Tag: Covid-19
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Andhra Reports 10 New Covid Cases; State Count 49
Andhra Pradesh has recorded 10 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of active infections in the state to 49, according to the latest health department data.
While the numbers remain relatively low compared to previous waves, the fresh uptick has prompted health authorities to intensify surveillance and urge people not to let their guard down. Officials said all identified patients are under medical observation, with most experiencing mild symptoms and recovering under home isolation.
Health experts maintain that there is no immediate cause for alarm, but caution that sporadic infections continue to surface due to the circulation of Covid-19 variants. They have advised senior citizens, individuals with underlying health conditions, and those with weakened immunity to take appropriate precautions, particularly in crowded public spaces.
The state health department has reiterated the importance of maintaining basic preventive measures, including hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, besides seeking medical attention in case of persistent flu-like symptoms. Hospitals and district health authorities too have been asked to remain vigilant and ensure preparedness to handle any rise in infections.
Officials continue to monitor the situation closely and have appealed to the public to rely on verified information rather than rumours. They stressed that vaccination and timely medical consultation remain the most effective safeguards against severe illness.
With the state’s Covid-19 tally now standing at 49 active cases, health authorities are keeping a close watch on the evolving situation while emphasising that there is no indication of a widespread outbreak at present.
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India Sees Modest Rise in COVID-19 Cases
India is witnessing a moderate increase in COVID-19 cases, with 257 active infections nationwide as of May 23, 2025. Most cases are mild and do not require hospitalisation, though certain states—Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu—have recorded higher daily counts.
Monitoring the JN.1 variant
Health authorities are closely tracking the JN.1 variant, a sub-lineage of Omicron spreading across Asia, including Singapore and Hong Kong. While the variant has not led to a surge in cases in India, officials remain cautious, ensuring surveillance measures are in place to contain potential risks.
Testing efforts and regional trends
Maharashtra has seen a rise in detected cases due to increased random testing, but health experts maintain that there is no cause for panic. Kerala, which currently has 182 active cases, has stepped up precautionary measures to curb further transmission. While the overall numbers remain low, health experts stress the need for continued vigilance.
Public advisory on safety measures
Authorities continue to encourage preventive actions, urging the public to wear masks in crowded areas, maintain hand hygiene, and stay updated with official health advisories. These simple precautions can help minimise the spread and ensure continued control over the situation.
Outlook and preparedness
Despite the increase in cases, the situation remains manageable, with no signs of escalation. India’s health system is proactively responding, ensuring timely interventions. For real-time updates and further guidance, citizens can refer to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s COVID-19 Dashboard.
As the pandemic evolves, experts advise staying cautious but not alarmed, reinforcing that preventive measures remain the best defence against potential spikes.
Ayurvedic practitioners in India have long used Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy) as a potential anti-COVID-19 herb. Post-pandemic, research surged, with PubMed data showing a 376.5% increase in studies over a decade—rising from 243 in 2014 to 913 in 2024, reflecting global interest.
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‘Ayurveda’s role during Covid times should be recorded in history books’
Ayurveda’s role during the times of Covid must be recorded in history books for saving the lives of millions during the second wave of COVID-19, experts said on Tuesday at the Global Ayurveda Festival held at the Karyavattom Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
“Ayurveda researchers and practitioners emerged as saviors during the second wave of Covid when the mortality rate was exceptionally high,” said Dr. Sanjeev Rastogi, HoD Dept of Kayachikitsa, State Ayurvedic College and Hospital, Lucknow.
“They tirelessly and fearlessly provided services when the conventional healthcare system was unable to provide adequate care to all. Complete recovery was made possible in cases that were given bad prognosis through their efforts”, Dr. Rastogi said.
Citing some examples, Dr. Rastogi pointed out the case of a patient who was in the ICU for 14 days but whose complete recovery was made possible in the next 19 days. Another was the case of a family comprising four adults who tested positive during the second wave of the pandemic and were treated well at home through Ayurveda despite the observed fall in oxygen level.
