|
 
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| EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 3
| Issue : 1 | Page : 1-3 |
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Ayurveda: The promising shelter for the mankind in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic
Tanuja Manoj Nesari
Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, India
| Date of Submission | 15-May-2020 |
| Date of Acceptance | 29-May-2020 |
| Date of Web Publication | 14-Jul-2020 |
Correspondence Address:
Prof. Tanuja Manoj Nesari
All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | 3 |
DOI: 10.4103/JACR.JACR_18_20
How to cite this article:
Nesari TM. Ayurveda: The promising shelter for the mankind in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. J Ayurveda Case Rep 2020;3:1-3 |
How to cite this URL:
Nesari TM. Ayurveda: The promising shelter for the mankind in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. J Ayurveda Case Rep [serial online] 2020 [cited 2023 May 30];3:1-3. Available from: http://www.ayucare.org/text.asp?2020/3/1/1/289372 |
[TAG:2]Introduction[/TAG:2]
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), illness caused by a novel coronavirus was first identified amid an outbreak of respiratory illness cases in Wuhan City, China.[1] The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it as global pandemic, which is defining the global health crisis of our time and occurs to be the greatest challenge we have faced since the second World War. The disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or speaks.[2] More than 216 countries have been affected with 7805148 confirmed cases and 431192 confirmed deaths.[3] The situation is much more than a health crisis with a potential to create devastating situations at social, economic, and political levels. Scientists all over the world are attempting to develop the effective management to address this infection. Till date, no effective management to address this pandemic has been identified. Collecting data and comparing outcomes are being recommended globally.[4] Attempts are also being made to integrate the traditional interventions along with the standard treatment protocols of COVID-19.[5]
[TAG:2]Coronavirus Disease and Ayurveda[/TAG:2]
The COVID pathology is novel and can be understood in at least four classical Ayurveda concepts.
- Considering the fever as a symptom due to the invasion of an invisible virus; this can be compared with the concept of Bhutabhishanga jwara one among the Agantuja jwara (~fevers due to exogenous factors) as explained by Acharya Charaka.[6]
- Compromised immunity (~Ojo ksina) leading to Pranavaha sroto dusti (~pulmonary pathology) is another domain.
- The descriptions of Sansargaja or Aupasrgika and Sankraamaka rogas is the third domain. Transmission modes of such diseases including physical contacts has been well explained.[7],[8] Skin to skin contact, air pollution by exhaled air, sharing food with infected person, wearing and sharing of infected clothing, bedding etc. are enlisted under such physical contacts.
- The fourth domain is behavioral code of conduct (~Achara rasayana) and life style guidelines explained through daily and seasonal regimen in the classical texts. Religiously adhering to such codes of conduct will help in maintaining health in a positive way. One such behavioral code that advised is to sneeze, laugh or yawn with covering the face.[9] Classics also issue specific guidelines to abandon the infected places, performance of holy rituals like Havana (~herbal fumigation), chanting of Mantras (~hymns) and strict observance of good behavior and moral conduct in preventing the spread of disease.[10] These codes have an influential role in prevention of current pandemic and are on a level with the advisories of healthcare authorities that focused on hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and isolation etc. Further, experiments have demonstrated that herbal fumigation reduces number of bacteria suggesting that, the traditional Ayurvedic fumigation with natural plant products is effective in reducing air-borne bacteria and in disinfecting inanimate surfaces.[11],[12]
The purpose of behavioral code of conduct is to avoid all types of contamination, clean and disinfect the environment, streamline the disturbed life style, and attain mental peace. Such activities are believed to have significant role in preventing the spread of communicable diseases.[13],[14]
In other words, it can be inferred that,
- The code of conduct helps in preventing the entry of virus into the body,
- Drugs addressing the Bhutabhishanga jwara possibly help in preventing the replication of the virus in the body,
- Drugs addressing compromised immunity will protect organ damage (through their immune modulating effects).
Advocacies from healthcare authorities have accepted and emphasized these principles in preventing infection. Thus, besides following such advisories of healthcare authorities; concepts of Vishama jwara, Ojo ksina, Sansargaja rogas are to be considered during the management of COVID-19 infection.
