonia alba (91.89%). Conclusion: Considering the current clinical manifestations, this is a pioneer study related to finding a plausible list of homoeopathic medicines that might help the profession in the treatment as well as to select a prophylactic of COVID 19 disease.