Baidu Jieduan Granule in the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19): Study Protocol for an Open-Label Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract Background: Currently, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is continuously and rapidly circulating, resulting in serious and extensive impact on human health. Due to the absence of antiviral medicine for COVID-19 thus far, it is desperately need to develop the effective medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely applied in the treatment of epidemic diseases in China, hoping to produce clinical efficacy and decrease the use of antibiotics and glucocorticoid. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Baidu Jieduan Granule in curing COVID-19. Methods/design: This multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial is conducted 300 cases with COVID-19. The patients will be randomly (1:1) divided into treatment group or control group. All cases will receive standard therapy at the same time. The experiment group will receive Baidu Jieduan Granule treatment twice a day for 14 days. The outcomes are assessed at baseline and at 3, 5, 7, 14 days after treatment initiation. The primary outcome is the rate of symptom (fever, fatigue, and coughing) recovery. Adverse events will be monitored throughout the trial.Discussion: The study will provide a high-quality clinical evidence to support the efficacy and safety of Baidu Jieduan Granule in treatment of severe COVID-19, and also enrich the theory and practice of TCM in treating COVID-19. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000029869. Registered on 15 February 2020