A non-randomised, controlled trial showed that 20 adult patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 treated by HSBD (137 g twice daily, orally) with other traditional Chinese medicine injections (arm 3) had a shorter clinical remission time and significantly lowered levels of lymphocyte count and IL-6 compared to the group treated by Lopinavir-Ritonavir alone (arm 1, n = 20, 500 mg twice daily, orally) or Lopinavir-Ritonavir combined with the HSBD (arm 2, n = 20). Here, IL6 is linked to COVID-19.