Effects and Mechanisms of Acupuncture and Moxibustion on COVID-19: a Scope Review

By the end of 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide had surpassed 200 million. This global pandemic, which started in December 2019, has resulted in trillions of dollars in economic losses. Studies indicate that COVID-19 can harm the lungs and other organs in acute phase, and resulting in symptoms that may persist for six months or even longer than a year. This type of damage is referred to as long COVID (LC)，post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection and post-COVID syndrome。In response to this, the WHO had defined “condition that occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS CoV-2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset of COVID-19 with symptoms that last for at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction but also others and generally have an impact on everyday functioning. Symptoms may be new onset following initial recovery from an acute COVID-19 episode or persist from the initial illness. Symptoms may also fluctuate or relapse over time.” COVID-19 is an acute infectious condition primarily characterized by an inflammatory storm within the body. Research indicates that acupuncture can produce neuroimmune effects by activating the vago-adrenal axis and reducing inflammation. At the onset of the pandemic, the China Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society released the "Guiding Opinions on Acupuncture Intervention for COVID-19 (Second Edition)," recommending acupuncture's comprehensive involvement during the medical observation, clinical treatment, and recovery stages to maximize its benefits. Scholars have proposed various hypotheses regarding acupuncture point selection, mechanisms, and treatment strategies COVID-19 is an acute infectious condition primarily characterized by an inflammatory storm within the body. Research indicates that acupuncture can produce neuroimmune effects by activating the vago-adrenal axis and reducing inflammation. At the onset of the pandemic, the China Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society released the "Guiding Opinions on Acupuncture Intervention for COVID-19 (Second Edition)", recommending acupuncture's comprehensive involvement during the medical observation, clinical treatment, and recovery stages to maximize its benefits. Scholars have proposed various hypotheses regarding acupuncture point selection，mechanisms，and treatment strategies. Although there was an earlier review study on the use of acupuncture in the treatment of COVID-19，however, this article placed more emphasis on bibliometric analysis, and included many protocol and review articles. Moreover, many of the articles have no direct connection with COVID-19. Therefore, this study focuses on exploring the effect of acupuncture on reports of those with a history of COVID-19, comprehensively collecting and analyzing the reports of acupuncture treatment for COVID-19 and LC over the past five years, and conducting a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of the efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture.