Chansu improves the respiratory function of severe COVID-19 patients

Targeted therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 virus caused COVID-19 are in urgent need. Chansu has been reported to have broad-spectrum antiviral effects and widely used in Southeast Asian countries. This study aims to assess the efficacy of Chansu injection in treating patients with severe COVID-19. A randomized preliminary clinical trial was conducted and eligible patients were allocated to receive general treatment plus Chansu injection or only general treatment as control for 7 days. The primary outcomes of the oxygenation index PaO2/FiO2 and ROX, secondary outcomes of white blood cell count, respiratory support step-down time (RSST), safety indicators, etc were monitored. After 7 days of treatment, the oxygenation index was improved in 95.2% patients in the treatment group compared with 68.4% in the control group. The PaO2/FiO2 and ROX indices in the treatment group (mean, 226.27±67.35 and 14.01±3.99 respectively) were significantly higher than the control group (mean, 143.23±51.29 and 9.64±5.54 respectively). The RSST was 1 day shorter in the treatment group. Multivariate regression analysis suggested that Chansu injection contributed the most to the outcome of PaO2/FiO2. No obvious adverse effects were observed. The preliminary data showed that Chansu injection had apparent efficacy in improving the respiratory function of patients with severe COVID-19.