Impact of the COVID -19 Pandemic on Ayurveda Practice & Research: An Observational Output

Abstract

Impacts of diseases can be assessed through various changes in society after an  insurgence of new disease. It remarkably influences the existing system and can be interpreted as positive,  negative or neutral based on the sensible variables. Although negative impacts are noted in terms of lock  down of Ayurveda hospitals, clinics, Ksharasutra clinics (Para-surgical practice for anorectal diseases) and  panchakarma centers. There is a significant drop of OPD strength due to lock down and shut down process.  IPD services of most of Ayurveda hospital is closed down or running with very less patients. There is a  mass drop out/partial drop out of research subjects from ongoing clinical trials and new patient’s recruitment  is not possible for close down of clinical laboratories. But positive impact is more as it creates awareness  to opt Ayurveda kwatha, nasya, pranayama and yogasana to prevent COVID-19 which reached every house  of India. More funds are diverted for clinical trials of Ayurveda formulations in COVID-19, purchase of  sanitizer, masks, PPE kits etc and awareness. AYUSH Sanjeevani app is much successful procedure to  monitor the AYUSH advocacy in COVID-19. Ayurveda Kits for corona have been distributed in venerable  groups and front-line warriors by different Ayurveda Colleges and Institutes. Many Institutes conducted  Webinars on Practice of Ayurveda Immuno-booter in COVID-19 from unlock-3 onwards to aware the  practicing doctors. Controversies raised for evidence of the efficacy and safety of Ayurveda formulations  in COVID-19 but preliminary evidences showed Ayurveda formulations like AYUSH-64 and others  showed better clinical output compared to conventional standard therapy in clinical trials. It was concluded that Positive impact is more than the negative Impact on Ayurveda practice and research in the COVID-19  pandemic situation.