Overview of Covid-19; its prevention and management in the light of Unani medicine

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138859Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Covid-19 is an ongoing pandemic caused by a new coronavirus named as SARS-CoV-2.

  • SARS-CoV-2 has structural similarity with bat coronavirus and SARS-coronavirus.

  • Researches are being done to develop effective vaccines and drugs for the disease.

  • Unani medicine has effective preventive measures for epidemic diseases.

  • Phytochemicals in herbal drugs can potentially help in reducing the disease burden.

Abstract

Since December 2019, a respiratory pandemic named as coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) caused by a new coronavirus named as SARS-CoV-2, has taken the world by storm. The symptoms are fever, malaise, and cough which resolve in a few days in most cases; but may progress to respiratory distress and organ failure. Transmission is through droplet infection or fomites, but other modes such as airborne transmission and oro-fecal transmission are also speculated. Research is underway to develop effective vaccines and medicines for the disease. In such a scenario, we present the measures described in Unani system of medicine for health protection during epidemics. Unani is a traditional system of medicine developed during the middle ages, which employs natural drugs of herbal, animal and mineral origin for treatment. In Unani medicine, during an epidemic, apart from isolation and quarantine, three measures are of utmost importance, (i) purification of surroundings using certain herbal drugs as fumigants or sprays, (ii) health promotion and immune-modulation, and (iii) use of health-protecting drugs and symptom-specific drugs. Drugs such as loban (Styrax benzoides W. G. Craib), sandroos (Hymenaea verrucosa Gaertn.) za'fran (Crocus sativus L.), vinegar etc. are prescribed in various forms. Scientific researches on these drugs reveal the presence of a number of pharmacologically active substances, which may provide a new insight into the management of infections and epidemics.

Abbreviations

SARS-CoV
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
MERS-CoV
Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
Covid-19
coronavirus disease 2019
WHO
World Health Organization
SARS-CoV-2
SARS coronavirus-2
NSAIDs
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
ACE2
angiotensin converting enzyme-2
AYUSH
Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy
RNA
ribose nucleic acid

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2
Covid-19
Unani medicine
Waba
Influenza
Nazla-e-wabaiya

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1

The authors contributed equally to the manuscript at all stages.

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