India Found Treatment for Coronavirus, Patient Recovered: Fact Check

Story:

India Found Treatment for Coronavirus! Infected Patient recovered soon..

Other Versions

भारत ने खोज निकाला कोरोना वायरस का इलाज! तेजी से ठीक हुआ मरीज।
अपने देश की बहुत बड़ी उपलब्धि

Image about India Found Treatment for Coronavirus, Patient Recovered

Fact Check:

A ‘breaking’ story doing rounds on social media claims India Found Treatment for the deadly CoronaVirus infection spread across world from China. Likewise, it also suggests a patient in India infected with Coronavirus got the treatment and recovered soon. The claims are only partially fact and explained here.

Origin of Story: India Found Coronavirus Treatment

On 11th February 2020, Punjab Kesari website punjabkesari.in published an article in Hindi with title suggesting India found treatment for Coronavirus and a patient recovered quickly. Consequently, some online outlets like Bhartiye Samachar and The Politicalking picked up the story on Punjab Kesari website making the claim popular. Note, the websites deleted the articles later on.

The article in question explains the consequences of Coronavirus outbreak from Wuhan City of China, killing more than thousand people and infecting many more thousands across world. It mentions about the efforts of scientists across the globe, working hard to find cure for the Coronavirus epidemic. Further, the article mentions a person in Kerala’s Thrissur confirmed with Coronavirus recovered well – suggesting the treatment worked. Rest of the article describes about deadly consequences of Coronavirus outbreak in China and other parts of world. Notably, it does not mention anything else about the alleged treatment for Coronavirus India found.

Screenshot of the source article on Punjab Kesari website

The story in circulation carries two images of medical people in hospital. One shows medical staff in protective suits treating a patient with Coronavirus caused Pneumonia. It is from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in China. The other photograph shows medical staff hugging each other at a hospital isolation ward in China’s Shandong province.

Cases of Coronavirus in India

As of this writing, there were three confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Kerala State of India. The first case of Coronavirus in fact came to light on 30th January 2020 in Thrissur. The final test results of the woman medico who returned from Wuhan came negative after treatment. Consequently, doctors discharged her from hospital. Two other students from Kerala tested positive for the deadly virus in China’s Wuhan. Doctors discharged them also earlier in February 2020 after two consecutive test results came back negative. For the sake of safety, officials then put them under home quarantine for 10 days. So, all three persons confirmed with Coronavirus infection in India reported from Kerala recovered well.

They were treated in isolation wards set up in medical college hospitals. Notably, the three patients in Kerala had very mild symptoms of the viral infection. Their treatment in fact involved Quarantine, stress management and symptomatic treatment for symptoms ranging from mild fever to Pneumonia. Doctors gave them supportive medicines like Paracetamol and others drugs related to their needs, including medication for cold and cough. Dr A.V. Jayakrishnan, a member of the Indian Medical Association’s Ethics Committee told Antiviral agents used in HIV positive cases will be used for some confirmed symptomatic cases.

Conclusion

So, considering the aforementioned facts, the article title on Punjab Kesari website and claims saying India Found Treatment for Coronavirus is certainly misleading. As of this writing, there’s no known cure for the novel strain of Coronavirus, COVID-19. However, in late January 2020 the Research Councils under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India have issued an Advisory based on the Indian traditional medicine practices Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Unani. It suggested Homoeopathy for “Prevention” of Coronavirus infections and Unani Medicines use in “symptomatic management” of same.

On the other hand, global scientists in China are working day and night to find cure for the deadly Coronavirus. On 2nd February 2020, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health announced about a related treatment. Doctors had used a combination of flu medications and HIV antiviral drugs to help treat a patient. They suggested the combination drugs appeared effective in treating a seriously ill Coronavirus patient and showed ‘dramatic improvement’ in some 48 hours.