Potentiality and possibility of Medicinal Plants on Ayurvedic Principle in prevention and treatment of COVID-19

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic health emergency, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying some medical problems are more likely to develop serious illness. Considering different classical and contemporary viewpoints, the newly identified COVID-19 can be categorized under agantuja vyadhi (exogenous disease) by inception, caused by bhoota (organisms), and transforming to nija (endogenous) leading to disequilibrium of kapha, vata, and pitta doshas and manifestation of clinical features of mainly pranavaha (cardio-pulmonary system), rasavaha (cardio-vascular system) and raktavaha (vascular and RES) srotas dushti (vitiation of channels). In Ayurveda, for a new disease, the treatment principle is designed on the basis of the nature of the disorder, etiology and location. Hence rasayana drugs for epidemic disease, disinfectants for microorganism, dosha (mainly kapha and vata) pacifying drugs and disease-location specific treatment i.e deepana (stomachic), pachana (digestive), shwasahara (anti-dyspnea) and kasahara (anti-cough) are being discussed in this paper. Apart from this, potential of mukhavaishadyakara (mouth cleansing agent), patimarsha-nasya (nasal smearing), krimighna (anti-viral), vishaghna (anti-toxic) and kshara (alkali) dravya (medicinal plants) are being highlighted as these groups of drugs are effective in subsiding kapha, vata, killing microorganism and protecting ojas (immunity) by virtue of their broad spectrum pharmacodynamic properties.