Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine prescriptions in 240 cases of COVID-19

Objective: To analyze Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) prescriptions in COVID-19 patients in Shanghai area Methods: Two hundred and forty patients were enrolled in the study, including 19 mild cases, 199 moderate cases, 16 severe case and 6 critical cases The COVID-19 formula in Shanghai area was extracted and input in TCM Inheritance platform Data association method such as software association rules,improved mutual information method,complex system entropy clustering,unsupervised entropy hierarchical clustering were used to analyze the frequency,herb flavor and meridian, combination rule and core combination of different types of Chinese herbs in the treatment of COVID-19 in Shanghai area Results: According to the frequency analysis of 240 prescriptions of Chinese medicine,194 herbs were found The COVID-19 formula herbs were all cold, the frequency of use in mild, moderate, severe and critical cases was [46 02%(104/226), 46 31%(1 230/2 656), 37 06%(146/394), 39 24%(31/79)] The flavor was mainly and the frequency of use in 4 types of disease were [36 53%(122/332), 37 33%(1 445/3 857), 35 96%(205/564), 33 62%(39/113)] Scutellaria was the most frequently used TCM of bitter and cold The drugs used were mainly lung,stomach and spleen meridians By comparing the formulas between mild and moderate cases,herb combinations with the highest frequency were all scutellaria glycyrrhiza and tangerine glycyrrhiza The formulas for 19 mild cases were collected,and 197 drug combinations were counted, and 125 Chinese medicine association rules,including 13 Chinese herbs The formulas were extracted in 199 moderate cases of COVID-19, a total of 92 drug combinations and 38 Chinese medicine association rules were collected,including 19 Chinese herbs In 16 severe cases, a total of 62 drug combination models and 46 Chinese medicine association rules were collected,including 17 Chinese herbs For the 6 critical cases,80 Chinese medicine prescriptions were combined,and 10 Chinese medicine association rules, including 12 Chinese herbs Conclusions: The herbal prescriptions of COVID-19 in Shanghai are characterized by clearing away heat and resolving dampness By analyzing prescription rules with complex system entropy clustering, association compatibility ideas of different types of traditional Chinese medicine are found to be different among four types of COVID-19 cases Analyzing the connection rules in formulas, by using the theory of TCM and pharmacology of traditional Chinese medical formula in different COVID-19 patients may be helpful for general practitioners © 2021 Chinese Medical Association