Title : Accepted the challenge of covid-19 control: Ayurvedic response to covid-19 pandemic in Sri lanka
Abstract:
The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic in March 2020 and the first case of the virus in Sri Lanka was confirmed on 27 January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory disease Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) has led to millions of confirmed cases and deaths worldwide and a financial crisis of unprecedented levels across the globe. In Sri Lanka, Covid-19 patients are being treated in allopathic hospitals as usual at the initial stage of the pandemic. However, with the spread of the disease and as there were no specific treatment options Ayurvedic medicine options also started to challenge disease management individually as well as combined with allopathic medicine. The pathological process of this disease can be correlated with fever caused by infections (Abhishangaja Jvara, Aupasargika Roga). The nature of Covid -19 is explained in Ayurveda texts as Janapadodhwansa (epidemic or pandemic). According to Ayurveda, environmental pollution and the Sinful behavior of people (adharma) are the responsible causative factors of the disease. Though there was a trend in China, India, etc. to implement traditional preventive measures the extent to which traditional methods are adopted in Sri Lanka to prevent or cure COVID-19 infections is not well documented. A Covid management centre in southern Sri Lanka has been able to combat this deadly condition effectively with a combination of Allopathic and Ayurvedic medicine. Therefore, a treatment protocol of combined Allopathic and Ayurveda medicine can be proposed since there is no specific treatment to cure COVID-19 yet. However, further research should be done to conclude these facts scientifically.
