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Background and purpose. COVID-19 is a novel viral disease causing worldwide pandemia. The aim of this study was to describe the effect of adjunctive individualized homeopathic treatment delivered to hospitalized patients with confirmed symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patient presentation Thirteen patients with COVID-19 were admitted. Mean age was 73.4 ± 15.0 (SD) years. Twelve (92.3%) were speedily discharged without relevant sequelae after 14.4 ± 8.9 days. A single patient admitted in an advanced stage of septic disease died in hospital. A time-dependent improvement of relevant clinical symptoms was observed in the 12 surviving patients. Six (46.2%) were critically ill and treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Mean stay at the ICU of the 5 surviving patients was 18.8 ± 6.8 days. In six patients (46.2%) gastrointestinal disorders accompanied COVID-19. Conclusion The observations suggest that adjunctive homeopathic treatment may be helpful to treat patients with confirmed COVID-19 even in high – risk patients especially since there is no conventional treatment of COVID-19 available at present.

(1) Background: Classical (=individualized) homeopathic therapy is based on the individual and not on the indication. (2) Methods: The prerequisite for conducting methodologically high-quality studies on indvidualized homeopathy is that the principles of homeopathy are considered, since the selection of the simile (the individually appropriate homeopathic medicinal product) is decisive for the effectiveness of the homeopathic treatment, because only an application lege artis can be effective for the respective patient. Apart from this, criteria for evidence-based medicine must be considered for design, conduction, documentation, and rating of studies in homeopathy. (3) Results: When criteria for evidence-based medicine for design, conduction, documentation, and rating of studies in homeopathy are considered, effects on all quality levels according to Cochrane criteria are recognizable, especially for individualized homeopathy, even in the methodologically high-quality studies. (4) Conclusions: Based on the following three facts, the discussion of the evidence in human and veterinary homeopathy lays the foundations for a comprehensive presentation of the evidence on homeopathy: (a) homeopathic medicinal products without indication are 100% identical with regard to production, quality, safety, and principles of application, regardless of whether they are used in animals or humans; (b) if the simile principle (Similia similibus curentur, or ‘Let like be cured by like’) is adhered to that classical (=individualized) homeopathic therapy is based on the individual and not on the indication; and (c) if the proof of effectiveness of individualized homeopathy in one or more indications is available, the logical consequence seems to be that it can be concluded that it is effective in other indications. In view of One Health and of the demands of the European Green Deal (Farm2Fork Strategy) and the EU Organic Regulation 2018/848, the application of homeopathy in the sense of integrative veterinary medicine and the integration of complementary medicine including homeopathy at universities seems a necessary consequence and requirement in the interests of the patient, which is already expressed in the American consensus guidelines for an integrative veterinary medicine curriculum and is legally anchored in Switzerland by the Medical Professions Act for university teaching and research.

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Background Clinical observational studies are an important methodological approach in human and veterinary research, examining and describing treatment experience with good external validity. There are currently few observational studies in the field of homeopathic veterinary medicine. Aim The aim of the study was to develop recommendations for designing, conducting and reporting observational studies in homeopathic veterinary medicine. Materials and Methods A literature review was performed using various search strategies for identifying guidelines and checklist tools relevant for observational studies, veterinary research and homeopathy. Useful guidelines were selected. Prior recommendations for designing and conducting observational studies in human homeopathic medicine were supplemented with recommendations for homeopathic veterinary medicine that were evaluated by an expert panel. Results The veterinary extension of the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology – Veterinary (STROBE-Vet) statement was identified as a useful tool to improve the reporting quality of observational studies, and it has been supplemented here with additional recommendations that are applicable to homeopathy. STROBE-Vet is complemented in the literature by several reports, checklists and guidelines on veterinary medicine in general, such as the Checklist for One Health Epidemiological Reporting of Evidence (COHERE) and the Animal Health Surveillance Reporting Guidelines (AHSURED). Identified items that related to laboratory animal research were excluded as non-relevant to our study. Conclusion Clinical observational studies are an important methodological approach, having currently unrealized potential in the field of homeopathic veterinary medicine. With relatively minor adjustments, the practical guidelines and checklists available to researchers in designing, conducting and reporting observational studies in human homeopathic medicine have been adapted for homeopathic veterinary medicine, for which high quality can be assured by implementing recommendations such as those in STROBE-Vet. With the emergence of the One Health concept, the COHERE checklist can be viewed with growing significance.