Hopes and expectations in clinical research post-Covid

Covid-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has entangled and disrupted human lives and socio-economic conditions directly or indirectly by generating a global crisis in the rural-urban systems of several countries. The crisis pushes the inhabitants to redefine their fears, beliefs, behavioral changes, and expectations, across different dimensions, such as unhealthy social, cultural, capital lifestyles, and consumption of savings.

However, it also provides an opportunity to re-imagine to design a better world in the future after the pandemic chaos of nationwide isolation and totalitarian surveillance. An improved understanding is required for synergy between the emerging imaginative, transformative, mitigative, and adaptive responses.

Moreover, irrespective of all the political leanings, the global scenario of the major population is to return to a normal lifestyle more likely than a progressive future. The impression of exposure to revelation during the crisis further makes this pandemic a threat to the global human population because of the unavailability of clinically approved drugs or vaccines for its treatment. Several researchers throughout the world are engaged in developing antiviral drugs effective against SARS-CoV-2. The only way to deal with this pandemic is to identify various compounds (i.e., terpenoids, proanthocyanidins, alkaloids, polyphenols, and flavonoids), responsible to disturb or alter the replication cycle of the virus.

Despite poor health infrastructure and dense population in India, the Covid-19 infection rate is markedly less than in other countries, even with its swift spreading. This may probably be due to the routine consumption of various AYUSH formulations of immunomodulator medicinal plants by Indians. Various herbal formulations and interventions from varied AYUSH systems showed their wide potential for being used during the pandemic, owing to their longstanding usage in public, empirical pieces of evidence, and ancient references about their immunity-boosting, anti-inflammatory, antiviral effects along with safety and clinical efficacy. Crude extracts or pure compounds obtained from medicinal plants have demonstrated promising inhibitory effects against SARS-CoV-2. These plant-based molecules could be potential drug candidates against coronavirus.

Accordingly, there is a need of the hour to rapidly screen promising AYUSH formulations and compounds having known antiviral activities for the treatment of infected patients on a priority basis. The results obtained from these clinical examinations on AYUSH drugs will be beneficial for policymakers to reframe their public health-related policies, generation of information for the global scientific fraternity, and develop a collaborative research platform for national and global investigations.

Thus, by analyzing the prospective of AYUSH medicines and medicinal flora of India, the manufacturers of herbal drugs, and the global research institutions can make advancements in novel schemes for the persistence of preclinical and clinical exploration of these auspicious therapeutic clues. The prime requirement is to provide necessary attention, and develop possible strategies for adaptive management practices that recognize root causes and nurture socio-ecological resilience for the improve­ment of human health and mitigate future pandemics.

The government can also provide necessary financial support to redesign the current fragile system, disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Further, to enhance the capacity of humanity for a sustainable and regenerative future, the government should design new socio-economic policies and provide social assistance that delivers strong endorsement for a futuristic progressive vision at macro and global levels, and also inspire policymakers to step boldly and decisively in their consultations and their activities related to design market policies and even private assets and household savings outside the range of social insurance schemes. This would necessitate re-accessing the developmental approaches and targets by emphasizing holistic conceptual and integrative approaches for both short-term and long-term equitable, efficient, effective, and sustainable development that would reduce the stressful impression of a Covid-19-like event in the future.