Epigraph:
Every human life is precious and sacred, saving one is like saving the whole of humanity. (Al Quran 5:32/33)
Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times
I have been a physician for 35 years and an avid blogger for the last 10 years and have been completely consumed with studying and discussing the Covid 19 pandemic for the last few weeks and here are some of my ideas.
Truth matters. When it comes to laws of nature you cannot fake it. According to the Washington Post, President Trump has 16,000 lies to his credit just in the last three years. He can continue to fool 45% of the US population till date but to the other 55% it is becoming abundantly clear that he cannot escape the human and economic consequences of Covid 19, even if he labels it Chinese virus. Laws of nature prevail whether we acknowledge them or not.
Michael Servetus (1509-1553) was burnt alive on the stake for sticking to a purer understanding of Monotheism and refused to yield to Trinity. He chose to stand for truth rather than yield to the political power of his opposition. His words noted in the above quote are certainly worthy of our attention. I have found this quote to be good advice and aspire to follow it for the rest of my life.
Homeopathy is very unlikely to work against Covid 19. So please do not fool yourself into a false sense of security. Those who may need more detailed information can ask questions in the comment section.
Social distancing is working in Spain, Italy and Germany and there is broad information available in the general media that their curves are flattening and the rate of increase of new cases has decreased there.
Prayers help, as the All Powerful God of Abrahamic faiths can influence each and every quantum of our universe without messing up our understanding of laws of nature; even though I cannot demonstrate it in a double blind study but surely through logical, philosophical and religious proofs.
Wearing masks in public are going to be fundamental in stemming the pandemic even though the US officials are not completely ready to acknowledge this truth at the present time.
Half the cases are asymptomatic and that underscores the importance of masks.
Mild cases do not need any treatment.
FDA has issued emergency authorization of anti-malaria drug for coronavirus care. Older patients and those who are compromised in other ways and have symptoms more than a simple runny nose or sore throat should be given:
Hydroxychloroquine 200mg twice a day for 5 days
Azithromycin 500mg once a day for 5 days
Zinc sulfate 220mg once a day for 5 days
My evidence so far is slim, but here it is: New York Times: Malaria Drug Helps Virus Patients Improve, in Small Study. We should monitor QT interval by doing EKGs in those given hydroxychloroquine.
Testing is not freely available thanks to lack of planning by the Western governments and without tests we have to make our best clinical judgment. I am a Pulmonologist and know for a fact that CXR can miss early and significant disease and if you are serious to pick up lung disease you need a CT of chest.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. medication Remdesivir is expensive and not freely available and multiple trials are running to demonstrate its promise.
The first batch of clinical data could be available in April, as Chinese scientists have been testing remdesivir in two trials in mild-to-moderate and severe COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, which until recently was the epicenter of the outbreak.
Patients who are seriously or critically ill should seek transfer to hospitals where they can receive plasma from patients who have recovered from Covid 19 infection.
If we follow the laws of nature without faking it or make belief we have the greatest likelihood of survival.
The last piece that I have learnt is that mortality is different in different populations. In US it is very likely that 99.5% of the population will survive this ordeal. These are good odds. We can be fearful of the half percent risk or celebrate the 99.5% optimism.
And finally: Corona Fear’s Cure: Chanting from the Bible and the Quran.
Categories: Health, Highlight, Homeopathy, The Muslim Times
Nicely summarized and very well put. I may not agree with every thing in the summary. I also have been a Physician for almost as many years and also has been consumed in the study of Covid-19.
I would disagree with the assessment regarding homeopathy. I must say that my 2 kids in Medical school disagree with me and claim that my reason for disagreement is rooted in my religious belief.
As a student of Medicine, I humbly disagree with them also. The reason is not in my belief but a simple science that explains a well established treatment that I happen to practice for couple of decades, yes i am referring to immunotherapy. The basic concept with immunotherapy is the same as homeopathy and I believe that through Gods grace I have been able to help and at times cure thousands of patients by using the science of immunotherapy. Very simply put it’s a system of treatment that attempts to cure by strengthening the body’s resistance and leading to the production of IgG or blocking antibodies with the administration of minute doses of substance that ordinarily would cause illness. Now what’s wrong with this science and concept and if we say nothing why can’t we apply to homeopathy.
Thanks
Thank you so much my dear Dr. Zarar Bajwa. Honest and polite discussion always promotes the cause of truth.
I am very glad that we can have this discussion here.
The dilutions of usual formulations of homeopathy are such that the medicine actually does not exist in the doses given to the patients, so unlikely to work as immunotherapy.
This is why Richard Dawkins says that one who genuinely demonstrates the benefit of homeopathy will not only get Nobel Prize in medicine but also in physics.
I do believe that homeopathy does work for a large number of patients due to placebo effect and I have demonstrated that in a previous article. So, it helps in disorders with significant psychosomatic component.
Claims of success of homeopathy against Covid 19, were made at the very onset of epidemic, before the virus traveled out of China; showing the world that homeopaths did not need any evidence or observation before making tall claims.
Here I will link the articles we have about homeopathy from broadly respected sources:
https://themuslimtimes.info/category/homeopathy/
My very dear Dr Zia, I will once again agree with your thoughts regarding the dilutions being not exact but last time I checked medicine is not an exact science.
I don’t practice homeopathy and in no ways will consider myself to be an expert in homeopathy. All I am saying is that in my opinion based on theory and science, it can work.
Let me quote James Taylor Kent, of course considered the father of homeopathy” while homeopathy is a perfect science, it’s truth is partially known. The truth itself relates to the Divine, the knowledge relates to man”
Let me quote Mahtama Gandhi also, not a scientist but a very smart man who agreed that Homeopathy cures a large percentage of cases than many other methods and sciences and is beyond doubt safer and and most complete medical science” disclosure I don’t agree fully with him but nevertheless a genius in its own right any way.
👉🏽 “Homeopathy does not work, so please do not fool yourself into a false sense of security. Those who may need more detailed information can ask questions in the comment section.”
What BOLD claim! This claim would may have been justified by some one had done exhausting studies as well as practiced the homeopathy medicine for long time and finally gave up on this idea.
Since when a man who humbled (by hiding in isolation from a virus), has absolute knowledge of science?
The best statement one could honestly make is that in his or her knowledge/experience it didn’t work.
Let’s stay true to ourselves, so when our future generations see these writings, they don’t laugh on the ignorance of the writer.
Just a simple claim that there is no evidence at all that homeopathy works for Covid 19.
Qaisar is wrong here not only morally but also logically. Ad Hominem Fallacy: (abusive and circumstantial): the fallacy of attacking the character or circumstances of an individual who is advancing a statement or an argument instead of seeking to disprove the truth of the statement or the soundness of the argument.
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I have rephrased my criticism of homeopathy slightly in the article on request of a friend.
As a student of medicine you don’t have to be religious. Medicinal cures leaves the patient returned to normal without troubling their mind with the jews imaginary tales embedded in their own handwritten Scriptures.