4.3.2 Statistical Study on Effectiveness of Dry Ginger Therapy in preventing the spread of CoVID–19

Source: Statistical Study Group. August 29, 2020.

Introduction

This study was requested by Ms Shyampriyaa – an IT Engineer from Chandigarh by profession and a student of Ayurved by passion on behalf of Dr Hitesh Jani – ex Principal – Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar.

Dr Hitesh Jani has come up with Lokayurved wellness concept an effort of making the knowledge in the scriptures of Ayurved available to common men and women.

Ms Shyampriyaa is a Lokayurved project key catalyst.

Dr Shubhamangala Acharya is Karnataka Head – Lokayurved wellness concept.

Background

With the spread of CoVID – 19 in several parts of Gujarat, Dr Hitesh Jani and his team encouraged and facilitated consumption of Dry Ginger powder in Madhapar village near Bhuj and Jungleshwar area in Rajkot. These two were some of the CoVID hotspots at that point of time and consumption of Dry Ginger powder prevented further spread of CoVID – 19 spread and the areas were soon declared Corona free. The similar exercise was conducted in several containment zones in the city of Ahmedabad with the help of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

A truck load of dry Ginger powder was donated by Ambica Polymer Pvt. Ltd to Urban Community Development Department (UCD) of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), which was distributed in several containment zones under AMC with the combined and coordinated efforts of UCD – AMC and the volunteers working with Lokayurved.

The data and its interpretations have been provided by the Deputy Health Officer of West Zone of AMC as confirmed by Ms Shyampriyaa.

Data Studied

Two data points refer to the data collected on 25^th July, 2020 and 17^th August, 2020. The data consists of the no of live cases in a given containment zone, no of houses in the containment zone and total population of the containment zone. The reduction in all the 3 parameters was studied. Only one area cluster was repeated in the two studies, while the rest of the area clusters having containment zones as on 25^th July, 2020 did not feature into the list of containment zones on 17^th August, 2020.
All the containment zones referred here were provided some supply of Dry Ginger powder and were encouraged to continue to consume it in order to curtail the spread of CoVID – 19.

It may be observed here that Mangal Murti Apartment, Naranpura in the Naranpura Ward of West Zone of AMC is the only area cluster which is repeated as the containment zone during the studies conducted on 17^th August, 2020.
It may also be noted that as represented by the studies conducted on 25^th July, 2020, Mangal Murti Apartment was declared as a containment zone on 1^st June, 2020, while the studies conducted on 17^th August, 2020 indicate that the same was declared a containment zone on 16^th August, 2020.
This difference in the date of declaration as the containment zone may be interpreted that the apartment would have been removed from the list of containment zone and then re added to the list because of some reoccurrences of CoVID – 19 cases.
However, even in Mangal Murti Apartment, live cases were reduced by 80.77%, no of houses in the containment zone were reduced by 93.33% and total population in the containment zone was reduced by 92.86%.
The rest of the area clusters mentioned as containment zones as on 25^th July, 2020 were not included in the list of containment zones as on 17^th August, 2020, which may be interpreted that these areas were made Corona free.
Another online survey was also conducted wherein people were advised to consume Dry Ginger powder to prevent the infection of CoVID – 19 and were advised to fill up the online feedback forms.
Total 1943 online feedbacks were received (after eliminating a repeat entry and a test entry).
The questions were pertaining to the feeling of the persons after consumung Dry Ginger powder, whether they would recommend this preventive therapy to the others and who recommended them to consume Dry Ginger powder.
A brief study of these reports is as follows.

*Responses to the online feedback forms -1*

*Responses to the online feedback forms -2*

Several government as well as private authorities have requested / facilitated / acknowledged / appreciated the distribution of Dry Ginger powder for prevention of CoVID – 19 spread including Assistant Commissioner of Police, Jayanagar Sub – Division, Bengaluru City; Director of UCD, AMC; Deputy Commandant / CASO, CISF Unit, Rajkot Airport; Assistant Commandant / CASO, CISF Unit, Bhuj Airport; Deputy Commandant / CASO, CISF Unit, ASG Bhopal; Assistant Commandant / CASO, CISF Unit, ASG Vadodara; Commandant, CISF Unit, KPT Kandla; General Manager, Haryana Roadways, Panchkula.
Below is a brief of the Appreciation letters received from various authorities.

Acknowledgments

This report was jointly prepared by Mr Hardik Sarsavadiya and Mr Ashutosh Jani. The data was provided by team Lokayurved and UCD, AMC.

Conclusion

When the public as well as private authorities were busy combating CoVID – 19 and lockdown on several fronts, it was difficult to keep a statistical record of the Dry Ginger powder effort, however UCD AMC was kind enough to prepare some data and share it with the team Lokayurved, the present study focuses only on that data.
It may be noted that the entire exercise has been far bigger than what is represented by the data above on account of unavailability of statistical data for the rest of the efforts other than UCD, AMC.

The Statistical Study Group finds Dry Ginger therapy highly effective in preventing the spread of CoVID – 19, however one may find it appropriate to consult team Lokayurved (www.lokayurved.com) or any other knowledgeable Ayurvedic medical practitioner before consuming Dry Ginger powder.