CHENNAI: Even as the world continues to put up a good fight against Covid-19, reprieve in the form of a cure seems a long way away. While research labs around the globe have been up and running since day-1, the AYUSH wing of this country too has been hard at work to find answers.
It is at such a time that Saravana Siva P and team at Vallalar Vazhviyal Koodam Arakattalai say they have a medicine – vajra kandi chenduram – that works. While they are still several steps away from a government approval, Siva is confident this can do good for people afflicted by the virus.
Excerpts from the interview:
How does this medicine help people with Covid-19?
This is not something new. It’s been around for 2,000-3,000 years, brought to use by Siddhars. We started prescribing this for Covid-19 and there have been good results so far. People who tested positive, after taking this medicine are testing negative for the disease in just three days. We give this in the form of capsules.
The disease manifests in different levels of severity in different patients. Does the medicine offer relief to all?
We had people with severe wheezing, nearing unconsciousness, coming to us. They improved within two days of taking this medicine, along with dietary restrictions. A child with a 104-106 degrees fever too responded well within two-three days. This has helped people from 13 to 77 years of age.
What are the dietary restrictions?
Patients need to consume food that is easily digestible, like kanji, idly, idiyappam. They should avoid food that contains high levels of salt, tamarind or bitterness. Non-vegetarian food, tobacco and alcohol should be avoided completely. This should be kept for 15 days after one gets better.
How many people have you prescribed this to?
We’ve given this medicine to around a hundred people. We give it to them as soon as they start showing symptoms and they recover.
Has the medicine been approved by the government?
We have been asked to produce results of a clinical trial. That’s what we are doing now. We are documenting the treatment from start to finish. We start with a Covid-positive test and their symptoms; then we administer the medicine. We also check for treatment of co-morbidities, and finish with a test that proves they are no longer Covid positive. For the trial, we have been taking on asymptomatic patients or those with mild to moderate symptoms.
What next after clinical trial?
We will submit the results with the general secretary or health secretary. They will then look into the approval. Once approved, government and private pharmacies can be roped in to ensure mass production and early access to the medicines.
At a time like this, how important is a solution from alternative medicine, do you think?
Traditional medicine is the only thing that provides a complete solution. There are parameters for dosage but even if it were to go beyond that, it does not harm the body. As it is mostly composed of herbs, and the way we purify the minerals and metals properly, there’s no room for side effects either.