The World Health Organization also advocates to keep a healthy lifestyle at home. Maintain a healthy diet, sleep, stay active, and make social contact with loved ones through the phone or internet. This infers that CURE of CORONA is in SELFCARE.
[TAG:2]Role of Ayush Systems in Addressing Covid-19-Related Challenges[/TAG:2]
Till date, there are no specific vaccines or medicines for COVID-19. Treatments are under investigation, and they will be tested through clinical trials. The best ways of preventing infection are breaking the chain, enhancing an individual's body immunity, identifying the infection early and timely medical care. The Ministry of AYUSH is committed to help the nation with the large resources of time-tested traditional knowledge practiced in this continent for the benefit of mankind. The Ministry has already published a series of measures to improve individual's natural defense system (immunity) in addition to the personal hygiene and social distancing measures that can be useful in prophylactic management, restoration of health, and also as an add-on supportive management of COVID-19 infection.[15],[16],[17] An Interdisciplinary AYUSH Research and Development Task Force has been constituted by the Ministry of AYUSH for initiating, coordinating and monitoring R & D activities in AYUSH sector.[16] Clinical studies as a joint initiative of Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science and Technology have been launched on Ayurveda interventions as prophylaxis and as an add-on to standard care to COVID-19.[18] The Ministry of AYUSH has also launched Ayush Sanjivani mobile application for understanding the measures adopted by public for enhancing immunity and keeping themselves healthy in the difficult COVID-19 situation.[19]
[TAG:2]All Idnia Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) Initiatives[/TAG:2]
All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) is taking lead in such initiatives. It has organized an international webinar to generate awareness and to understand international scenario of COVID and government policies existing in various countries. As a prophylactic measure, decoction made-up of various herbs is being dispensed in its hospital and to its employees as well. Sensing the non-availability of standard guidelines for the management, under the guidance of Ministry of AYUSH and National consultation. AIIA has prepared Guidelines for Registered Ayurveda Practitioners in the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic that formed firm foundation for the use of registered professionals. These guidelines considered quarantine, infected, comorbid individuals besides providing measures for restorative healthcare. After getting a nod from the Ethics Committee and registration in CTRI, AIIA has initiated population-based observational study in the large scale cohort of 80,000 Delhi Police to generate evidences against Ayurveda interventions in improving immunity through a preventive AYURAKSHA kit, holding a few formulations of scientific rigor. This is expected to improve the immunity of the individuals and decrease the incidences of infection.
Recently, the AIIA hospital has been identified as CHC (Covid Health Center) by Delhi Government, wherein the admitted mild-to-moderate positive patients are being managed by following Ayurveda principles of management. This is exciting and anticipating to generate interesting evidences. The institute has also started telemedicine facility.
Ayurveda basically emphasizes on PREVENTION. Ojas is considered as responsible for Vyadhi kshamatva (~immunity) that is achieved by exclusive classical thoughts of Vyadhi bala virodhitva and Vyadhyutpadaka pratibandhakatva. Among them Vyadhibala virodhitva can be achieved by improving the immunity of an individual's body, while Vyadhyutpadaka pratibandhakatva is developed by using certain herbs that are anti-viral. In that direction Svasthahita dravyas (~recipes for healthy) have been indicated in the form of Rasayana and Vajikarana. Herbs such as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Linn.), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia (Thunb.) Miers), Kalamegha (Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees), Tulasi (Ocimum tenuiflorum Linn.), and Haridra (Curcuma longa Linn.) are potential and can be proven to be useful in such maladies. Throughout the world screening is being carried out to verify herbal medicines with the potential to directly inhibit 2019 novel coronavirus,[18] and there is a huge potential for such herbal interventions to be used in place or along with the conventional drugs that is attracting global community for its significant role in health-care system.
All such observations need to be systematically documented and published at appropriate platforms. Considering this, All India Institute of Ayurveda has initiated publishing Journal of Ayurveda Case Reports (AyuCaRe) that is focused exclusively on publishing Case Reports in Ayurveda in association with Medknow-Wolters Kluwer. This journal is expected to be informative to medical practitioners, allied and complementary healthcare professionals, researchers, healthcare students, and public with an interest. We take this opportunity to invite you to contribute your success stories to the journal that will definitely strengthen empirical evidences against Ayurveda Practices and propagate them in their real sense to the world.
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