An analysis of TCM disease syndromes of 36 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Kunming, China

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the distribution characteristics of syndrome of TCM of the patients with COVID-19 in Kunming, China. Methods: To classify and summarize the TCM syndrome types of COVID-19 patients via Cluster analysis combining with tongue image, chest CT and clinical expertise of 36 Covid-19 patients in Kunming. Results: In the 36 cases of Kunming region confirmed COVID-19 patients, 17 cases had fever (47.2%), 18 cases had cough (50%), 16 cases felt bitter taste in the mouth (44.4%), 18 cases felt dry throat (50.0%), 17 cases had poor appetite (47.2%), 15 cases had nausea (41.7%); 12 cases had diarrhea (33.3%), 15 cases had insomnia (41.7%); 12 cases had chest tightness (33.3%); 3 cases had dyspnea (8.3%); 6 cases had nasal congestion and running nose (16.7%); 15 cases had fatigue (41.7%); 6 cases had headache and body pain (16.7%); 5 cases had red tongue (13.9%); 18 cases had pale red tongue (50%); 8 cases had tongue with red edge and tip (22.2%); 3 cases had dark red tongue (8.3%); 2 cases had cyanosis (5.6%); 3 cases had swollen tongue (8.3%); 18 cases had dentate tongue (50%); 4 cases had yellow tongue coating (11.1%); 5 cases had yellow sticky tongue coating (13.9%); 12 cases had white sticky tongue coating (33.3%); 6 cases had thin white tongue coating (16.7%); 2 cases had no tongue coating (5.6%). The chest CT results showed that: There were five cases without lesions. The lesions were located in the upper lobe of one lung in 13 cases located in the lower lobe of one lung in seven cases, located in the upper middle lobe in three cases, located in the lower lobe in five cases, and in the upper middle and lower lobes of double lung in 13 cases. There were 14 cases of Shaoyang syndrome, 17 cases of wet Resistance Tir-juao Syndrome. According to the time of onset, the disease was followed by Shaoyang Syndrome (1 day), the Wet blocked tri-jiao Syndrome (3 days), epidemic poison retention lung syndrome and syndrome of flaring heat in qifen and yingfen (5 days), and dampness-toxicity lung-stagnation syndrome (6 days). Conclusion: The TCM syndromes of COVID-19 in Kunming are mainly the Wet Resistance Tri-Jiao Syndrome and Shaoyang syndrome, followed by dampness-toxicity lung-stagnation syndrome, epidemic poison retention lung and syndrome of flaring heat in qifen and yingfen.