Dr. Pooja Sabharwal, Assistant Professor, Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan, New Delhi, said that while it was important to understand the mechanism in the purview of contemporary science, the notion that communicable diseases can only be managed by modern science is false.
“Ayurveda has various evidences for the management of communicable diseases. Ayurveda is a rich science with potential antiviral drugs, which can arrest the viral disease,” said Dr. Sabharwal.
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Ayurveda, Yoga effective in treating high-risk COVID cases: IIT study
Yoga and
Ayurveda may be effective in treating high-risk cases of COVID-19, according to
the latest IIT study.A joint team
of researchers from the IIT Delhi and Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar,
conducted the research on 30 high-risk COVID-19 patients.Besides the
standard care treatment as per guidelines, they prescribed the patients Ayurvedic medicines through telemedicine and administered a personalized
therapeutic Yoga program using video conferencing. Almost all of them were
classified as high-risk owing to one or more co-morbidities such as Diabetes mellitus, Hypertension, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Coronary Artery Disease
(which are known to lead to severe outcomes in cases of COVID-19, especially
those above 60 years of age).The personalized
treatment plan took account of each patient’s medical history and symptoms,
making it more effective than a fixed standardized treatment plan.The
treatment included Ayurvedic medicines, daily Yoga-sessions including deep
relaxation techniques, pranayama, basic asanas, and some lifestyle
modifications. Based on the administered treatment, the cases were categorized
into YAS (Yoga-Ayurveda based treatment, with possibly allopathic Supplements:
4 patients), YASP (Yoga-Ayurveda based treatment, with possibly allopathic
Supplements and Paracetamol: 6 patients), YAM (Yoga-Ayurveda based treatment,
and Modern Western Medicine (MWM), i.e., allopathy as an adjunct: 6 patients),
MYA (first tried MWM, later switched to Yoga-Ayurveda: 14 patients).The
patients, most of whom presented many symptoms before the Yoga and Ayurveda
treatment, were followed up telephonically regularly until recovery. More than
half of symptomatic patients started improving within five days (90% within
nine days); over 60% reported at least 90% recovery within ten days. Six
patients with oxygen saturation (SpO2) below 95% benefited from Makarasana
and Shithilasana; none progressed to composite endpoints (consisting of
admission to the Intensive Care Unit, invasive ventilation, or death).“Most
patients reported that the therapy had a profound impact on their recovery
process, with many experiencing improvements with respect to their
co-morbidities too. By the end of the treatment, several patients had decided
to adopt Yoga in their lifestyle, and several turned to the Ayurveda doctors in
the team for management/treatment of their co-morbidities”, said Dr.
Sonika Thakral, who coordinated with the patients for routine follow-up.“On the
whole, the patient’s belief in the efficacy of these traditional systems of
medicine was extremely enhanced,” said Dr. Alka Mishra, who administered
Ayurveda treatment to some patients. “We are observing an increasing trend
towards ancient systems of medicine,” said Dr. Yogesh Kumar, who also
administered the Ayurveda treatment.The study
findings have appeared in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. The
authors point out that high-risk COVID-19 patients undergo severe anxiety,
which may further deteriorate their condition. They further suggest that besides the treatment for COVID-19, Yoga and Ayurveda may help to relieve such patients from anxiety and aid in speedy post-treatment
recovery.“The
said interventions are believed to have collectively accelerated the recovery
process by checking anxiety, instilling peace of mind, and enhancing the
overall well-being of the patients,” said Dr. Sumitra A. Bentur, a private
practitioner who designed the Yoga intervention and conducted Yoga sessions for some patients.“The
study also demonstrates an urgent need to scientifically examine the
Traditional Indian Knowledge systems at the top academic institutions. A timely
and suitably designed randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of
Ayurveda and Yoga based personalized integrative treatment for COVID-19 would
have equipped the people with much more credible information
about their use in managing COVID-19,” said Prof. Rahul Garg, IIT Delhi
who conceptualized the project. -
Ayush systems effective in tackling Covid-19; NITI Aayog releases compendium of Ayush practices from states
