COVID19, Hot Water and Ayurveda

In such times where life is anything but as we know it, keeping well and especially doing what we can to prevent illness is top of everyone's priorities. COVID-19 is a terrifying and as yet not fully understood disease. As often happens, a lot of information is shared across media channels, some of which is misinformation or passed on in good faith giving hope - sometimes false hope. Although experts across the globe are collaborating around the clock to understand the coronavirus and find treatment and a vaccine, nothing is yet officially approved. Despite claims to the contrary across various sites, there is no miracle cure or prevention, no diet or practice that can counter scientific understanding in this case.

This post therefore refers to one of the disseminated rumours that hot drinks and gargling are two ways to counter this and will focus on the first. This rumour indicates that regular sipping of hot liquids keeps the mouth moist and flushes the virus that may have entered the mouth to the stomach where gastric juices neutralise it, thus not spreading to the lungs which are the organs most severely and primarily affected by solidifed mucous in the airways that must be opened.

Sensible as this sounds on first reading, I would refer you to paragraph one. However, from the perspective of Ayurveda and natural home remedies it is understandable why many people globally have taken faith in this advice which will be explained below.

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