Efficacy and Safety of High-dose Vitamin C Combined With Chinese Medicine Against Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19)

In December 2019, coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) was detected in many cases in Wuhan, China. With the rapid spread of the coronavirus, cases of COVID-19 were also reported in other cities of China and other countries. COVID-19 can cause amplification of the pulmonary inflammatory responses, including the production of a large amount of free radicals and the release of inflammatory factors, in a short time after infection, leading to lung tissue damage and dysfunction, even resulting in life-threatening respiratory distress syndrome and respiratory failure. At present, there are no effective drugs targeting COVID-19. Previous studies have shown that Buzhong Yiqi Decoction has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-allergy effects. High-dose vitamin C also has anti-oxidative and anti-toxin effects, possibly exhibiting good effects in the treatment of viral infection and critical respiratory diseases. The study objectives include (1) investigate whether Buzhong Yiqi Decoction can improve the clinical symptoms of patients with mild and severe COVID-19 and accelerate recovery and to further investigate the clinical efficacy of high-dose vitamin C combined with traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of mild and severe COVID-19; (2) to assess the safety of high-dose vitamin C combined with Chinese medicine in the treatment of mild and severe COVID-19.