Inside a ward specialised in receiving any person who may have been infected with coronavirus, at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai. (Reuters) Inside a ward specialised in receiving any person who may have been infected with coronavirus, at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai. (Reuters)

As medical researchers the world over race in the quest for a vaccine for novel coronavirus (nCoV), the AYUSH ministry on Wednesday issued a statement and recommended that homeopathic medicine Arsenicum album 30 could be taken as a “prophylactic [preventive] medicine against possible coronavirus infections”.

The ministry has also issued a list of Ayurvedic concoctions for prevention of the virus.

The ministry stated: “Recently, the outbreak of coronavirus has been noticed, which mainly involve respiratory system. The Ministry of AYUSH is issuing the advisory as preventive measure and not claiming to be a treatment advice for the coronavirus infection”. Follow Coronavirus outbreak LIVE Updates

The prescription for Ayurvedic concoction states: “Drink Shadang Paniya (Musta, Parpat, Usheer, Chandan, Udeechya and Nagar) processed water (10 gm powder boiled in 1-litre water, until it reduces to half). Store it in a bottle and drink it when thirsty. Agastya Harityaki 5 gm, twice a day with warm water, Samshamani Vati 500 mg twice a day, Trikatu (Pippali, Marich and Shunthi) powder 5 gm and Tulasi 3-5 leaves (boiled in 1-litre water, until it reduces to ½ liter and keep it in a bottle) keep taking it in sips as and when required. Pratimarsa Nasya: Instill two drops of Anu taila/Sesame oil in each nostril daily in the morning.”

Globally, the quest for a coronavirus vaccine is on, and preventive measures beyond personal hygiene are not known.

Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, the Swiss pharma giant, told CNBC recently that developing a vaccine could take up to a year.

In an article in medical journal The Lancet on January 24, Chinese researchers wrote: “Beyond supportive care, no specific coronavirus antivirals or vaccines of proven efficacy in humans exist, although clinical trials of both are ongoing for MERS-CoV and one controlled trial of ritonavir-boosted lopinavir monotherapy has been launched for 2019-nCoV (ChiCTR2000029308)…”

Read | Coronavirus outbreak: Hong Kong scientist who isolated SARS in 2003 says Wuhan milder

Health experts here declined to comment on the advisory on the ground that their information on Ayurveda, homeopathy and Unani is limited. One top public health expert, on being sent the advisory, responded with a Hindi word which means shock.

According to the AYUSH Ministry’s statement, “The Group of Experts inter-alia has recommended that homoeopathy medicine Arsenicum album 30 could be taken as prophylactic medicine against possible Corona virus infections… It has recommended one doze daily in empty stomach for three days. The dose should be repeated after one month by following the same schedule in case coronavirus infections prevail in the community.”

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