A video is being shared on social media claiming it as the visuals of India’s famous neurologist Dr. Sushil Razdan, advising people to inhale dry Ginger powder (also called as shonti) as a home remedy to cure the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. Amid the rising Omicron variant cases in India, the person in the video suggested it as a scientifically approved home remedy to cure the COVID-19 virus. In the video, he explains that a highly Alkaline natured Ginger with a good pH value could kill all the acidic infections present in the nostrils instantly. The same information is being shared in other languages in the name of well-known pulmonologist Dr. Zarir Udwadia. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Neurologist Dr. Sushil Razdan suggesting dry Ginger powder as a home remedy to prevent or cure COVID-19.
Fact: The person suggesting dry Ginger powder as a home remedy for curing COVID-19 in the video is not Dr. Sushil Razdan. Dr. Sushil Razdan through a few Kashmiri media platforms made it clear that he has nothing to do with the viral video circulating on social media. Dr. Sushil Razdan confirmed that the remedy shared by the man is unscientific and informed people to maintain COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to avoid getting infected with the virus. We could not find the details of the person advising this home remedy in the video. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched for the details of the claim made in the post, it is found out that Dr. Sushil Razdan is a well-known neurologist working at Medanta hospital in Gurgaon, India. Dr. Razdan is well known for his epidemiological work in South Kashmir focused on deaf-mutism as well as disability in children. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in India, Dr. Sushil Razdan had interacted with several media channels and shared his knowledge and understanding of COVID-19. They can be seen here, here, and here. But on comparing the pictures of Dr. Sushil Razdan with that of the person seen in the photo, it can be confirmed that the man advising dry Ginger powder as a remedy for the COVID-19 virus is not Dr. Sushil Razdan.
When this video went viral on social media, Dr. Sushil Razdan through a few Kashmiri media platforms clarified that the man advising COVID-19 home remedy in the video was not him. Dr. Sushil Razdan confirmed that the remedy shared by the man is unscientific and made it clear that he has nothing to do with the viral video circulating on social media. Confirming the news as fake, Dr. Sushil Razdan reportedly informed people to maintain COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to avoid getting infected by the virus. Reporting this news, several Kashmiri news websites have published fact-check articles. They can be seen here and here. Though we could not find the details of the person who advised this home remedy in the video, it is confirmed that the man is not Dr. Sushil Razdan.
Regarding the cure mentioned in the post, many health studies confirmed that sticking garlic cloves into nostrils will not relieve stuffy noses and inflamed sinuses. They can be seen here and here. It is not scientifically proven that inhaling dry Ginger powder could cure COVID-19. Doctors warned people about complications that could arise after using ginger cloves inside the nostrils. It is widely known that mixture (Pepper powder + Honey + Ginger juice) is a good remedy for cold, cough, and to boost immunity. Those reports can be seen here, here, and here. But none of these reports claimed it as the remedy to cure COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) had debunked several similar myths that are being spread around COVID-19.
Earlier, when similar home remedies for COVID-19 went viral on social media, FACTLY published fact-check articles debunking those claims. They can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, there is no scientific evidence to prove that snorting dry ginger powder could cure COVID-19; the person suggesting it in the video is not Dr. Sushil Razdan.
