Traditional cold medicine, Fah Talai Jone, to be used on Covid patients in five hospitals
The Department of Thai Traditional Medicine is joining up with five state hospitals to start using Fah Talai Jone (Andrographis Paniculata) as a treatment option for early stage Covid-19 patients.
Dr Amporn Benjaponpitak, director-general of the department, said on Wednesday that finding an alternative was necessary now that there are so many new Covid-19 infections.
Tests on animals show that the herb contains substances that can reduce inflammation and may inhibit the replication of the virus. Tests on Covid-19 patients whose symptoms were not very severe showed them improving in three days without any side-effects.
The five state hospitals the department is cooperating with are Nakhon Pathom Hospital, Samut Sakhon Hospital, Ratchaburi Hospital, Ban Pong Hospital in Ratchaburi and Somdej Phra Phutthlertla Hospital in Samut Songkhram.
The herb can be used for patients aged between 18 and 60, who have mild respiratory symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sore throat. Patients can consume 180mg of Fah Talai Jone for five days in combination with modern drugs.