From garlic to shlloo ... fools to treat corona

Dr.. Osama Abu Al-Rub

With the race in time for global research centers to develop a vaccine and treatment for the emerging corona virus that causes Covid-19 disease, statements have emerged on the media that promote herbal or household prescriptions for the treatment of the virus. How credible are they?

Among the recipes are beans and "shllo" - a dish consisting of molokhia, garlic, lemon, chili and salt - and tea, hot water and vinegar with water and lemon, and other mixtures.

Doctor Ahmed Abdel-Razzaq Al-Ajaj, an internal medicine specialist at Al-Ahli Hospital in Qatar, asked us: Is there a herbal remedy for the Corona virus? He replied, "No, although some herbs have a slight antimicrobial activity, including viruses (such as anise, mint, ginger, etc.), but so far there is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of any herbal remedy in eliminating or preventing the emerging corona virus Covid-19."

When we asked him: Is there a food or dish that protects or treats the new Corona virus, he replied in a special statement to Al Jazeera Net, "There is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of any food in the prevention or treatment of the new corona virus."

In response to our question: Why do some people accept non-scientific allegations and follow them even though they may lead to their death ?, Internal medicine specialist said, "There are many reasons for this irrational behavior, including: They are cheap and available things and this suits the poor and the needy and who do not have good health care Also, people in a state of panic and fear become ready to accept everything that tickles their desires and provides them with solutions to their problems, even if they are delusions.

The problem of misleading allegations and fictitious treatments is huge, prompting the World Health Organization to warn them, and here we present the most prominent of these misleading treatments:

1- Regular washing of the nose with saline solution, as the organization said that there is no evidence that washing the nose regularly with saline solution prevents infection with the emerging coronavirus.

2- Garlic, as she said that it is a healthy food, and it is distinguished because it contains some anti-microbial properties. However, there is no evidence to suggest that eating garlic prevents infection with the emerging coronavirus.

3- Putting sesame oil on the skin, as the organization denied that this oil is able to eliminate the new Corona virus.

Campaign
and the beginning of this month, the British authorities said they are campaigning on placebo treatments for the Coronavirus, which currently does not have a specific, licensed treatment.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said it was investigating 14 fake or unlicensed products for Covid-19. She added that she was investigating fake self-test equipment and miracle drugs.

"Do not be deceived by offers of medical products on the Internet to help prevent or treat Covid-19," said agency official Linda Skamel.

"There is no officially sanctioned treatment to treat or prevent Covid-19, so any claim to do so is unauthorized and does not have the necessary regulatory approvals to be sold on the UK market," she added.

A report by the Swiss newspaper Lautan said that "traditional" traditional treatments - for example - were widely used in China, along with Western medicines, during the 2003 SARS epidemic that killed 774 people worldwide, most of them in China. But the Cochrane study, in 2012, demonstrated that this combination of treatments "did not change anything" in fighting the epidemic.

On the other hand, Dr. Al-Ajaj gave us the following advice to prevent corona infection:

1- Avoid leaving the house unless absolutely necessary.

2- Avoid close contact (within two meters) with anyone outside your home.

3- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least twenty seconds, or use a hand antiseptic that contains at least 70% alcohol.

4- Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of the napkin after using it.

5- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

6- Clean and disinfect the daily surfaces that you touch frequently.

7- When shopping, follow the following procedures and when returning home: Leave your shoes outside the home, dispose of gloves and masks before entering the home, dispose of shopping bags, wash with soap and water all things that can be washed like vegetables and fruits, sterilize what can be sterilized, but what cannot be washed Or sterilize it and leave it for 24 hours without touching.

8- If you suffer from a chronic disease and you are at a greater risk of developing an acute condition of the disease, consult your doctor about additional methods to protect yourself, but it is preferable not to leave the house and not contact with others, and when you need to go out or communicate with others, you must follow the above procedures in addition To wear a muzzle and gloves.