Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cancer patients are considered to have a higher risk of developing severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and a higher mortality rate. Moreover, poor prognosis observed in them is associated with multiple co-morbidities. Ayurveda can prove to be effective in preventing COVID-19 as well as improving clinical outcomes against COVID-19 in cancer patients. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of Ayurvedic treatments given to cancer patients as also a preventive modality against COVID-19 infections. METHODS: 700 cancer patients were enrolled in the study. The demographic information regarding their age, sex, organs involved, stage, pre-existing comorbidities, Karnofsky score, addictions, undergoing conventional cancer treatment, type of conventional treatment, and duration of Ayurvedic cancer treatment was collected from the institutional records. These patients were interviewed telephonically or in person to obtain information related to their COVID-19 status from March 2020 to Sep 2021, which included a) whether they were affected with COVID-19 or not, b) If affected, the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, c) vaccination status, d) mortality, and e) if in contact with relative affected by COVID-19. RESULTS: The surveyed cohort had 56 years as the median age, more female patients, Karnofsky score between 80 and 100, and hypertension as well as diabetes as major co-morbidities. During the 1st and 2nd waves, 34 (4.85%) and 65 patients (10.09 %) were COVID-19 positive while 4.91 % and 11.11% of patients with addictions were covid positive, respectively, the rest remained unaffected. There was no specific trend in % of COVID-19-positive cancer patients concerning stage, but those with stage IV undergoing conventional treatment showed increased prevalence (p < 0.001). Prolonged Ayurvedic treatment exhibited a decreasing trend in % COVID-19 positive patients, which is highly significant (p < 0.001). Specifically, those undergoing conventional therapy, and also received Ayurvedic treatment simultaneously for more than 3 years remained unaffected by COVID-19, which was statistically significant in both waves (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Ayurvedic treatments given to cancer patients are effective in preventing COVID-19 infections in these patients.