Fact Check: The old textbook doesn’t mention COVID-19 cure; misleading post going viral

New Delhi (Vishvas News): A photo shared on social media shows a page from a textbook and a caption which states that the cure of COVID19 has been mentioned in Class 12th textbook and that the virus is not new. The book name as shown in the post is Modern Zoology by Dr. Ramesh Gupta. Vishvas News investigated and found that the viral post is misleading. Other strains of coronavirus existed from before but COVID-19 is a new strain in the coronavirus family. Its vaccine is not created as of now but clinical trials are undergoing.

Claim

A Facebook post shared by a user named Aradhya Raikwar shared in Hindi reads: English translation- “Brothers, after finding it in many books, the drug of coronavirus has been found with great difficulty. We have been searching for the medicine of coronavirus, but the drug of coronavirus is already given in the Intermediate Animal Science book by a scientist. He has also written about its treatment and it is not a new disease. Sometimes it happens that doctors and scientists do not pay attention to books of small level in the spur of big books and this has happened here. (Book- animal science, author- Dr. Ramesh Gupta, page no-1072). Brothers, this is not fake news, so I request you to share this medicine as much as possible so that a patient with coronavirus can be treated.” The archived link of the post can be seen here.

Investigation

Vishvas News started its investigation by breaking down various elements of the viral claim.

Claim 1: In a book written by an author named Dr. Ramesh Gupta the details and medicine of coronavirus has been mentioned.

We found that the book does mentions about coronavirus. The book is written by Dr. Ramesh Gupta. Dr. Ramesh Gupta headed the department of Zoology at the Shri Jai Narain P.G. College in Lucknow, India. Vishvas News spoke to Dr. V.K. Dwivedi, a former colleague of Dr. Ramesh Gupta. He explained that Mr. Gupta is no more and also explained that his textbook discusses the general family of coronaviruses and not the recent novel coronavirus (COVID-19).  

Claim 2: As per the text written in the book, the medicine named aspirin, antihistamines, and nasal spray can be helpful in the treatment.

We read the complete text in the book. The details were mentioned regarding common cold and some coronaviruses. Nowhere it was mentioned that COVID-19 can be treated.

Commenting on this, Dr. V.K. Dwivedi also explained that Dr. Gupta never meant that these medicines can cure novel coronavirus. The viral post is misleading the people that the book explains about COVID-19, whereas it doesn’t.

We also spoke to Dr. Nikhil Modi, Pulmonologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. He said, “These medicines can provide symptomatic relief in common cold but cannot control or cure novel coronavirus.“

Claim 3: Drug of coronavirus has been found. It has been mentioned in an Intermediate animal Science book.

As per WHO, there are currently no drugs licensed for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. While several drug trials are ongoing, currently there is no proof that hydroxychloroquine or any other drug can cure or prevent COVID-19.

Claim 4: The book mentions that coronavirus is not a new disease.

Novel coronavirus is a new strain in the coronavirus family. As per US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), human coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s. The seven coronaviruses that can infect people are:

Common human coronaviruses

1. 229E (alpha coronavirus)
2. NL63 (alpha coronavirus)
3. OC43 (beta coronavirus)
4. HKU1 (beta coronavirus)

Other human coronaviruses

1. MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS)
2. SARS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS)
3. SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19)

The post is shared on Facebook by a user named Aradhya Raikwar. When we scanned the social profile of the user, we found that the user is based out of Delhi.

Disclaimer: The #CoronavirusFacts database records fact-checks published since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic and its consequences are constantly evolving and data that was accurate weeks or even days ago might have changed. Remember to check the date when the fact-check you are reading was published before sharing it.