Alpinia officinarum acts as internal mask against communicable diseases.

Nowadays, COVID-19 becomes a great challenge for human life. Lacks of people died all over the world. Previously, it was announced by the World Health Organization about spreading of disease from one person to others through physical contact like shaking hands, hugging, etc. later on, it was told that this virus is lived in the air for more than three hours. It is unknown that whether people in our surroundings are well or affected with corona. It is very difficult to identify infected persons. If symptoms like coughing, sneezing, body temperature, etc appear in a person, we may get awareness and make social distancing and avoid physical contact of such people but recently it was reported that some person whom there were no symptoms appeared but found corona positive and that is why they have been categorized in to two categories, a person who showed symptoms, named as “Symptomatic patient” and the person not showing any symptoms for corona but carrying viruses is named as “ Asymptomatic” Might this virus unable to harm such asymptomatic person due to strong immunity but if any person comes in contact to the asymptomatic person, the corona may jump up to the other human body and once it gets new host, it may start multiplication base on position of the immune system of the body as a result it makes ready again symptomatic or asymptomatic patient and then such a chain may continue. Many countries are continuously trying to prepare a a suitable vaccine to treat this pandemic disease but still not a success because of the typical structure of the corona and its tendency to continuous changing its spike protein nature based on that it adheres to the host. Anyway, it will again take more than a year to come a conclusion to decide vaccine till then, two precautionary measures only will work. The first precaution is to maintain social distancing very honestly and the other is our awareness and alertness.

I have given many points in my previous blogs to avoid the infection of the corona by using traditional medicines. In continuation, I would like to inform a magical single drug that really works well and I practically experienced the same. This drug is very useful to those people who cannot opt stay home and has to go to attend essential services in lockdown period like our doctors, paramedical staff, medicine manufacturing staff, bankers, police department and others who have to compulsorily attend their duty for public welfare. The importance of this drug is well known to all people and I just make a reminder for its utility. 

Alpinia officinarum -Rhizome

Botanically, this is called Alpinia officinarum; family- Zingiberaceae, widely used in Siddha Medicines and culinary in the name of Sittrarattai in Tamil, Lesser Galangal in English and Kulanjan in Hindi. The the horizontal underground stem (rhizome) is used to make medicine. This drug popularly used for fever, muscle spasms, intestinal gas, and swelling (inflammation) to kill bacteria and viruses and as a stimulant. This spice is also used to improve certain ailments, as it's believed to help treat many infections, reduce inflammation, boost male fertility, and even fight different types of cancer. Wearing a mask and making social distancing is necessary before going out to work in order to avoid infection of corona a communicable disease. The rhizome of Alpinia officinarum would help to add one more safety measures along with face mask and social distancing and minimize risk by killing viruses if it crosses face mask and reaches in the mouth by chance. It is very simple to use the lesser galangal. Just take a dried and mature rhizome of lesser galangal. Cut a small piece of the rhizome of about 1.5 -2.0 cm long and 1.0-1.5 cm wide. Clean with drinking water and keep inside the mouth near premolar teeth and then wear face mask too. The cut pieces of lesser galangal will start work immediately. It is to be noted that the piece of lesser galangal neither crushes with teeth not swallow it. The saliva of the mouth will moist the drug and as a result, the extract of the drug will come out. The extract mixed saliva will not allow viruses to settle in the mouth cavity for multiplication but kill the viruses and bacteria before entering to the throat. On swallowing, it will go to the stomach and then the remaining portion of the virus will be destroyed there. This practice will work like an internal protective mask that will add one more layer of protection. After 4-5 hours, the piece of the drug should spit out and may be taken new pieces if it still requires during field duty. Staying at home, this practice is not necessary but if any shore throat or infection observed, it may be taken at homestay period too.

Precaution: In pregnancy and infant milk feeding, this drug may be taken under the supervision of Ayurveda or Siddha Physician only. Children under age 5 years may be avoided giving this medicine without proper consultancy of concerned doctors.