MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19: AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Ayurveda, a branch of AYUSH system of health care in India is considered as alternative/complementary of medicine (CAM) in WHO. Here, it’s products are covered under “drug and cosmetics” act but in abroad it is supplements or functional foods. The aim of Ayurveda is to maintain the wellness of a healthy person and to treat a patient. For treatment Ayurveda adopts 3 approaches i.e. (1) Daivavyapasharya (दैवव्यपाश्रय) (२) Yuktivyapashraya (युक्तिव्यपाश्रय),    (३)Satvavajaya (सत्वावजय), and focuses to enhance the Vyadhikshmatwa (capacity to fight against spread of pathogenesis) by strengthening all 7 dhatus (rasa, rakta, meda, mansa, asthi, majja and shukra).  The disease COVID-19, falls under “Bhootvidya (GrahaVidya)”, which is one of the 8 branches of “Astanga Ayurveda”. It is an “Agantuja” disease, where the disease symptoms appears in 1^st stage, followed by its spread in the body. Thus, progress of disease (Samprapti) has been considered under concept of shatkriyakala (6 stages of disease development), which has been given high importance for deciding the stage of disease progress and its treatment protocol. Here, we have described the introduction to Astang Ayurveda, concept of disease pathogenesis and holistic approach of treatment in respect to management of COVID-19. It specifically covers symptom based stage of disease progress and its targeted treatment guideline by including all 3 approaches of treatment, described above. Here the current line of diagnosis, treatment and research related to COVID -19 management has been included, which are reported by basic scientists and physicians of allopathic system. These are indexed in Pubmed and web of science and also described in classical text books of Ayurveda. The same has been reviewed and summarized here, with an objective of possible correlation between the two languages of science of health care.