How Homeopathy can contribute in the times of COVID-19

Homeopathy has a long history of prophylaxis against and treatment during epidemics. A lot is known about increasing immunity with homeopathy in India & across the world. However, there is some evidence of homeopathic prophylaxis and treatment against infectious diseases specifically. Historically, homeopathy was used to treat and protect against scarlet fever by its founder, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. Homeopathy was also famously used during the Spanish flu epidemic after World War 1¹. Dr. Marino has published peer reviewed research about homeopathic prophylaxis against swine flu², and dengue ³. In 2013 another peer reviewed publication by Robert Mathie⁴ and others surveyed over one thousand cases of swine flu like symptoms in India during 2009 and concluded that there was basis to justify further research.

One of the most important pieces of research on prophylaxis with homeopathy in recent memory is the prophylactic effect of homeopathic medicines prepared by dilutions of the causative organism of a disease called leptospirosis in Cuba. This was published in 2010⁵. 2.3 million Cubans were provided homeopathic prophylaxis and a much lower than expected incidence of the infection occurred that year. What is most relevant about this is that leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that humans contract from animals!

It is irresponsible to suggest that the cure or vaccine for COVID-19 lies with homeopathy. At a time when conventional medicine is clutching at straws to treat patients, with no evidence to support its lines of treatment and with varying degrees of success, homeopathy should also be considered. Awareness of the high safety profile of homeopathy, absence of any adverse interactions with conventional medicines and ease of administration should mitigate all reservations regarding deploying homeopathy. Homeopathy, has anecdotally, demonstrated positive therapeutic effects in cases of dengue, swine flu and SARS. Sometimes homeopaths are called in extremely advanced and life-threatening illness stages of these viral infections. Not just for treating viruses but many people also rely on homeopathic treatment for cancer in India. Some of these diseases were novel until recently! These are the points which should inform decisions regarding the use of homeopathy for COVID-19.

This is a seminal time for national health services. Countries are grappling with the possibility or reality of an overwhelmed health care system. In England, final year students of medicine and nursing are being graduated as doctors and nurses respectively. A call for 250,000 volunteers has been made, and vehemently answered, to assist in the national effort against COVID-19. In the United States, all manufacturers who can are being asked to make medical devices and personal protection equipment. All forms of medical practitioners are being asked to help in the emergency rooms of hospitals. Retired nurses are being asked to report to hospitals. Families are sewing facemasks at home and sending them to healthcare centres. In the face of paucity, nurses are using garbage bags as personal protection equipment. Every single resource, which can be made available for the delivery of healthcare, is being commandeered for it in every country that is dealing with the global pandemic.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (I.C.M.R.) recently published models to predict the possible number of cases of COVID-19. According to this model 26% of the Indian population may be infected and 1 in 450 infected individuals may die of this disease. This means roughly 35.78 crore Indians may be infected and about 7.9 lakh may die. Another recent article by Brookings Institute India estimates that the total number and distribution of hospital beds in India are woefully inadequate or disproportionately distributed for the population it serves. . Uttar Pradesh and other densely populated states have lower than the national average of government hospital beds. Therefore, government hospital beds may not be available everywhere they are needed in every instance. If every single government hospital bed is utilised for COVID-19 (which is not possible), India will still not be able to hospitalise even the numbers expected to die of the disease. We need all hands on deck, right now.

The sea of patients who will need clinical examination, detailed history taking, testing, follow up care and many other auxiliary measures just to identify a substantial fraction of true cases cannot be handled by the government run hospitals and their doctors alone. The private health care infrastructure has been roped in. Steps have been taken to ramp up isolation wards and beds towards this end. Every single nurse, laboratory technician, operation theatre technician, doctor, registered medical practitioner, paramedic and any one with some basic training in the medical sciences will need to be called upon to do their bit. Recently, the ministry of health has roped in Accredited Social Health Activists (A.S.H.A.), Aanganwadi workers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (A.N.M.) to assist in dealing with this crisis. This has added 39 lakh pairs of hands to the effort!

India possesses a unique army of doctors in its alternative systems of medicine. The Prime Minister held a meeting with AYUSH practitioners on COVID-19 but not much has taken off on the ground. Homeopaths and Ayurvedic practitioners are trained in most subjects taught to students of conventional medicine. They are also trained to conduct a detailed clinical examination of patients and do so daily at their respective practices. If enlisted in the fight against COVID-19, homeopathic doctors require no additional training save for being kept informed of evolving guidelines for case identification, evaluation and referral. Senior practitioners or some of the best doctors in India of homeopathy occupy a position of respect and influence in the society they have served for decades. Utilizing their positions as thought leaders may increase compliance of public health measures.

Shedding any biases that may be at play, the ministry of health and other authorities should rope in in all practitioners under the ministry of AYUSH with expedience. This can add 7.9 lakh trained healthcare workers towards a fight where no stone should be left unturned. Homeopathy and Ayurveda have central councils and state boards. Guidelines, directions, and deployment instructions can be effectively communicated through these channels.

To paraphrase several people far more eloquent than me, we are no longer allopath, homeopaths, ayurveds or nurses. We are simply individuals with varying level of competence in medicine. At a time where citizens are being asked to give up their livelihood and continue an incarcerated existence, there will be few who will refuse a call to help in mitigating the impact that this disease may have on our nation.

Dr. Kushal Banerjee

1.  Mackay J. The History of Homeoprophylaxis and Review of the Evidence to Support its Efficacy. Homœopathic Links. //14.03.2012 2012;25(01):56-61.
2.  Marino R. Flu pandemics: homeopathic prophylaxis and definition of the epidemic genius. International Journal of High Dilution Research-ISSN 1982-6206. 2009;8(28):100-109.
3. Marino R. Homeopathy and collective health: the case of dengue epidemics. International Journal of High Dilution Research-ISSN 1982-6206. 2008;7(25):179-185.
4.  Mathie RT, Baitson ES, Frye J, Nayak C, Manchanda RK, Fisher P. Homeopathic treatment of patients with influenza-like illness during the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic in India. Homeopathy. 2013;102(03):187-192.
5. Roniger H, Jacobs J. Prophylaxis against Leptospirosis using a nosode: Can this large cohort study serve as a model for future replications? Homeopathy. 2010;99(03):153-155.