A tweep shared the image below alleging that it was a COVID-19 herbal remedy that had been approved by Nigeria’s National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
A similar claim was also shared on Facebook.
Background
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, which has now infected over 13 million people (and counting), numerous efforts have been made to find a cure/vaccine for the virus. There are a significant number of studies underway into potential treatments for the virus.
Among the suggested cures have been herbal remedies as seen in Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania.
Verification
On July 11, NAFDAC’s Director General Prof Mojisola Adeyeye took to Twitter dismissing the claim as being ‘wrong’ and ‘inaccurate’.
The agency also tweeted a statement refuting the claim on the same day:
The agency also went on to explain that they are currently testing 21 herbal medicinal products, many of which claimed the products were immune boosters and anti-infectives that could be used to treat Covid-19 symptoms. It however made it clear that no clinical study has been done yet on any of them to prove their efficacy.
As of now, there is no cure for COVID-19, yet.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to clean your hands frequently and thoroughly, avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose and maintain a distance of at least 1 metre from others.
Verdict
Nigeria’s drug and control agency has not approved a herbal remedy for COVID-19 making the claim FALSE.
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