This is an archive article published on October 7, 2020
Covid management protocol on ayurveda, yoga out
The national protocol says that the detailed recommendations are based on three aspects: empirical evidence and biological plausibility; emerging trends of ongoing clinical studies; and knowledge from Ayurveda classics and experience from clinical practices.
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Oct 7, 2020 06:51 AM IST
The protocol recommends 10 mg ‘Vasavaleha’ for patients showing symptoms to hypoxia and 10 ml of liquid ‘Kanakasava’ for patients showing mild symptoms of breathlessness. (File)
The Centre on Tuesday released a detailed clinical management protocol on Ayurveda and Yoga for the management of coronairus infection for asymptomatic patients and those showing mild symptoms, including management of post-Covid complications with the use of traditional medicinal herbs.
The national protocol says that the detailed recommendations are based on three aspects: empirical evidence and biological plausibility; emerging trends of ongoing clinical studies; and knowledge from Ayurveda classics and experience from clinical practices.
The protocol, however, states that it is only a “general advisory”, and that attending physicians “need to use their discretion to select the drugs based upon the stage of disease, symptom complex and availability of the medicines”. It states: “The recommended formulations in this attempt are in addition to standard approaches of care and prevention as well as other Ayurvedic approaches recommended for prevention earlier. Moderate to severe COVID-19 individuals may have informed choice of treatment options.”
Referring to the protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Commendable effort, which places emphasis on building immunity, remaining healthy and making the fight against Covid-19 stronger.”
Releasing the protocol, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said: “This protocol dealing with preventive and prophylactic measures is a significant step not only in management of Covid-19 but also in making traditional knowledge relevant to solving problems of the modern time.” The protocol recommends loosening exercises, breathing exercises, pranayama and kriya as part of the yoga protocol for “primary prevention” of Covid-19. It states that these have to be practiced to improve respiratory and cardiac efficiency, reduce stress and anxiety, and to enhance immunity.
As prophylactic care for the high-risk population and primary contacts, the protocol recommends medicinal herb ‘Ashwagandha’ and ‘Guduchi Ghana Vati’, a preparation from aqueous of extract of Ayurvedic herb Guduchi (heart-leaved moon seed). It recommends a dose of 500 mg extract or 1-3 gram powder twice daily with warm water one month. It also recommends 10 grams of ‘Chyawanaprash’ with warm water or milk once a day.
In asymptomatic patients, the protocol again recommends Guduchi Ghana Vati and Guduchi with Pippali, the long pepper. It says these are recommended for “prevention of disease progression” to symptomatic and severe form and to “improve recovery rate”.
In the case of Guduchi with Pippali, 375 mg daily with warm water for 15 days is recommended.
In patients with mild symptoms, the protocol recommends ‘Guduchi’ with ‘Pippali’ and 500 mg of AYUSH 64, to be taken twice a day for 15 days. It says it is for symptomatic management of fever, headache, tiredness dry cough, sore throat and nasal congestion.
The protocol recommends 10 mg ‘Vasavaleha’ for patients showing symptoms to hypoxia and 10 ml of liquid ‘Kanakasava’ for patients showing mild symptoms of breathlessness. It recommends ‘Ashwagandha’, ‘Chyawanprash’, and poly-herbal formulation ‘rasayana churna’ for post-infection management to prevent lung complications such as fibrosis.
As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues.
He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations.
Areas of Expertise
Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety.
Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps.
Global Collaborations
Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects:
The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry.
Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time.
Awards & Recognition
His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors:
Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism
SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia)
Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club)
Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots).
Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision.
Social media
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99
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