Reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection risk is associated with the use of Seven-Flavor Herb Tea:A multi-center observational study in Shanghai,China

Objective:Omicron,a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)variant,is responsible for numerous infections in China.This study investigates the association between the use of Seven-Flavor Herb Tea(SFHT)and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection to develop precise and differentiated strategies for control of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods:This case-control study was conducted at shelter hospitals and quarantine hotels in China.A total of 5348 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled between April 1 and May 31,2022,while 2190 uninfected individuals served as healthy controls.Structured questionnaires were used to collect data on demographics,underlying diseases,vaccination status,and use of SFHT.Patients were propensity-score-matched using 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching of the logit of the propensity score.Subsequently,a conditional logistic regression model was used for data analysis.Results:Overall,7538 eligible subjects were recruited,with an average age of[45.54±16.94]years.The age of COVID-19 patients was significantly higher than that of uninfected individuals([48.25±17.48]years vs[38.92±13.41]years;t=22.437,P<0.001).A total of 2190 COVID-19 cases were matched with uninfected individuals at a 1:1 ratio.The use of SFHT(odds ratio=0.753,95%confidence interval:0.692,0.820)was associated with a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to untreated individuals.Conclusion:Our findings suggest that taking SFHT reduces the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.This is a useful study in the larger picture of COVID-19 management,but data from large-sample multi-center,randomized clinical trial are warranted to confirm the finding.