No, Neem Leaves and Ginger Steam Cannot Cure Coronavirus

Social media is replete with various unscientific and clearly bogus cures of coronavirus. A case in point is steam and a decoction of Neem leaves and Ginger that is going viral as a cure for coronavirus.

In a video shared on social media, a woman claims that she was cured of Covid-19 by only having a decoction and steam of Neem leaves and Ginger.

This is a false claim. Neem leaves and Ginger cannot cure Coronavirus.

WHAT'S THE CLAIM?

A woman in the video says, “I was suffering from Covid-19 so bad that I couldn’t breathe. I mixed Neem leaves and Ginger in the water and took steam from it. Then I drank a decoction (kadha) made from Neem leaves and Ginger. In just one day, I felt relieved and was cured of coronavirus.” (Translated from Hindi)

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Fact Crescendo received many fact-check requests about this video on our WhatsApp Factline.

FACT CHECK

Although neem extracts have been known for their anti-bacterial and other effects since ancient times, can it be used to cure coronavirus?

World Health Organization (WHO) says there is no evidence that eating ginger has protected people from Covid-19. It also busted the myth that herbs treat coronavirus.

Denying the viral claim, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine mentioned that ginger does not prevent or cure Covid-19.

Viral infections spread in your body when the virus enters your cells and makes copies of itself and then those copies enter new cells and repeat the process. Ginger will not destroy the virus in your body or stop the copying process.

Combining ginger with other ingredients, such as lemon, garlic, honey, or vinegar, will not destroy the virus. Drinking hot ginger tea, with or without these additional ingredients, will not prevent or cure COVID-19, it adds further.

Last year, Malaysia’s Ministry of Health also clarified that there was no scientific evidence to support the claim that Neem leaves can cure or prevent coronavirus. An official infographic released by the ministry states the claims are "myths".

Fact Crescendo spoke to Dr. Anushri Rathi of Hindustan Ayurvedic Health Care, Kerala.

"The viral claims about neem leaves are baseless and misleading. We don't know exactly at what stage she took the neem and ginger steam and decoction. Sometimes, patients feel better after 7 to 10 days from contracting Covid-19. It would not be wise then to give all the credit to Neem leaves," Dr. Rathi says.

“Neem leaves and ginger are beneficial to your health and can be consumed in general but it is not scientifically proved yet that it can cure coronavirus,” she adds.

Dr. Yasir Alvi from Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (HIMSR) in New Delhi warns against taking any treatments without consulting the doctors.

“Coronavirus is a complex health problem. One should not resort to any treatments and cures received via social media. Ginger or neem may have some antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties but one should take them under expert’s guidance,” Dr. Alvi said over a telephonic conversation.

ResultMedical experts clarified that neem leaves and ginger do not cure Covid-19. Instead of believing the WhatsApp forwards, we request our users to send them to us for fact-checking on our WhatsApp Factline.