V.K. Prasanth, CPI(M) MLA from Vattiyurkavu in Thiruvananthapuram, has incurred the wrath of public health activists after he wrote a Facebook post attributing his immunity from COVID-19 till recently to homeopathic medicines.
Mr. Prasanth tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Saturday.
In his FB post, the MLA said that he was in the public sphere all these days and that he had undergone antigen tests and RT-PCR tests at least 15 times ever since the pandemic broke out. He had taken the second dose of Covaxin last week. “I think I could resist (the infection) so far because of homeopathic preventive medicines,” he added.
“Mr. Prasanth seems to be thinking that he got immunity from COVID-19 for the past 15 months due to homeopathic medicines and that he got infected a week after taking the second dose of Covaxin. If homeopathic medicines had been successful for 15 months in preventing the infection, why did they not have the same effect in the 16th month? Or did Covaxin weaken the effect of those medicines? If so, why didn’t he get infected last month,” U. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram-based public health activist asked.
He said that none of the studies have so far proved that those who take homeopathic medicines had breakthrough infections. Dr. Nandakumar, also chairman of the Campaign Against Pseudo Science Using Law and Ethics, a platform under the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad, said that no country which was managing COVID-19 crisis well had recommended homeopathic medicines as a preventive tool.
Mr. Prasanth, however, told The Hindu that he had just shared an assumption based on his personal experience. “Homeopathic drugs have not been banned here. There is a circular by the Union AYUSH Ministry on their use as preventive medicine,” he added.
