By Dr Pratip Banerji
The outbreak of COVID-19 has left most of us panic-stricken as people across the globe strive to combat this pandemic. The primary issue is that this is a viral infection and we as human beings have no natural immunity to viruses. While the frontline medical community, actually facing the pandemic, is doing a very good job despite limited resources, the research community is perplexed because any useful and viable treatment will take at least 18 to 24 months from the drawing board to disbursement and application. The only real and effective way for a population to combat a viral infection is to develop ‘herd immunity’.
Herd immunity can only be developed in two ways — first, by massive cross community infection, and second, by mass vaccination. Since allowing massive cross community infection is unwise as this may result in devastating consequences, we are left with the option of vaccination, which is not viable as there will be no relief in this respect before 18-24 months.
Another problem with vaccination is that they are viral strain specific, the scientific community also knows that mutation of viruses is a given fact and it has already been reported that the Corona viral strain in India has mutated from the original strain that caused the outbreak in China.
The COVID virus found originally in humans in Wuhan has been labelled Type A. Subsequently, there has also been detection of Type B and C, which seem to differ amongst different races of humans. Due to this and the fact that there will be further mutations, there is a fear that different strains of the virus may not respond to vaccines whose sphere of action will necessarily be limited to certain strains. Thus we are all caught in a difficult situation.
Adding to the difficulty is the fact that we are faced with incomplete or erroneous data on infection in the population, number of tests done and tracking of the disease.
Historically, every epidemic/pandemic faced by mankind has brought us down to our knees. The conventional system of medicine seeks to cure by killing the disease-producing agent.
Currently, conventional treatment of COVID-19 infections is being done with some anti-viral medicines and antibiotics.
While these anti-viral medicines were found to have some effect on earlier SARS and MERS infections, which were caused by a similar virus, so far there is no definite information that they are having an effect on COVID-19 cases. Antibiotics are usually used to treat bacterial infections and have no effect on viruses and at best may help secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 positive cases. This is where homoeopathy has its advantages. Homoeopathy is an accredited and recognised system of medicine in India and for this reason there should be no bar on its use in any disease, let alone COVID-19. This system of medicine is popular and historically homoeopathy has an excellent track record in the treatments of epidemics/pandemics. Homoeopathic medicines are safe to use and we can expect very little, if any, side-effects as can be experienced by using other systems of medicine.
In homoeopathy, an agent is used to treat the same symptoms in a diseased human being that it can produce in a healthy one. Thus the homoeopathic arsenal against any disease already exists and it is only a question of matching the symptoms of the contagion to the known symptoms of a medicine which is most similar. Taking this into consideration the symptoms and the physical systems the COVID-19 is affecting can be analysed and a protocol for treatment can be designed. Thus the reaction time between diagnosis and treatment is reduced dramatically.
As many studies have shown, our medicines have the capability to boost the immune system. Boosting immunity is exactly what is required in the battle against this disease to prevent as well as help patients recover from this contagion. Our protocol is designed keeping this in mind and medicines are also matched, in a specific manner, according to different problems faced by the patients in various stages of the infection.
We have tremendous success in treating viral diseases such as the common cold and different types of flu, dengue, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, shingles, hepatitis B and C, herpes and cold sores, polio and even the odd case of rabies. We have been reaching out to premier institutions across the world, especially in those countries which have been dealing with the outbreak before India, to gather information and case studies as to their successes and failures against the virus.
Taking into account the above information and our experience in treating viral diseases, we have formulated a specific protocol for the disease. This protocol is available in our website and within the first two days, we already have had over 13,000 hits on the page and various enquiries from all over the world.
We are getting many enquiries from COVID positive cases and are in the process of getting into place a “Covid 19 Survey”, in collaboration with an American colleague, associated with a major American University.
Through this survey, we will be able to gather data and observe the effects of our medicines on prevention and treatment of cases, but it is too early to share information on these developments. Results of this will help to validate my suggestions for a successful measure for all to build an effective immunity against COVID-19, circumventing the 18 to 24 months required to create a useful conventional vaccine.
I think what is being done right now in our country/state, which is identification of micro-hotspots, enforcing total lockdown and testing suspicious cases, is a good move by the government. When the need for lockdown ceases, it will be necessary for a phased unlocking of the situation as a sudden unlocking may trigger the second wave of infection.
There is a need to spread sanitary awareness to populations most prone to spread, such as those where it is impossible to maintain “Physical Distancing” and appeals for civic sense and social responsibility amongst populations who are in defiance/denial of their vulnerability to this infection thus posing a threat to all efforts by the aware and the Government to deliver the country “Corona Free”.
(The author is a homoeopath and co-founder of Prasanta Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation. Views expressed are his own)