Context: Amid Covid outbreak a homoeopathic drug Arsenicum album 30, has become a subject of debate after several states recommended it for preventive use against Covid-19. 
Key Points

• The Ministry of AYUSH has listed the drug among preventive and prophylactic simple remedies against Covid-19.
• The debate stems from the fact that there is no scientific evidence that the drug works against Covid-19, a fact stressed not only by medical scientists but also by some homoeopathic practitioners themselves.
• Arsenicum album 30 has been recommended by the state governments in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
• The civic authorities in various states have been distributing the drug to high-risk populations.
• There have been reports about people flocking to homeopathic clinics to buy Arsenicum album drug, sometimes at triple the cost.

About the Arsenicum album?30

• It is made by heating arsenic with distilled water, a process repeated several times over three days.
• The health hazards of arsenic contamination in water are well known; long-term exposure to the metal can cause skin cancer, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases.
• The homoeopathic drug has less than 1% arsenic and is considered to correct inflammation in the body. It takes care of diarrhoea, cough and cold.
• Arsenicum album is used commonly by homeopaths to treat anxiety, restlessness, cold, ulcerations, burning pains.

Concerns associated with it are

• The director of the Indian Council of Medical Research maintained that they have issued no guidelines regarding the medicine.
• The WHO has no guidelines on using Arsenicum album as a Covid-19 treatment either.
• There is no scientific evidence that it works as prophylactic.
• With no clinical trial or large-scale study having been undertaken anywhere to scientifically validate the use of Arsenicum album 30 as a preventive medication, the massive demand is worrisome.
• The AYUSH Ministry has based its recommendation on existing use of the medicine for respiratory illness and influenza.