NITI Aayog on
Saturday released a compendium of Ayush-based practices from States and Union
territories detailing information about various Ayush-based initiatives and
practices adopted by the States and Union territories in India for containing
and managing the Covid-19 outbreak.“In India,
along with the contemporary medicine system, Ayush systems have played an active
role on various fronts to tackle the health crisis caused by the Covid-19
pandemic. I hope that these collective efforts of traditional and conventional
healthcare systems will pave the way for the world by providing a holistic
healthcare system model,” said Minister of State for Ayush Dr. Munjpara
Mahendrabhai Kalubhai during the release of the compendium.Since the
year 2020, the world has been facing an unprecedented public health crisis in
the form of Covid-19. States and Union territories have been equal partners of
the Union Government in managing the Covid-19 outbreak in India. Ayush
Departments of States/UTs have joined their hands with State Health Departments
to strengthen India’s fight against Covid-19.“It is
critical to communicate the learnings from the testing times during the Covid-19 outbreak about how Ayush practices implemented at national and State level
benefited people. The compendium provides information focused on practices
adopted by various States and UTs of India to strengthen the country’s
fight against Covid-19, using Ayush’s resources and interventions. I am sure
this document will be a crucial knowledge resource for stakeholders from other
countries who have a good network of traditional medicine systems. It will
significantly aid in our fight against Covid-19, other epidemics, and pandemics
in the future,” stated NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Shri Suman Bery in his message.NITI Aayog
Member Dr. V K Paul in his message mentioned, “I am hopeful that practices
documented in this compendium will be useful to address any future surge of the
pandemic and also serve as a model of an integrative approach to health
action.”.In preparing
the compendium of Ayush-based practices, NITI Aayog reached out to all State
Governments and administrations of Union territories, requesting them to share
Ayush practices they have undertaken for Covid-19 mitigation and management.The
practices in the compendium have been disaggregated under five sections: (i)
Overview and objectives of practices adopted by the States/UTs (ii) Ayush Human
Resource and infrastructure (iii) Interventions and Initiatives (iv) Digital
Platform and Tele-medicine (v) Issues occurred or addressed. The compendium has
also included a summary of the Ministry of Ayush, the Government of India
guidelines, and initiatives.The report
indicates that traditional healthcare systems in the country would be strengthened
further. The integration of evidence-based Ayush services with the modern
system has the potential to significantly strengthen India’s healthcare system. -
Kerala approves Ayurveda treatment for Covid-19 management
The Kerala
government has decided to implement the National Clinical Management Protocol
based on Ayurveda and Yoga for the management of coronavirus disease, thereby
opening the door for Ayurvedic treatment in cases of “uncomplicated” Covid-19
cases.“…those
Covid-19 patients with no symptoms or mild symptoms… who are either under
isolation at their homes or at designated first or second line Covid-19
treatment centres can be provided with Ayurveda treatment or Yoga. Prior
consent of patients is to be taken before management with Ayurveda or Yoga
protocol is initiated,” a top official of the State Ayurveda Covid-19 Response
Cell (SACRC) said.However, the
order issued late on Wednesday has not mentioned about private Ayurveda institutions,
restricting the treatment to government facilities or state approved organizational
framework already in place for execution of various Ayurveda programmes.“The
implication of the decision is much bigger. The state has taken the lead in utilizing
Ayurveda for prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation of Covid-19 patients
back in April itself. The various Ayur Raksha clinics and post Covid management
centres are witnessing good response with large number of individuals turning
up for availing the traditional healthcare systems. The latest decision also
allows ayurvedic treatment for a majority of Covid-19 patients in the state,”
the official said.The medicines
suggested in the ‘Prophylactic care’ stage include Ashwagandha, Guduchi
Ghana vati and Chyawanaprasha. That in the
‘Asymptomatic Covid-19 Positive’ category includes Guduchi Gana vati, Guduchi+Pippali and AYUSH
