Prevention and Recovery of COVID-19 Patients With Kampo Medicine: Review of Case Reports and Ongoing Clinical Trials

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread to Japan in 2020, where the number of infected patients exceeded 250,000 and COVID-related deaths exceeded 3,500 in one year. Basic guidelines for infection control were implemented in Japan, and research and development of effective drugs and vaccines were promoted. This included considering Kampo medicine, which has a long history of treating recurring emerging viral infections. Considering the characteristics of the disease (inflammation of the upper and lower respiratory tract as well as potential neural damage and vasculitis), Kampo medicine could be considered as a treatment strategy due to its antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects induced by multiple active substances that could aid in disease prevention and recovery. In this study, case reports on the management of COVID-19 with Kampo medicine, which were published until March 31, 2021, were reviewed. The search strategy involved the use of Medline and hand-searching. Twenty two patients were treated using Kampo medicines with or without Western medicine, based on individual conditions. On the other hand, the effects of Kampo medicines as a potential preventive treatment (pre-infection), active treatment (especially in the acute and subacute stage), or treatment of sequelae to aid recovery (after infection) in the different stages of COVID-19 are being studied as research projects in the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine (JSOM). JSOM has also organized a pioneering project of clinical trials for COVID-19, some of which are now in progress.

In vitro Suppression of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Existing Kampo Formulas and Crude Constituent Drugs Used for Treatment of Common Cold Respiratory Symptoms

“…The extensive experience of using Kampo formulas in Japan has led to their safe and easy use in medical practice. In recent years, scientific analysis of the effects of Kampo formulas has provided evidence of their clinical benefits, and their clinical usefulness for the treatment of COVID-19 has also been suggested ( Motoo et al, 2014 ; Takayama et al, 2021 ).…”

Kampo Medicine Promotes Early Recovery From Coronavirus Disease 2019-Related Olfactory Dysfunction: A Retrospective Observational Study

“…The treatment of COVID-19-related OD is not yet established; therefore, preventing the prolongation of symptoms may be significant. A prospective comparative study is needed to clarify the effect of Kampo treatment, with a detailed investigation of the changes in symptoms and a long-term observation period ( Takayama et al, 2021c ).…”

Application of Kampo Medicines for Treatment of General Fatigue Due to Long COVID

“…In addition, blockage or deficiency of the body's vital energy (known as qi) may result in the occurrence of "illness" [26]. Post-infectious fatigue status has frequently been revealed to be the status of "qi deficiency" [21,22] and hochuekkito is one of the representative "qi-tonifying formulas" among Kampo medicines.…”

“…Given the limited treatment options offered by conventional Western medicine, there have been reports on the use of complementary and alternative medicines for ME/CFS [16,20] as well as Kampo medicine (Japanese traditional medicine), which originated in China and was developed in Japan. Despite the potential use of Kampo medicine for acute and chronic phases of COVID-19 [21,22], there has been little research focusing on Kampo medicine. Kampo medicine can provide new perspectives on treatment for post-infectious fatigue and for general fatigue in patients with long COVID.…”