An Indian pharmacist died, and his boss was hospitalized after drinking a decoction of their manufacture, which they hoped could cure Covid-19, police said on Saturday.
The two men worked for a company specializing in herbal medicine and tried the supposed treatment - a mixture of nitric oxide and sodium nitrate - on themselves at a house in Chennai, in south-eastern India.
K. Sivanesan, 47, died at the scene, according to local police chief Ashok Kumar. He had developed his formula by carrying out research on the internet and bought the ingredients on a local market, said the police officer.
No treatment and vaccine available at the moment
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There is currently no drug or vaccine for Covid-19, which has led to a worldwide race to find a cure for this disease that has killed at least 300,000 people.
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Nearly 60,000 cases have been identified in India, where strict confinement has been imposed in an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus.