There is no scientific evidence that tying a homemade pouch full of different spices can protect people from Covid-19. The video has been viewed thousands of times but the claim is false and is misleading people.
By First check team
A Youtube video from the channel Yogis video viewed thousands of times claims that tying a sack of spices and camphor can protect people from Covid-19. The video also claims that one can get rid of coronavirus by burning camphor in your house so that anti-microbial properties stay inside the house.
The video suggests putting together 2gm each of peppercorns, cloves, carom seeds, and nutmeg. It further suggests adding 10 gms of camphor to make a small sack of the ingredients. This sack can be tied to hands, arms, or can be kept in pockets to ward off the virus. It further claims that these home available ingredients have anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties that can ward the coronavirus. The speaker in the video claims that coronavirus is also a type of influenza virus and can be cured with this sack.
However, according to Hopkins medicine blog by The Johns Hopkins University “influenza and COVID-19 are both infectious respiratory illnesses. Although the symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu can look similar, the two illnesses are caused by different viruses.”
The video starts with informing people about foods that can boost their immunity and also ends on a constructive note requesting people not to step out of their homes.
But the claim that small pouches of ingredients – peppercorns, cloves, nutmegs, carom seeds, and camphor can protect one from Covid-19 has no scientific evidence till date.
According to a study published in the journal of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, black peppercorn has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that can help in building our immunity but it is definitely neither a cure for Covid-19 nor can it protect people from catching the virus.
According to the CDC, “washing hands with soap and water is the best way to protect yourself from getting sick – it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. In case, there is no soap and water, hand sanitizer is a substitute.”
Currently, over 120 vaccines have been proposed across the world, and WHO is tracking details on their type and progress.
Furthermore, Ayurvedic practitioners and researchers in India and the US are planning to initiate a joint clinical trial for Ayurveda formulations against the novel coronavirus.
