Making claims that havenโt been verified can mislead the public
แปแปฬni Adรฉyแบนyแบนฬ แบธniรฌtร n รgรบnwรนsรฌ, แปฬjรกjรก II released a video promoting traditional herbal remedies to cure the coronavirus via Twitter on March 30, 2020.
Check out Global Voicesโ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
The novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 is shaking up the world like a massive earthquake.
According to John Hopkins University, the coronavirus has infected over 900,000 people worldwide; Nigeria currently has 174 cases as of April 1, 2020.
As researchers and scientists work assiduously to produce a vaccine that can serve as a panacea to the pandemic, traditional herbalists have also come forward with solutions.
In Nigeria, the รdรฌmรบlร Ifแบนฬ, the king of the Yorรนbรก people, แปแปฬni Adรฉyแบนyแบนฬ แบธniรฌtร n รgรบnwรนsรฌ, แปฬjรกjรก II, believes that natural herbs can cure COVID-19.
In partnership with YemKem International, an alternative medicine company, the แปแปฬni (king) is working to create an herbal therapy to be mass-produced and packaged for sale.
The concoction is based on a mix of bitter leaves, neem leaves and seeds, sulfur, black pepper and cloves that are traditionally used in Yorรนbรกland as powerful antioxidants to flush the system of harmful viruses.
The แปแปฬni, who doubles as the co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), took to Twitter in a series of tweets to announce his discovery, making claims that his unique herbal mix had been tested on himself and others with the coronavirus. In the March 30 tweets, the แปแปฬni calls on researchers to use natural herbs to produce a vaccine.
I'm also currently working with Yem Kem International (Alternative Medicine Expert) pharmaceutical company for the packaging and distribution of these globally.
It is about time to save the world now. Tomorrow may be too late.Let's all keep safe.#Coronavirus #COVID19
โ แปแปฬni แบธniรฌtร n รgรบnwรนsรฌ (@OoniAdimulaIfe) March 30, 2020
The tweets contain two videos with detailed instructions on herbal home remedies, including the use of onions to extract viral infections and the use of incense to expel โnegative energy.โ
Traditional beliefs versus scientific process
Traditional herbal medicine plays a major role in Yorรนbรก culture.
Every June โ the beginning of a new calendar year in Yorรนbรกland โ adherents of the god of wisdom (Ifรก) in the Yorรนbรก cosmology gather for this festival on รkรจ รtasแบนฬ where Ifรก speak and forecast the future.
On June 6, 2019, at the World Ifรก Festival, รtรบrรก Mรฉjรฌ of the Ifรก forecasted the โimpending rage of an invisible pandemic war.โ This prediction is now believed to be COVID-19.
A divine proclamation came out to the world last year June 6th 2019, during the World Ifa Festival โ Otura Meji. We foretold about the impending rage of this invisible pandemic war, but few heard us.
Please note that Efod/ Urim and Thurim are in the holy Books.
โ แปแปฬni แบธniรฌtร n รgรบnwรนsรฌ (@OoniAdimulaIfe) March 30, 2020
The World Health Organization (WHO) has supported traditional medicine as a part of primary health care and released a bulletin on the ethical analysis of herbal medicine for global health.
However, WHO has also made it clear that there is no known cure or vaccine for COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
Making claims about herbal remedies that havenโt been verified through careful scientific vetting can be misleading to the public.
Dr. Olรบwatรณmidรฉ Adรฉoyรจ, a drug development scientist based in Lisbon, Portugal, refutes the kingโs natural herbal remedy cure for the coronavirus.
In an email to Global Voices, Dr. Adรฉoyรจ wrote:
There is no way that [the แปแปฬni] could know for certain that his โmedicineโ (concoction) can cure the coronavirus. The proper protocol to test such medicine will be to (i) isolate the virus and test the medicine in โpetri dishes,โ if effective, (ii) test in animals (models) and eventually in (iii) Humans (safety and efficacy).
The pharmacologist asserts:
Even if we assume they jumped straight to human trials, there is no evidence that แปแปฬni has test kits with which he diagnosed people for COVID-19 in order to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the purported medicine.
In the email, Dr. Adรฉoyรจ also debunks several myths about traditional remedies promoted by the king in his videos.
For example, the king claims that onions kill negative energy and harbors positive energy. Sliced onions placed under the feet can neutralize and suppress the virus and strengthen the immune system.
Dr. Adรฉoyรจ says that academic papers that support these onion claims โare often scientifically poorโ in terms of experimental designs, controls and data robustness. And that โmore than 90 percent of such claims fail the efficacy-safety tests in human trialsโ:
Even if we assume that onions are effective viral neutralizers โ if they canโt get into the body or get into the lungs (in the right dose/concentration), there's no way for them to act and be effective.
Dr. Adรฉoyรจ also dismissed the kingโs claim that burning incense is effective.
Considering the breathing difficulties observed in COVID-19 patients, it will be an extremely stupid thing to reduce the air quality (oxygen) of someone whose lungs are under-performing.
While burning incense is a big part of popular culture in Nigeria, the incense itself โis not an effective disinfectant,โ Dr. Adรฉoyรจ told Global Voices.
On the public health implications of the kingโs claim, Dr. Adรฉoyรจ pointed out that those who market โtheir own snake oil as corona medicine โฆ will only lead to more death.โ
Dr. Adรฉoyรจ also warned that herbal concoctions โrun the risk of acute and chronic toxicities.โ
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