The spread of the coronavirus remains unabated even after six months of damage. There are no targeted antiviral medications or vaccines available yet to fight the disease.

But a study has revealed that high dose of oral liposomal Vitamin C in a drink form, when administered to adults hospitalised with Covid-19 along with highly nutritious food, paved the path for faster recovery.

The findings were published in a research article titled The Role of High-dose Liposomal Oral Vitamin C Treatment for Covid-19 .

Experts, while recommending a high dose of Vitamin C as an adjunct therapy to combat the infection, also advise frequent hand-washing with soap for at least 20 seconds, use of hand sanitizers, avoiding coughing/sneezing openly, not touching eyes, nose or mouth, social distancing, wearing a face mask and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, as the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection.

Sharing details of the findings, Manickam Mahalingam, Chairman, ABT Group, said the patients involved in the reaserch were among the earliest cases of the dreaded virus in the country.

“We made a comparative study with a batch of 50 patients, who were given 500 mg of regular Vitamin C twice every day, while another 50 (treatment batch) were given high dose (4 g palatable liposomal Vitamin C) a day,” he said.

The medical records of the patients were analysed, and the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, treatment and outcome data was collected and reviewed by internal medicine specialists. All patients were tested for Covid-19 from a naso-pharyngeal swab by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

The patients were subjected to nasal swab and repeat RT-PCR on the 10th, 11th and 14th day of admission.

Patients treated with high dose oral Vitamin C (in drink form) had an increased test rate of RT-PCR negative. “This gave us a ray of hope. The expected rate of clearance is 14 days, but the treatment batch showed clearance even on the 10th day,” said Manickam, who incidentally was the brain behind the formulation.

It may be recalled that this drink was cleared for supply to Covid-19 patients at the Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital and Omandurar Hospital in Chennai, apart from being administered to the patients at the General Hospital in Cuddalore.

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