The methodological reporting quality in strictly randomized controlled trials for COVID-19 and precise reporting of Chinese herbal medicine formula intervention

The methodological reporting quality in strictly randomized RCTs on CHM formulas for COVID-19 is inadequate-the reporting of sample size calculation, allocation concealment, and blinding need to improve especially. The checklist of sub-questions based on CONSORT-CHM formulas 2017 can help report and assess CHM formula intervention more precisely. The methodological reporting quality of RCTs published in English and enrolled participants during the first wave of the pandemic is worse than the studies that recruited subjects after the first wave of the pandemic.