Study on the Effect of an Echinacea Formulation on the Clinical Manifestations and Evolution of Covid-19
The main objectives of ECCO-2 are: 1) Efficacy: to study whether EQUINACEA ARKOPHARMA, hard caplets containing cryogenized root of the plant Echinacea purpurea, show an improvement of the clinical manifestations and disease course in ambulatory patients with covid-19 with a respiratory presentation and not requiring hospitalization (i.e., mild covid-19). The drug being evaluated will be added as a supplement of the standard treatment, with its current recommended dose for treatment of the common cold. 2) Safety: to determine that the incidence of adverse events is not higher than that seen with the standard treatment applied in each case.
• Age 18 to 99 años, with capacity to provide informed consent.
• Covid-19 diagnose, confirmed by PCR or antigen test
• Predominantly respiratory presentation. Additional minor digestive or/and neurological clinical manifestations will not lead to exclusion.
• Axillary temperature equal to or higher than 37ºC, at some point during the evolution of clinical signs prior to recruitment, or at the moment of recruitment.
• Being between days 1 and 9 of evolution of the disease, counting from the inception of symptoms.
• Not having received any Covid-19 vaccine.
• Capacity to complete the treatment, i.e., not having any swallowing difficulties, or any physical or psychiatric condition that would prevent the patient from taking caplets.
• Patients that after being evaluated at the emergency room are deemed to be in a condition to follow treatment at home, with follow up by their family doctor, i.e., that will not be hospitalized.