HYDERABAD: The AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy) department appears to be on the offensive in the battle against mucormycosis or black fungus infections with its director claiming that AYUSH systems can help fight the disease.
After claiming that ayurvedic formulations could help in control of black fungus disease among Covid-19 patients on Wednesday, a day later she said that unani formulation could be used as prophylactics for Covid-19 patients to help boost their immunity and possibly help prevent subsequent black fungus infections among those vulnerable to the disease. And on Friday, the Director of AYUSH, Dr V.S. Alagu Varshini is to speak about how homoeopathic medications can prevent and treat black fungus cases.
Dr Varshini, addressing a press conference on Thursday, said though unani system has no cure for black fungus, its preparations will be given to Covid-19 patients upon discharge as such preparations can “purify blood, boost immunity, and work as food supplements.”
Though some unani doctors say that nasal drops from their system of medicine can help clear the passages in the nose of pathogens, doctors following modern medicine say that the issue with black fungus is all about uncontrolled sugar levels in the body, and effectiveness of nasal drops can be uncertain.
ENT surgeon Dr C. Shekar explained, “We go by the books of modern medicine and the prevention methods in terms of wearing masks and cleaning the nose properly, which can help. We need scientific evidence for nasal drops to work for invasive fungal infections. So far, in modern science literature there is no evidence that nasal drops can work in prevention of such infections.”
