Yoga guru and entrepreneur Baba Ramdev has invited the wrath of healthcare professionals as he claimed to have found an ayurvedic remedy to fight COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus. The Patanjali founder had made a video earlier this week that claimed that the medicinal plant ashwagandha was the key to ward of the virus.
The promotional video showed Ramdev holding the ashwangandha sample, saying that scientific research was done and that the ashwagandha plant doesn’t allow “blending of corona protein with human protein”. The yoga guru did not provide any scientific evidence to back his claim, and said that the research was sent to an international journal.
In addition, Ramdev also urged Indians to take up yoga to boost immunity, using the hashtag #YogaForCorona on Twitter.
Health experts have said that spreading misinformation about the coronavirus, its spread or cure will have a serious impact on the fight against the pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic last week, and added that Europe was now the “epicentre” of the virus.
Doctors and other healthcare professionals have strictly maintained that there is no known cure for COVID-19, which has so far claimed over 8,900 lives globally. Over 220,000 have been infected. People are advised to stay at home or quarantine themselves. Preventive measures such as handwashing, sanitizing and social distancing are also recommended.
Vaccines for COVID-19 may take nearly two years to develop, health experts have said. Experimental drugs, including those to treat HIV and Malaria are being currently used to fight the virus.
In India, over 170 people have been infected by the coronavirus and three people have died.