Traditional Medicines & Covid-19

Allopathic drugs are already being tried to treat COVID-19 but even with promising results these drugs always comes with some side-effects unlike in case of traditional system of medicines.

- Kalyani Sharma

India has perhaps the world’s oldest as well as largest tradition of systems of medicine. The term Indian Systems of Medicine covers both the systems which originated in India as well as outside but got adopted in India in course of time. These systems are Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homoeopathy, Yoga, and Naturopathy. They have become a part of the culture and traditions of India. India with its strong base in traditional knowledge on herbal medicine and vast plant biodiversity has a great potential in this sector which can be examined in the current pandemic situation where the entire world has been majorly affected with COVID-19.

At a time when the world is looking for preventive and therapeutic solutions against coronavirus spread and its effects, examining the ways in which traditional medicine system can play a role can be crucial. Allopathic drugs are already being tried to treat COVID-19 but even with promising results these drugs always comes with some side-effects unlike in case of traditional system of medicines.

How promising it can be?

Ayurveda has spoken of epidemics in great details. Acharya Chakrapani has written on simultaneous and widespread manifestation of disease with the same set of symptoms throughout a community.