Homeopathy as an Adjuvant to Standard Care in Moderate and Severe Cases of COVID-19: A Single-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate whether individualized homeopathic medicines have a greater adjunctive effect than adjunctive placebos in the treatment of moderate and severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods The study was a randomized, single-blind, prospective, placebo-controlled clinical trial set in the clinical context of standard care. Intervention Patients of either sex, admitted in a tertiary care hospital, suffering from moderate or severe COVID-19 and above 18 years of age were included. In total, 150 patients were recruited and then randomly divided into two groups to receive either individualized homeopathic medicines or placebos, in addition to the standard treatment of COVID-19. Outcome Measures The primary outcome was time taken to achieve RT-PCR-confirmed virus clearance for COVID-19. Secondary outcomes were changes in the Clinical Ordinal Outcomes Scale (COOS) of the World Health Organization, the patient-reported MYMOP2 scale, and several biochemical parameters. Parametric data were analyzed using unpaired t-test. Non-parametric data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Categorical data were analyzed using Chi-square test. Results In total, 72 participants of the add-on homeopathy (AoH) group showed conversion of RT-PCR status to negative, in an average time of 7.53 ± 4.76 days (mean ± SD), as compared with 11.65 ± 9.54 days in the add-on placebo (AoP) group (p = 0.001). The mean COOS score decreased from 4.26 ± 0.44 to 3.64 ± 1.50 and from 4.3 ± 0.46 to 4.07 ± 1.8 in the AoH and AoP groups respectively (p = 0.130). The mortality rate for the AoH group was 9.7% compared with 17.3% in the AoP group. The MYMOP2 scores between the two groups differed significantly (p = 0.001), in favor of AoH. Inter-group differences in the pre- and post- mean values of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total leukocyte count, platelet count and alkaline phosphatase were each found to be statistically significant (p <0.05), favoring AoH; six other biochemical parameters showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusion The study suggests homeopathy may be an effective adjunct to standard care for treating moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. More rigorous, including double-blinded, studies should be performed to confirm or refute these initial findings.

Facilitating Healing in Diabetic Foot Ulcers Using Homeopathy in a Multi-Disciplinary Integrative Approach: Two Evidence-Based Case Reports

“…[18][19][20] In multi-morbid conditions, lifestyle diseases, and a few surgical conditions, an integrative approach using homeopathy with standard care has shown some positive results, evident from a number of previously published research studies. [21][22][23] However, substantive evidence is still lacking. In the present two evidence-based case reports of DFUs treated with an integrative treatment approach of standard care and homeopathy, the healing arrived early and safely.…”

Prevalence of COVID-19 Complications during a Program of Homeopathic Camphora Officinalis Distribution to City Populations of Santa Catarina, Brazil: An Ecological Study

“…Several interpretations could be inferred: (1) Camphora 1M could be inappropriate as a genus epidemicus. Later RCT studies have shown positive results with individualized treatment, viral nosode 30cH, Bryonia 30cH, Arsenicum album 30cH and Natrum muriaticum 2LM only, [43][44][45][46] though observational studies have pointed to other findings. 47,48 (2) The use of homeopathic medicine in a single dose might not be the most appropriate posology.…”

“…54 For this reason, an individualized homeopathy approach a priori could be more appropriate than applying genus epidemicus. 44,46 In less urgent circumstances, conducting controlled clinical trials or long-term observational studies could provide more robust responses to determine clinical effectiveness or lack thereof. Clinical trials conducted later in India and Brazil showed the effectiveness of Bryonia 30cH, the isotherapeutic 30cH and Natrum muriaticum 2LM.…”

HRI London 2023: The Homeopathy Research Community Reunites after a 4-Year Hiatus, Sparking Fresh Collaborations between Researchers ‘Old and New’

“…The role of homeopathic preparations in preventing SARS-Cov-2 infection was described by Dr Rajesh Shah (India) and Dr Debadatta Nayak (India). Treatment of acute COVID-19 symptoms using individualised homeopathy was described by Dr Raj Manchanda (India) 12 and Dr Harleen Kaur (India), 13 while Dr Elizabeth Rice and Dr Eleni Krommidas (USA) described the outcome of a pilot study exploring the impact of individualised homeopathic treatment on 'long-COVID'.…”