Table 1

Study schedule

	Study period
Time points	Screening period	Treatment phase
Time points	Baseline	1st day	5th day	10th day
Enrolment
General condition	√
Clinical symptoms	√
Medical history	√
Fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria	√
Sign informed consent	√
Assessment
Primary outcome
Saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO₂)	√	√	√	√
Respiratory rate (RR)	√	√	√	√
Secondary outcomes
The TCM syndrome score	√			√
Infection-related index	√			√
Ventilator-related indicators	√			√
Blood gas analysis-related indicators	√			√
Record of adverse events		√	√	√
Compliance evaluation				√
Safety assessment				√

TCM, traditional Chinese medicine.