by Wamara Mwine
Reuniting with a good friend Bill led to my researching Covid-19. As I looked through the products, it was all new to me. Why does someone want to eat Sea Moss? Then there were other products like Black Seed Oil which was too strong me for me to even taste. Last, but not least was the Ashwangandha, an Indian herb. I was intrigued by Bill's study suggesting this herb could block the Covid-19 virus.
This was of course big news, but how could I be sure? Bill and I had known each other for years. He was a President Bill Clinton appointee. Like Bill, as a correspondent during President Obama's two terms, I also had access to the White House for years. This political connection was important, especially considering the political aspects of the pandemic. Bill and I reflected for weeks on the virus that started in March and the rampant saturation, compounded with American deaths. Also, as African-American men, we pondered, who would take us seriously about uncovering a cure? One thing was clear in our debates, the Ashwagandha was a solution.
I took the printed white paper back to my hotel and began what would be a two week journey of cross referencing the studies online. The language in the study was highly medical, but I pushed on researching what I did not know, then reviewing the authors individually. I knew a few Indian foreign nationals who work at a nearby store. I asked them extensively about Ashwagandha. They confirmed that local stores sold the herb. Like Bill's Ashwagandha product, those stores sold the powder form. My interviews revealed that these same Indian merchants did not know of the Covid-19 blocking ability.
Then the big realization hit me. I accidentally spilled a glass of water on my laptop while flying through online stores which carried Ashwagandha. The big names, Amazon and even Walmart sold it. Why would no one connect the dots about the herb and Covid-19? Nutrition Insight praised Ashwagandha suggesting it “may hold Covid-19 preventative and therapeutic value.” The studies were done in India and Japan's AIST researchers also participated. Both groups came to the same conclusion that Ashwagandha could block proteins that cause the virus. Since Ashwagandha is an herb, it does not require Food and Drug Administration approval. The missing link was a U.S. Study confirming the overseas studies. After two days, my computer miraculously came back to life.
Then the India Times article titled, “Ashwagandha Against Coronavirus” completed my research. I also was sure to take the Ashwagandha for over 1 month. Two people at my hotel had contracted the virus and one was on the cleaning staff. She and I were in the same room without masks on a number of occasions, but I was clearly testing negative when I was in D.C. It was quite remarkable and a blessing to test negative during a pandemic. All Americans should have access to alternative solutions.
I next contacted former White House colleagues who were still covering national news at two highly visible organizations, CNN and CBS Evening News. I need not name them here, because that would be a distraction, especially in the political climate we are in. I did prepare my research and delivered materials in person and via e-mail. Both reporters would have to present my findings to their medical teams and await their approval. I was relieved to know other journalists were looking at what I had found. This herb with a foreign name, could stop the spread of the virus and also prevent people from contracting it. Students could go back to classes and American workers might return to their offices.
Yet my research was overshadowed by another process, the production of a vaccine. Bill Gates has taken this virus as a personal mission. His many comments about overpopulation in the world concerned me. As well, Gates has invested millions on the vaccine. The trouble with this approach is that pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneka had a woman in their Covid-19 trials who experienced a spinal inflammation called traverse myelitis. The larger issue is the cost of a single vaccination could be $100 or more.
Gates has suggested Pfizer could have a approved vaccine by next month. How could Gates know this for sure? What I see is a conflict of interest, because the vaccine would make a certain population very wealthy while charging average Americans a lot to get the shot. What comes next is this new vaccine is pushed on all Americans, creating a fantastic profit. Other pharmaceutical companies suggest that the Pfizer vaccine would have to be transported in -70 Celsius, or -94 degrees cold for 3,000 or more miles. These conditions have their own issues as Fedex and UPS are finding out. Good luck.
My conclusion is Ashwagandha, in it's pill form, could stop the spreading affect of Covid-19. In some cases, it might also save those Americans quarantined in the hospitals and awaiting the worst outcome because of prior medical conditions, age and weight factors. Furthermore, the country as a whole needs to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. There are no side effects with Ashwagandha.
According to Reuters News, U.S. deaths are expected to double in January 2021. That is 410,000 deaths anticipated that could have been avoided with this herbal alternative that is within American's reach. Why pay $100 or more for a vaccine, when the local store or a national chain like Walmart could sell you 30 pills of Ashwagandha for $7.88?
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Wamara Mwine is an investigative journalist and Contributor to The Hill Newspaper. He covered the Obama White House and has appeared on Sirius XM Radio to discuss his observations. Wamara advises attorneys, politicians and church leaders in crisis-media. E-mail Wamara Mwine at politicsincolor@gmail.com.