64. For mild Covid-19 positive (without evidence of breathlessness or
hypoxia), the medicines cited are Guduchi+Pippali and AYUSH
64.Post Covid
Management measures include intake of medicines like Ashwagandha,
Chyawanprasha and Rasayana Churna. -
Ayurvedic drug shows promising results in clinical trials
Astha-15 may be the first Ayurvedic drug in
the global market addressing the respiratory disorders associated with the deadly
Covid-19.The Dalmia Healthcare is set to announce the launch of Astha-15, a polyherbal combination of 15
herbs developed by its research arm Dalmia Centre for Research and Development,
for treatment of mild and moderate Covid patients.“This is a proud moment for India, our own indigenous
Ayurveda and Dalmia Healthcare Limited –has developed Astha-15 for the effective treatment of respiratory disorders in
Covid patients. “We’re happy to announce that the outcome of the clinical trial
showed that Astha-15 has
significantly reduced the cough and wheezing, improved the respiratory rate and
aid in the speedy recovery of Covid-19 patients with the improvement of quality
of life during the treatment cycle,” said Sanjay Dalmia, Chairman, Dalmia Group
of Companies.Astha-15 will be made available in the first phase
through prescriptions written for mild and moderate Covid patients undergoing
treatment in Covid Hospitals. Dalmia Healthcare will be applying for
permission/approval of Astha-15 usage
in allopathic hospitals, as per the procedure in each hospital, he said.Aptly named Astha
or faith, Astha-15 acts as a
bronchodilator, decongestant, anti-inflammatory and lung detoxifier. It helps
in eliminating the infection and regulating the allergic reactions. This has a
specific action on the mucosa of the respiratory tract and the muscular walls
of the lungs that act as the airways. It has an anti-inflammatory effect which
reduces inflammation and congestion inside the lungs. Its continuous use
reduces the damage on the lungs and the muscular walls and brings out a significant
reversal in their dysfunction. All these disorders which have been found in
Covid-19 patients have been confirmed to be treated by Astha-15.Dalmia Healthcare had earlier sought approval for Astha-15 by conducting a clinical trial
to evaluate the efficacy and safety of poly-herbal combination for the treatment
of Covid-19 along with standard care approved as per AYUSH/ICMR guidelines.
After two successful phases, Phase III trial was conducted on 120 subjects at
multi-centric sites viz. JNUIMSRC, Jaipur, Govt. Medical College & Govt.
General hospital, Srikakulam (Old RIMSGGH) and RGMC & CSMH, Thane by
following the regulatory guidelines of AYUSH and the Informed Consent
Declaration, Insurance Terms and Hospital Ethics Committee approvals which are
registered at DCGI to perform the clinical trial. -
PM to dedicate two national institutes on World Ayurveda Day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation two
future-ready Ayurveda institutions on the occasion of the fifth World Ayurveda
Day on November 13, 2020.The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA),
Jamnagar, and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur, in their
revamped avatars, are expected to address the growing global demand for
adopting the potential of traditional healthcare wisdom to address some of the
pressing healthcare challenges of today.The Government of India has conferred the status of
Institution of National Importance (INI) by an act of parliament to the
erstwhile Institute of PG Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (IPGTRA), Jamnagar,
by conglomerating the cluster of Ayurveda institutions at the Gujarat Ayurveda
University campus, Jamnagar.Elevation of the institute to the INI status will provide it
the autonomy to upgrade the standard of Ayurveda education, frame various
courses as per national and international demands, adopt advanced evaluation
methodology and excel in research to generate more and more evidences.The strengthening of Ayurveda could lead to cost-effective
solutions, thanks to its preventive and curative approaches reducing government
expenditure on health.The potential role of Ayurveda in management of Covid-19
pandemic will be the focus of this year’s ‘Ayurveda Day’ observation. The aim
of celebrating the occasion is to focus on strengths of Ayurveda and its unique
treatment principles, to work towards reducing the burden of disease and
related mortality by utilising the potential of Ayurveda, to tap into the
potential of Ayurveda to contribute towards National Health Policy and National
Health programmes, and to promote Ayurvedic principles of healing in society,
the Ayush Ministry said in a statement.