The All India Institute of Medical Science, Rishikesh is researching the effect of chanting Gayatri Mantra and performing Pranayama on Covid-19 patients in addition to usual treatment.
It has identified 20 patients and equally divided them into two groups A and B.
Ten patients of Group A, along with the usual treatment for Covid-19, will also be chanting Gayatri Mantra, in addition to an hour session of Pranayama in the morning and the evening.
The other 10 patients in Group B are only getting the usual treatment for Covid-19.
In this 14-day long trial, the hospital will observe the changes in the level of inflammation in the body.
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Before the beginning of the trial, the C-reactive protein, which measures the general level of inflammation in the body, of all the twenty patients have been recorded along with many other inflammatory markers such as Interleukin 6(IL6) levels, Chest X-ray, etc.
After 14 days of the trial, the hospital will repeat all these tests on all the patients to study if Group A which chanted Gayatri Mantra and did pranayama has any change in inflammatory markers from Group B.
The study has been sponsored by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India.
The Principal investigator Dr Ruchi Dua who is an Assistant professor in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine in AIIMS, Rishikesh refused to divulge any details about the study.
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However, sources in the DST have confirmed that two groups have been created and the trial is already underway. “After the study, the report will be compiled and a decision will be taken about its publication,” the source said.
According to the details available on the website of the Clinical Trial Registry of India, the whole project is “a pilot study to see the effect of Gayatri Mantra and pranayama in terms of inflammatory markers in hospitalized covid-19 patients.”
The project was registered on the website this year on February 5.
Patients of the trial group get will be getting instructions to chant Gayatri Mantra and do pranayama through video-conferencing/Google meet at the hospital or at home after discharge.
These patients have also been provided with videos and pictures on how to do the Gayatri mantra and pranayama.
The summary presented by the hospital to CTRI says, “Coronavirus caused by SARS-CoV2 is one of the major viruses that primarily targets the human respiratory system. The Gayatri Mantra is the most sacred prayer of the Hindus. There is no effective treatment or vaccine for this virus as of yet.”
It adds, “Scientists are racing against time for a miracle cure/vaccine to fight this pandemic which has gripped the world. In this scenario role of pranayama and Gayatri mantra chanting which has been used in other diseases and has shown promising effects becomes vital.”
