LONDON (UK) – According to a BBC report, an Indian herbal remedy is being sold in London shops, mainly where Asians reside, as an ‘immunity booster’. Despite the claims of its manufacturer, Patanjali Ayurveda, that the pills guard against “respiratory tract infections”, recent tests carried out for the broadcaster have revealed they do not offer any such protection.
During a lab test of the remedy named Coronil conducted by Birmingham University for the BBC, it was found that the pills have plant-based ingredients which cannot protect against the novel coronavirus.
As per the report, virologist Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar said the idea of “boosting” immunity has no connection with treating coronavirus.
She said, “There are lots of nuances in how our immune system responds to the virus. We do not even know that heightening immunity helps.”
“It is unclear what Coronil is trying to do to the immune system,” the report quoted her.
A shop in Wembley was found promoting Coronil as a “COVID-19 immunity booster”. That said, it flouts British advertising rules, which ban any reference to the virus and “boosting immunity”.
Claims from the same have been doing the rounds in India where it is allowed and Patanjali Ayurved has a large number of followers in the country, said the report.
According to the BBC, there are at least four other stores that sell the pills, with the claim of ‘boosting immunity’.
“I take it because I’m 78. If I go out shopping I could catch coronavirus from anybody. That’s why I take it… to protect myself,” the BBC quoted a customer as saying.
According to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), there are no health claims in the UK, which are authoritative enough to say that any substance can “boost” immunity.
Unless a licence is obtained from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), no claims can be made to prevent, treat or alleviate the symptoms of coronavirus, said the report.
The BBC said MHRA has not given approval to Coronil for any use. “Appropriate action will be taken where any unauthorised medicinal product is offered or sold on the UK market,” it quoted the agency as saying.
As per the report, Patanjali Ayurved founder Baba Ramdev said in June that Coronil had even managed to cure coronavirus patients.
“Our medicine resulted in 69% of coronavirus patients testing negative after three days and 100% after seven days,” the report quoted him as saying earlier.