COVID-19 Cases and Comorbidities: Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Systems (CAM) for Integrated Management of the Pandemic

• Published in: Journal of herbal medicine 2023-12, Vol.42, p.100745, Article 100745
• Main Authors: Jema, J.P., Pradhan, J., Chainy, G.B.N., Hati, A.K., Nayak, D., Kaushik, S., Dandapat, J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ayurveda; Comorbidity; COVID-19; Homoeopathy; SARS-COV 2; Traditional Chinese medicine and Unani; Vaccines
• ISSN: 2210-8033
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hermed.2023.100745

In today’s world, civilisation is striving hard to restore order in the socio-economic and health sectors after the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Despite widespread immunisation efforts worldwide, cases are still being reported frequently. The complete eradication of COVID-19 from society remains a far-fetched task, and it may continue to be a lurking threat in the days to come. However, offering promise, the complementary and alternative medicinal system (CAM) has proven effective in managing COVID-19 in conjunction with the existing therapeutic approaches. In this review, the overall efficacy of CAMs against SARS CoV-2 has been compiled on a single platform based on information collected from various databases such as ‘Google Scholar,’ ‘PubMed,’ ‘Science Direct,’ ‘Shodhganga,’ and ‘Research Gate,’ as described in the methods. The databases of WHO and AYUSH, Government of India, have also been followed. This analytical review suggests that the CAM system (Unani, Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and Homoeopathy) has been extensively used with proven efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19. Clinical outcomes have also been correlated with its efficacy. The CAM system can be widely adopted for both therapeutic and preventive measures, boosting the body's immunity. Integrating CAM into the management of COVID-19 could offer an option not only to control the symptoms during the infection but also to prevent the resurgence of such a pandemic in the future. Additionally, the severity of COVID-19 cases has been discussed with reference to comorbidities, along with the holistic impact of CAM in such instances. •SARS CoV-2 virus infects host cell by interacting ACE-2.•Various types of comorbidity increase the severity of the COVID-19 consequences.•Emerging variants of virus due to mutations have raised questions about the efficacy of vaccine.•Strengthening of immune system could be the major alternative to fight against the virus infection.•CAM can be widely adopted for both therapeutic as well as preventive measures to manage COVID-19 pandemic.