Impact of Different Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitutions on the Clinical Outcomes of COVID-19 Patients Infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Purpose

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitution and disease occurrence, development, and prognosis are interrelated. This study aimed to investigate the association between TCM constitution and the time to negative nucleic acid test results in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.

Patients and Methods

We identified COVID-19 patients (≥18 years) infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and collected clinical data, including clinical symptoms, time to negative nucleic acid test results, and TCM constitution. Linear and logistic regression analyses explored the relationship between TCM constitution and the time to negative nucleic acid test results in patients with the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

Results

We included 486 patients with COVID-19, with a mean age of 40.2 years; 321 (66.0%) men and 165 (34.0%) women. Balanced constitution accounted for 43.8%, and unbalanced constitution accounted for 56.2%. Chi-square test showed that different TCM constitutions had significant differences in the influence of clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients (P < 0.01). After controlling for various factors, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that an unbalanced constitution was significantly positively correlated with time to negative nucleic acid test results (P < 0.05). After controlling for various factors, logistic regression analysis revealed that an unbalanced constitution was closely related to the 7-day nucleic acid test conversion rate (odds ratio (OR): 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.36–0.80, P < 0.05). After dividing the unbalanced constitution into deficiency constitution and non-deficiency constitution, the non-deficiency constitution was closely associated with the 7-day nucleic acid test conversion rate (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.28–0.74, P < 0.05). Further analysis revealed that damp-heat constitution in the non-deficiency constitution was associated with the 7-day nucleic acid test conversion rate (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.18–0.60, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In patients with COVID-19, an unbalanced constitution is associated with a longer time to negative nucleic acid test results and lower 7-day nucleic acid test conversion rates.

Keywords:

• traditional Chinese medicine constitution
• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant
• time to negative nucleic acid test
• seven-day conversion rate to negative

Data Sharing Statement

The data supporting this study’s findings are available on request from the corresponding author.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate

This study was authorized by the Ethics Commission for Clinical Research of Zhongda Hospital, affiliated with Southeast University. Informed consent was waived due to the nature of the study as a retrospective study. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles described in the Declaration of Helsinki, and the confidentiality of patients was guaranteed.

Consent for Publication

All authors of this article have seen all the content of this article and have agreed to publish it.

Acknowledgments

We thank all participants for their cooperation in this study. Additionally, we want to express our gratitude to the heads of Lingang shelter hospital for their support.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the National Major Epidemic Treatment Base Construction Project (2019-320831-84-02-524538) and the Chinese and Western Medicine Collaborative Medical Research Project, Zhongda Hospital affiliated to Southeast University (2023zxyxt16).