AYUSH ministry to take preventive measures on coronavirus infection

Relevance: Mains: G.S paper II: Governance: health

Context:

• The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, is a new respiratory virus that has not been previously identified.
  • The Ministry of AYUSH issued an “Advisory for Corona virus”, “based on the Indian traditional medicine practices Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Unani”.

What is the advice on Ayurveda?

• The Ayurveda advice included drinking “Shadang Paniya (Musta, Parpat, Usheer, Chandan,Udeechya and Nagar) processed water (10 gm powder boiled in 1 litre water, until it reduces to half)”, and taking “Agastya Harityaki 5 gm, twice a day with warm water”, “Samshamani Vati 500 mg twice a day”, “Trikatu (Pippali, Marich & Shunthi) powder 5 gm and Tulasi 3-5 leaves (boiled in 1 litre water, until it reduces to ½ litre…)”, and “Pratimarsa Nasya: Instill two drops of Anu taila/Sesame oil in each nostril daily in the morning”.
  • The ministry cautioned that its “advocacy is for information only and shall be adopted in consultation with registered Ayurveda practitioners only”.

What does the Ministry say on Homoeopathy?

• The Ministry said that the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, after a meeting of its Scientific Advisory Board had recommended “that homoeopathy medicine Arsenicum album 30 could be taken as prophylactic medicine against Coronavirus infections… daily in empty stomach for three days”.

What about Unani?

• The Ministry listed several medicines, including “Sharbat Unnab 10-20 ml twice a day”, “Tiryaq Arba 3-5 g twice a day”, “Tiryaq Nazla 5 g twice a day”, and “Khamira Marwareed 3-5 g once a day”.
  • It also advised “massage on scalp and chest with Roghan Baboona/Roghan Mom/Kafoori Balm”, and to “apply Roghan Banafsha gently in the nostrils”, among other things.

Can these measures help?

• However, it is important to note the following about the mysterious and deadly coronavirus that has now infected 4,500 people and killed over 100, mainly in China, but elsewhere too.
  • The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, is a new respiratory virus that has not been previously identified.
  • Virologists and public health officials around the world are working to identify the source of the 2019-nCoV. The virus probably originally came from an animal source, but is now spreading from human to human.
  • Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause illness in humans, and and some others circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. SARS was caused by a coronavirus that came from bats through civet cats, and the MERS coronavirus came from camels.
  • Global health authorities have so far not identified any effective therapy against infection by the ‘Wuhan’ coronavirus.

Advisory released by the ministry:

• Maintaining personal hygiene.
  • Washing hands often and thoroughly.
  • Avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
  • Covering face while coughing or sneezing, and washing hands after coughing or sneezing.