KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of social media users and people consider Aspand (peganum harmala) smoke as effective in treatment of Covid-19 but medical experts say the smoke is not only ineffective, but also harmful for Covid-19 patients.
Claim: Aspand smoke is useful for disinfecting of the environment with Covid-19 and for patients infected by the virus.
Verdict: Medical experts say that Aspand smoke is not only ineffective for treating Covid-19 disease, but also harmful for all patients.
Following the outbreak of the fourth wave of Covid-19 in Afghanistan, a number of social media users considered Aspand smoke effective for Covid-19 disease and encouraged people to use it for treatment of the disease.
Aspand is anti-Covid-19
Akbar, a Twitter user, in a post said that he received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine but he was still infected.
He in his post encouraged people to inhale Aspand smoke to prevent infection with Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Afghan Paper, a website, also published an article titled “Disinfecting the environment with Aspand smoke.”
The article says that Aspand smoke is good for disinfecting home, work environment and preventing the spread of Covid-19.
New studies about the therapeutic properties of Aspand seed commonly known as Syrian rue and smoke have shown that it is a disinfectant for viruses, but the smoke should be carefully used as it effects the nervous system.
Nooria, a resident of Kabul city, told Pajhwok Afghan News that her father had been diagnosed with Covid-19. She said her father in addition to taking medicine and following the doctor’s advice, also inhaled Aspand smoke three or four times a day which was recommended by her grandmother.
She said that her grandmother believes Aspand smoke kills viruses in the home and human’s body.
This comes as many Afghan people historically believe that Aspand smoke is used for fighting evil and now it is used for treating Covid-19.
Aspand smoke is harmful for Covid-19 patients: Health experts
Dr. NoorulhaqYousufzai, a pediatric professor, told Pajhwok that all smoke producing materials contained oxide carbon which he termed as anti-oxygen and harmful to Covid-19 patients.
“The lungs of Covid-19 patients are inflamed and cannot get enough oxygen from the air, that is the reason we recommend providing them extra oxygen,” he said about the health situation of Covid-19 patients.
Yousufzai said that the smoke has a sufficient amount of carbon monoxide and pollution of the environment with carbon monoxide causes problems in the respiratory system and causes vomiting and cough in a patient.
He said that burnable materials and smoke are not only ineffective for treating Covid-19 but it was even harmful.
He called on the people not to listen to rumors and avoid the use of smoky substances because it makes a patient’s situation worse.
MirnyBratzi, in charge of IPC at Afghan-Japan Hospital in Kabul, told Pajhwok that patients infected by Covid-19 need to be treated with oxygen and should be kept in an area with fresh air.
Smoke is not good for Covid-19 disease as air pollution and any kind of smoke causes shortness of breath and people should avoid inhaling the smoke of Aspand for their patients, he said.
Pajhwok repeatedly asked for comment from the Ministry of Public Health about the issue, but no one responded.
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