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Experts have largely dismissed a document that suggests yoga could protect against the coronavirus.
A team at Phule Pune University in India argued that existing measures to combat the outbreak are “insufficient.”
They felt that the “therapeutic potential of traditional and complementary medicine systems such as Ayurveda and yoga” “was not really considered during this crisis.”
Writing in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the team “tried to highlight” how unconventional approaches could avoid coronavirus and help treat respiratory disease COVID-19.
Experts have called the document “doubtful”, “unsubstantiated” and “not particularly scientific”.
A union member wears a mask at a demonstration in Berlin. (False images)
Coconut oil “can protect against the entry of pathogens,” says the document.
The coronavirus is believed to have emerged in a seafood and live animal market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, in late 2019.
Anyone can get the infection, however the elderly and those who are already sick are at higher risk for complications.
Only the relatively small number of people worldwide who have been exposed to the virus are believed to have immunity against it.
The Phule Pune team argued that preventive measures only focus on how to fight the virus or develop immunity, ignoring the “host,” in this case, people.
They advocate Ayurveda, an ancient belief that wellness depends on a delicate balance between mind, body and spirit.
The team wrote that building immunity by “mental strength” can help people cope with “stressors, including infection.”
Supposedly, “physiological masks” and “therapeutic cleansing procedures” could also keep people virus-free.
According to reports, the Ayurvedic texts recommend “the application of medicinal oils made from butter oil (Ghee) and vegetable oils such as sesame or coconut in the nostrils.
“This can protect the respiratory tract from the entry of pathogens.”
A customer collects deliveries in Yvelines, France. (False images)
Yoga “does not prevent coronavirus in any way”
Experts have largely dismissed the Phule Pune team’s claims.
“The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine has a history of publishing documents of dubious quality and making unsubstantiated claims,” Dr David Head of the University of Southampton told Yahoo UK.
“The authors conclude that” yoga, including meditation, could be a simple and useful practice at home for prevention and post-recovery management of COVID-19. “
“There is no evidence to support this statement.”
People who experience complications from the coronavirus tend to develop pneumonia.
This occurs when a respiratory infection spreads to the alveoli (alveoli) in the lungs.
The air sacs become inflamed and fill with fluid or pus.
As the lungs struggle to suck in air, oxygen levels in the blood decrease and carbon dioxide accumulates.
Dr. Head argued that the quotes the team included in their article “do not conclude that yoga can prevent viral pneumonia.”
“Yoga can be helpful for relaxation and reducing stress, but it will in no way prevent COVID-19,” he said.
“It is important to always refer to the main councils and public health professionals.”
This opinion was repeated by another expert.
Dr. Kao Rowland of the University of Edinburgh told Yahoo UK that the document “does not appear to be particularly scientific.”
“There is no real offer of evidence to back up the piece’s claims,” he added.
However, not all experts immediately ruled out the role.
“For all new therapies and therapeutic approaches it is important to see the evidence behind a recommendation for their use,” Professor David Heymann of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told Yahoo UK.
“If they have an evidence base that suggests they are effective, they should be considered for use.
“This applies to all medications and therapeutic approaches.”
The NHS states that there is “some evidence” that regular yoga helps alleviate depression and stress.
Scientists have previously expressed concern that the pandemic may have a “profound” and “widespread” impact on people’s mental health.
For the most part, the World Health Organization has dismissed myths how adding pepper to soup or a hot bath could prevent the coronavirus.
Politician Marine Le Pen arrives to deposit a wreath on the statue of Joan of Arc in Paris. (False images)
What is the coronavirus?
Coronavirus is one of seven strains of a class of virus known to infect humans.
Others cause everything from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), which killed 774 people during its 2002/3 outbreak.
Since the outbreak was identified, more than 3.2 million cases have been confirmed worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Of these cases, more than a million are known to have “recovered.”
Globally, the death toll has exceeded 233,700.
The coronavirus is spread mainly face to face through infected droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing.
There is also evidence that it is transmitted in feces and can survive on surfaces.
Coronavirus does not have an “established” treatment, and most patients naturally fight the infection.
Those who require hospitalization receive “supportive care,” such as ventilation, while their immune systems go to work.
Authorities have urged people to avoid infection by washing their hands regularly and maintaining social distance.
