Evaluation of the Clinical Effects of an Antiviral, Immunostimulant and Antioxidant Phytotherapy in Patients Suffering from COVID-19 Infection: An Observational Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: In the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread all over the world, affecting millions of people. The same infection can manifest in different clinical conditions, ranging from mild situations to severe patient impairment, up to their death. The COVID-19 infection can activate innate and adaptive immune systems and cause massive inflammatory responses that is important to treat as soon as possible. Methods: In the initial phase of the pandemic, a group of 240 unvaccinated subjects with COVID-19 disease was administered phytotherapy with immunostimulant and antioxidant property to evaluate the role of this phytotherapeutic preparation in counteracting the progression of the COVID-19 disease both in duration and complexity. Results: 161 patients were treated with phytotherapy alone and the prevailing symptoms in the acute phase were rhinitis, fever, cough, osteo-muscular pains; the other 79 patients were given a therapy with NSAIDs, symptomatic drugs, monoclonal antibodies, corticosteroids, antibiotics, and/or heparin. The coexistence of comorbidity (such as diabetes, hypertension, gastro-intestinal disease) was recorded in 74 out of 240 subjects, more frequently in the older subjects; there was no statistically significant correlation between the presence of comorbidity and the duration of disease. Hospitalization rate in this population was 1.6% and lethality rate was 0%. Conclusion: The use of phytotherapy can represent a valid weapon against COVID-19, since it showed no side effects and can also be used in association with other pharmacological therapies to reduce the massive inflammatory responses of this infection.