Objective To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Xiang Huo Spray（香藿喷雾剂） in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019（COVID-19） with syndrome of residual toxin during the convalescence period. Methods Totally 120 patients with COVID-19 of residual toxin syndrome in the convalescence period were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group with 60 cases in each group. Based on the basic rehabilitation therapy

patients in the treatment group received throat spray（Xiang Huo Spray）once in the morning

once at noon and again in the evening

with three presses each time; the dose can be increased to no more than 18 presses each day when the symptoms were obvious; patients in the control group were given oral acetylcysteine tablets

0.2 g each time

three times daily; the treatment course lasted for 7 days for both groups

which could be extended to no more than 14 days as appropriate if necessary. The improvement of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） symptoms（primary symptoms: cough

sticky sputum hard to expectorate

chest oppression; secondary symptoms: fatigue

insomnia

sweating

poor appetite

nausea and vomiting

diarrhea

stuffy nose

runny nose

sore throat）

re-positive rate of nucleic acid test result

and severe adverse events of the two groups were observed. Results Fifty-nine patients in each group were finally analyzed. In the treatment group

5 cases were cured; 36 cases were markedly effective; 17 cases were effective; and one case was ineffective; the cured and markedly effective rate and the total effective rate were 69.49% and 98.31%

respectively; the corresponding numbers and rates in the control group were successively 1

13

37

8

23.73% and 86.44%; the cured and markedly effective rate and the total effective rate in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group（P<0.01）. After treatment

the TCM symptoms scores the treatment group were significantly reduced than those before treatment（P<0.05 or P<0.01）; the symptoms scores except for nasal congestion and vomiting and nausea in the control group were significantly lower than those before treatment（P<0.05 or P<0.01）; more decreases were seen in the treatment group than in the control group regarding the scores of cough

chest oppression

fatigue

sweating

muscle soreness

stuffy nose and sore throat（P<0.05 or P<0.01）; the total score of TCM symptoms in both groups were lower than those before treatment（P<0.01）

and there was more decrease in the treatment group（P<0.01）. There was no re-positive case of nucleic acid test

as well as no serious adverse events in both groups. Conclusion Xiang Huo Spray combined with basic rehabilitation therapy has certain clinical effects in treating COVID-19 with residual toxin syndrome in the convalescence period by significantly improving the symptoms

and was safe.