Medicament Testing in the Diagnosis of Long COVID Syndrome

Abstract

Long COVID syndrome resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection has a prevalence of 10%-35% in the population. Numerous studies of the disease are currently being conducted concerning the manifestations of long COVID syndrome; however, there are no data on the use of electroacupuncture diagnosis (EAV) and medicament testing (MT) in assessing this condition. The purpose of the study was to study the possibilities of diagnosing EAV to determine changes in the electrodermal activity of acupuncture points of the meridian test system - EAV in patients with long COVID syndrome, as well as to identify drugs that can influence the altered electrodermal impedance at these acupuncture points based on the results of MT. At present, the physiological basis of this phenomenon is still unknown. This blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial included 89 patients (aged from 16 to 50) with long COVID syndrome, who were examined with EAV based on measuring the electrodermal impedance of acupuncture points (APs), followed by testing the RNA polymerase nosode, ribavirin, and dexamethasone at those acupuncture points where a decrease in electrodermal activity was recorded. A reduction of electrodermal activity was observed in APs of various meridians of Voll diagnosis, with this phenomenon being more pronounced in the Nervous Degeneration and Circulation (Voll). The use of RNA polymerase nosode, ribavirin (tablets), and dexamethasone (pills) in the process of MT with positive reaction to testing drugs in specified APs with decreased levels of electrodermal activity in some patients has led to the normalization of indexes of electrodermal impedance in the studied APs. The results of the research suggested the feasibility of using EAV diagnostics to identify the APs of meridians with a decreased level of electrodermal activity, followed by MT using an RNA polymerase nosode, ribavirin, and dexamethasone as drugs, that contribute to the restoration of electrodermal impedance at the APs of the identified meridians in some patients with long COVID syndrome. Further clinical and instrumental studies are needed to evaluate the clinical application of medication testing in assessing long COVID syndrome further.