New Delhi: Consume hot turmeric milk and kadha, practice yoga, and drink ashwagandha and Guduchi -the Narendra Modi government released the official protocol of using Ayurveda and yoga for Covid-19 precluding and treatment of patients with mild or no symptoms on Tuesday. The Ministry of AYUSH has been promoting Ayurveda since the beginning of the pandemic asserting that alternative medications can help enhance immunity against the coronavirus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also promoted the advice by the ministry in his address to the nation in April.
The health ministry issued guidelines for managing post-recovery symptoms of Covid-19 in last month and the AYUSH Ministry has now released the National Clinical Management Protocol for Covid-19 patients. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan tweeted that the “up-gradation of protocols” has been done in sync with the Indian Council of Medical Research and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Yoga protocol;
According to the ministry, the yoga protocol is given for prevention and after recovery from Covid. The objectives of performing yoga, as stated in the protocol, is to improve respiratory and cardiac efficiency, reduce stress and anxiety, and to enhance immunity. It suggested a 45-minute yoga routine to prevent Covid, which includes both standing and sitting postures along with prone and supine lying asana and breathing exercise called pranayama. Supine means lying in a face-up position, while prone means lying face down. The ministry’s protocol also suggested the time length of performing each asana and exercise. For post-Covid care, a 30-minute yoga routine is suggested with the objective of improving pulmonary function and lung capacity apart from reducing stress, anxiety, and clearance of airways in the respiratory tract.
Prevention; The protocol promotes the use of ashwagandha, Guduchi, pippali, Ayush 64 tablets in different doses, and yoga to prevent Covid, treat mild symptoms, and post-Covid self-care. The ministry explained that in complement to these medicines, general and dietary measures are to be followed, which include a long to-do list such as drinking turmeric milk, sipping kadha or decoction, applying medicated oils in the nasal passage, and getting steam inhalation with ajwain or eucalyptus oil. Taking adequate sleep of 6 to 8 hours along with doing moderate physical exercises is also suggested apart from following physical distancing, respiratory and hand hygiene, and wearing masks.
Ashwagandha is known as the “master” herb in ayurvedic medicine, while guduchi Ghan Vati is a tablet made from another herb called giloy or heart-leaved moonseed. Herb pippali, also known as long-pepper, is used for the treatment of respiratory illness, and Ayush 64 is a patented anti-malarial medicine developed by the Ministry of AYUSH.
For prevention or prophylactic care among high-risk population and primary contacts of Covid patients, the document recommends a dosage of ayurvedic herbs ashwagandha, Guduchi Ghana Vati along with Chyawanaprash for 15 days or one month. Among asymptomatic patients, the ministry advised Guduchi Ghana Vati, Guduchi along with pippali and Ayush 64 tablets for 15 days or as the physician advised to prevent disease progression to asymptomatic and severe form, and to also improve recovery rate. For mild Covid patients with fever, headache, tiredness, cough, and other symptoms but no breathlessness, the same combination of Guduchi, pippali, and Ayush 64 tablets is recommended.