Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews

Background: Since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) have been used in clinical practice. In this overview, we summarized the evidence for CAM interventions in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Methods: For this...

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Main Authors: Sae-Rom Jeon, Jung Won Kang, Lin Ang, Hye Won Lee, Myeong Soo Lee, Tae-Hun Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-09-01
Series:Integrative Medicine Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422022000117
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author Sae-Rom Jeon
Jung Won Kang
Lin Ang
Hye Won Lee
Myeong Soo Lee
Tae-Hun Kim
author_facet Sae-Rom Jeon
Jung Won Kang
Lin Ang
Hye Won Lee
Myeong Soo Lee
Tae-Hun Kim
author_sort Sae-Rom Jeon
collection DOAJ
description Background: Since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) have been used in clinical practice. In this overview, we summarized the evidence for CAM interventions in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Methods: For this overview, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to October 2021. Systematic reviews (SRs) on the effectiveness and safety of CAM interventions for COVID-19 patients were located, and the MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) was used to evaluate the reporting quality of the included SRs. Keywords including COVID-19 and CAM interventions were used for locating SRs. For evidence mapping, we created a two-dimensional bubble plot that included the width and strength of the evidence for each CAM intervention and specific outcome. Results: In this overview, we identified 24 SRs (21 for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) medications, two for vitamin D and one for home-based activity). From the included SRs, TCM herbal medications were reported to show good results in decreasing the rate of disease progression (relative risk (RR) 0.30, 95% confidence intervals (CI) [0.20, 0.44]), time to the resolution of fever (standard mean difference (SMD) -0.98, 95% CI [-1.78, -0.17]) and rate of progression to severe COVID-19 cases (RR 0.34, 95% CI [0.18, 0.65]), but the evidence for other interventions did not show effectiveness with certainty. Gastric disturbance was a major adverse event of TCM medications. Conclusion: There is evidence that TCM medications are effective in the symptom management of COVID-19 patients. However, evidence for the effectiveness of most CAM interventions still needs evaluation.
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spelling doaj-art-b4e5bc54002b4a9d9a2769edd281d2282025-08-20T02:02:40ZengElsevierIntegrative Medicine Research2213-42202022-09-0111310084210.1016/j.imr.2022.100842Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviewsSae-Rom Jeon0Jung Won Kang1Lin Ang2Hye Won Lee3Myeong Soo Lee4Tae-Hun Kim5Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaKM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaKM Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaKM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Convergence Medicine, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Korean Medicine Clinical Trial Center, Korean Medicine Hospital, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Corresponding author at: Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.Background: Since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) have been used in clinical practice. In this overview, we summarized the evidence for CAM interventions in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Methods: For this overview, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to October 2021. Systematic reviews (SRs) on the effectiveness and safety of CAM interventions for COVID-19 patients were located, and the MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) was used to evaluate the reporting quality of the included SRs. Keywords including COVID-19 and CAM interventions were used for locating SRs. For evidence mapping, we created a two-dimensional bubble plot that included the width and strength of the evidence for each CAM intervention and specific outcome. Results: In this overview, we identified 24 SRs (21 for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) medications, two for vitamin D and one for home-based activity). From the included SRs, TCM herbal medications were reported to show good results in decreasing the rate of disease progression (relative risk (RR) 0.30, 95% confidence intervals (CI) [0.20, 0.44]), time to the resolution of fever (standard mean difference (SMD) -0.98, 95% CI [-1.78, -0.17]) and rate of progression to severe COVID-19 cases (RR 0.34, 95% CI [0.18, 0.65]), but the evidence for other interventions did not show effectiveness with certainty. Gastric disturbance was a major adverse event of TCM medications. Conclusion: There is evidence that TCM medications are effective in the symptom management of COVID-19 patients. However, evidence for the effectiveness of most CAM interventions still needs evaluation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422022000117Complementary and alternative medicineCOVID-19Evidence mappingOverview of systematic reviewTraditional Chinese Medicine
spellingShingle Sae-Rom Jeon
Jung Won Kang
Lin Ang
Hye Won Lee
Myeong Soo Lee
Tae-Hun Kim
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews
Integrative Medicine Research
Complementary and alternative medicine
COVID-19
Evidence mapping
Overview of systematic review
Traditional Chinese Medicine
title Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews
title_full Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews
title_fullStr Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews
title_full_unstemmed Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews
title_short Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews
title_sort complementary and alternative medicine cam interventions for covid 19 an overview of systematic reviews
topic Complementary and alternative medicine
COVID-19
Evidence mapping
Overview of systematic review
Traditional Chinese Medicine
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422022000117
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