A randomized, double blind, prospective, placebo-controlled, comparative study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Camphora tablets when given as add-on therapy to Standard of Care in hospitalized patients who are SARS-CoV-2 positive

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the “novel corona virusâ€. Common symptoms are fever, dry cough, breathing difficulty. Some patients also have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. It has been reported from over 200 countries across the world and is associated with a high mortality (0.5 - 8%). COVID-19 disease features range from minor upper respiratory tract infections, mild (fever myalgia) to severe clinical symptoms and even death (Cytokine storm syndrome/cytokine release syndrome to even death). Patients with known corona virus infection have raised IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-14, TNFα and INFg levels, 4-10 days after onset of disease (Huang C. et.al 2020, Ren L et.al  2020).

Clinical data from China showed that approximately 17.7% - 32% of patients required intensive care with evidence suggesting that cytokine release syndrome (CRS) plays a major role in COVID-19 disease process (Liu et al, 2020.).

There are various Homeopathic medicines claimed to be useful in the present COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of AYUSH too has advised use of a Homeopathic Medicine ARS ALB as preventive therapy. However according to the Homeopathic community, there are other medicines that can be effective both as preventive and curative. There are small studies done in Iran, France and England, where they have prescribed Homeopathic medicines and found a positive outcome. Hence we would like to assess the efficacy and safety of an homeopathic medicine viz. Camphora in COVID19 positive patients

Camphor has many medicinal uses including serving as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal, counter-irritant, diuretic, expectorant, sedative, stimulant and vermifuge. In dentistry, parachlorophenol [35%] is added to camphor [65%] and used as an antibacterial for infected root canals. Medicinal main constituents Monoterpenes, chiefly camphor, linalool and 1,8-cineole. A white crystalline substance found in cavities in the trunk or obtained by oxidation of the volatile oil, camphor gets its name from the Arabic kafur, chalk. Pockets within the wood may hold crystallised camphor like they were gemstone caves. Camphor is produced by passing steam through the pulverised wood and condensing the vapours. It crystallizes from the oily portion of the distillate and is purified by pressing and sublimation.

In its chemical structure, camphor is almost identical to borneol. Synthetic camphor is made from pinene, the principal constituent of turpentine oil. Synthetic camphor can be distinguished from natural camphor by its optical inactivity, the latter being dextrorotatory.

Camphora 1M has been used on several patients in Iran and is apparently a coronavirus prophylactic. As a matter of fact, some homeopathy doctors even recommend Camphora 1M as a curative medicine in case of coronavirus although scientific validation of this claim is limited.

Camphora, an indigenously manufactured homeopathic drug is an orally administered drug will be potentially useful in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, preventing the progression to the cytokine release syndrome