Abstract

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH OF UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19: AN OVERVIEW

Yasra Farooqui*, Mohd Yunus Siddiqui, Tanzeel Ahmad, Jamal Azmat, Mursaleen Naseer, Amreen Zehra, Maryam Zafar and Kehkashan

ABSTRACT

The Novel Corona virus disease (Covid-19) is a major public health emergency of global concern which is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease is thought to be mainly transmitted through droplet infection, fomites but other modes such as airborne transmission and oro-fecal transmission are also speculated. The clinical features of the disease range from asymptomatic cases or mild symptoms, which include nonspecific symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, headache, and nasal congestion to severe cases such as pneumonia, respiratory failure. Research is underway to develop effective vaccines and medicines for the disease. Hence, the need arises to develop new effective methods of infection control that are accessible to the maximum population. As per Unani medicine exact term or disease is not mentioned in Unani literature but an umbrella term amraz-e-waba is used in Unani medicine for all types of epidemics and for those diseases which affect a large geographical area. Epidemic containment measures in Unani system of medicine focus on prevention through different measures, purification of surroundings using certain herbal drugs as fumigants or sprays, dietary management, prophylactic interventions for improving the immunity and maintenance of health, simple remedies based on presentation of the symptoms. Present review has been studied in the light of Unani medicine which may provide a new insight for the prevention and possible management of this disease.

Keywords: Corona, Covid-19, Unani, amraz-e-waba, Epidemic.