Abstract:Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effects of Wenshen Yunpi Fuyang method on "Long COVID" -related chronic cough and its relationship with infrared thermal imaging patterns. Methods: A total of 120 cases of patients with "Long COVID"-related chronic cough who were treated at Lishui Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2022 to January 2024 were selected and divided into three groups according to the random number table method:the routine treatment group,the Chinese medicine group,and the integrated Chinese and western medicine group, with 40 cases in each group. The routine treatment group received western medicine; the Chinese medicine group received Wenshen Yunpi Fuyang herbal treatment, and the integrated Chinese and western medicine group received a combination of western medicine and Chinese herbal treatment. Before and after treatment,non-refrigerated vanadium oxide focal plane array infrared thermal imaging technology was used to scan the spleen-stomach area and kidney area;the probe temperature and average temperature were recorded;the scores of cough symptoms,Coughspecific Quality of Life Questionnaire (CQLQ) were assessed. Results: After treatment, the cure rate and total effective rate in the integrated Chinese and western medicine group were 40.00% (16/40) and 90.00% (36/40), respectively,which were higher than those in the Chinese medicine group 20.00% (8/40),80.00% (32/40) and the routine treatment group 5.00% (2/40),60.00% (24/40),with significant differences between groups (P<0.05);the cure rate and total effective rate in the Chinese medicine group were also higher than those in the routine treatment group (P<0.05). After treatment,daily cough frequency and cough intensity scores in the three groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05);the integrated Chinese and western medicine group had lower daily cough frequency and cough intensity score than the Chinese medicine group and the routine treatment group (P< 0.05), and the Chinese medicine group had lower daily cough frequency and cough intensity score than the routine treatment group (P<0.05). After treatment, CQLQ scores in the three groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05);the integrated Chinese and western medicine group had lower CQLQ score than the Chinese medicine group and the routine treatment group (P<0.05),and the Chinese medicine group had lower score than the routine treatment group (P<0.05). After treatment,probe temperature and average temperature in the spleenstomach area and kidney area in the three groups were increased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05); the integrated Chinese and western medicine group had higher probe temperature and average temperature in both areas than the Chinese medicine group and the routine treatment group (P<0.05), and the Chinese medicine group had higher probe temperature and average temperature than the routine treatment group (P<0.05). During the treatment period, there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions among the groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: The Wenshen Yunpi Fuyang method can effectively improve clinical symptoms and quality of life in patients with "Long COVID"-related chronic cough,increase the temperature of the spleen-stomach and kidney areas, and regulate the patient's constitution. Its mechanism of action can be related to changes in infrared thermal imaging patterns in spleen-stomach region and kidney region.