COVID-19: Karnataka doctor pushes 'traditional cure', gets backing of ICMR

Amid the worldwide outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, Ayurveda experts have stressed that medicinal herbs are helpful in strengthening the immune system which is key to fighting the deadly virus. A doctor from Karnataka has also pushed for the traditional cure and appealed to the ICMR for a clinical trial of his drug which has already completed two stages of the investigation.

Bengaluru (Karnataka): Amid all the gloom spread across the world due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has engulfed the whole world killing more than one lakh individuals around the world, everyone is focusing on preventive measures, at least until an effective cure is found.

As people rush to keep themselves protected, Ayurveda experts have stressed that medicinal herbs are helpful in strengthening the immune system which is key to fighting the deadly virus.

The entire world is now busy working on a vaccine for the COVID 19. Amid all this, several Ayurveda and homoeopathy doctors from the country appealed the central government seeking permission for clinical trials of their medicines and also knocked the doors of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

An Ayurvedic doctor from the state, Dr Hrishikesh Damle, also pushed for the traditional cure and appealed to the ICMR for a clinical trial of his drug which has already completed two stages of the investigation.

According to Damle, there are over 3 lakh medicinal herbs and he has shortlisted 25 medicinal plants which have the characteristic to fight against the coronavirus.

Damle carried out research on the coronavirus and he is targeting the three proteins of the coronavirus which has the ability to stop the multiplication of the Sars-CoV-2.

"Through my research, I traced spike protein, membrane protein and esterase protein in the coronavirus and shortlisted 25 medicinal plants which can stop the spread of these proteins in the human body. I also alerted the ICMR in this regard and ICMR assured support to continue the research," Damle told ETV Bharat.

He further said that he is waiting for the government's green signal and once permission is accorded he is ready to test the chemical of these 25 medicinal plants.

It is to be noted that while Ayurveda has worked towards enhancing the immunity against a host of infections, Homoeopathy has been reportedly used for prevention during the epidemics of cholera, Spanish Influenza, yellow fever, typhoid.