Prophylaxis with Arsenicum Album30C in frontline health care workers during COVID-19: A6 months of longitudinal follow-up

Abstract

Background: Frontline healthcare workers were at higher risk of Sars Cov-2. The rate of infections was 3 to 4 times higher among frontline health workers. Homoeopathic approaches are useful in containing epidemics. We studied the prophylactic use of Arsenicum Album 30C among health workers having a higher risk of Covid-19 exposure.Methods: The study was conducted in a first-line Covid-19 treatment centre in Trivandrum, Kerala. 112 frontline workers (between 18 to 55 years) who voluntarily used Arsenicum Album30C as a prophylactic measure were included. Participants with life-threatening illnesses were excluded. Participants received medicated pills two times a day for seven consecutive days. Participants were followed up after 7 days of treatment, on the 28th day and at 6 months. There was no control group.Results: Participants were mostly doctors, nurses, nursing assistants and hospital staff (n=112). All of them used personal protective measures and sanitation as per health advisories. RT PCR was negative in all participants after 7 days of treatment, while one participant was positive on the 28th day and four participants reported positive in the 6-month follow-up. There were no deaths or hospital admission in this cohort. The rate of infection in this group was significantly lower than those among frontline workers in similar settings. Conclusion: This study highlighted the potential usefulness of Arsenicum Album30C, a homoeopathic prophylactic preparation that can significantly reduce the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection. There were no adverse events. This is a low-cost, safer strategy to reduce Covid-19 spread at the population level.