The Interdisciplinary AYUSH Research and Development Task Force has formulated and designed clinical research protocols for prophylactic studies and add-on interventions in COVID-19 positive cases for studying four different interventions viz Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu, Guduchi + Pippali and a Polyherbal formulation (AYUSH-64). This was disclosed by the government in Parliament on Tuesday.

In a written reply to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Union Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said overall, 150 clinical, pre-clinical and epidemiological studies have been undertaken by the research councils and national institutes under the Ministry of AYUSH.

He said that the Ministry of Ayush has formed an Inter-disciplinary AYUSH R&D Task Force having representation from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and AYUSH Institutions.

Informing about initiatives and measures taken to prevent infectious diseases like COVID-19, Sonowal said the Ministry of Ayush issued Gazette notification for undertaking research on COVID-19 through Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy Systems including prophylactic measures, intervention during the quarantine, asymptomatic and symptomatic cases of COVID-19, Public Health Research, Survey, Lab-based Research etc. to generate evidence.

He said the ministry has also launched inter-disciplinary studies involving AYUSH interventions for COVID-19 based on recommendations of the Task Force. Under various research organizations and National Institutes under the Ministry of Ayush, 140 research studies in the country are being conducted on AYUSH interventions, the Minister said.

He informed that the ministry has released an advisory on AYUSH interventions for prophylaxis & management of COVID-19 and AYUSH guidelines for COVID-19 cases for caregivers. “No such medicine is developed that can be used as a substitute for Allopathic, Homeopathic medicines or vaccines currently being administered against COVID-19,” he said.