It is said that Paederia can prevent COVID-19.

Rumors:

After Shuanghuanglian, the Chinese herbal medicine Paederia can prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Let's learn about antiviral drugs and paederia cristata.

Viruses and antiviral drugs

Virus is the smallest pathogenic microorganism, which parasitizes in the host cell and depends on the metabolic system of the host cell for proliferation and replication. The process of virus replication includes recognition and adsorption on the surface of host cells, infiltration into susceptible cells through host cell membranes, hulling, early synthesis of regulatory proteins and nucleic acid polymerase, replication of virus genome (DNA or RNA), late synthesis of structural proteins, assembly of progeny viruses, and release of progeny viruses by susceptible cells. The above process is a replication cycle.

There are many ways to resist virus infection, such as directly inhibiting or killing virus, interfering with virus adsorption, preventing virus from infiltrating into cells, and inhibiting virus biosynthesis. Antiviral drugs mainly play a role by affecting a certain link in the virus replication cycle. But so far, no specific anti-novel coronavirus drugs have been found.

There is no evidence that Paederia can resist novel coronavirus.

Paederia asiatica is the whole grass of Paederia asiatica in Rubiaceae, and it is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine. Because its smell is similar to chicken excrement, it is also called chicken paederia. According to Chinese Materia Medica, it has the effects of expelling wind and removing dampness, resolving food stagnation, detoxicating and detumescence, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain.

Preliminary studies in recent years show that Paederia has certain anti-inflammatory, analgesic, gastrointestinal function regulating and antibacterial effects. So far, however, there is no experimental basis for Paederia Paederia against novel coronavirus or other coronaviruses, and there is no exact clinical evidence. Therefore, there is no scientific basis to think that Paederia can prevent COVID-19.

According to the book Color Picture Book of Poisonous Chinese Herbal Medicine published by Tianjin Science and Technology Translation Publishing Company in 2006, the whole plant of Paederia scandens is poisonous. Therefore, it is suggested that you should not believe the rumor that "Paederia Paederia can prevent COVID-19", so as not to cause toxic and side effects and adverse consequences by mistake. If you find fever, fatigue, dry cough and other suspected symptoms of COVID-19 infection, you should go to the designated hospital in time and ask a professional doctor for treatment.

Rumor expert: Professor Guo Jiao, President of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University.

Evaluation expert: Liu Guiyang, chief pharmacist of the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital.