Mpho Tebele

Gaborone - State owned University of Botswana has said that it is forging ahead with its plans to explore alternative medicines for Covid-19.

Speaking during a press briefing, University of Botswana Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, said they were engaging self-indigenous knowledge adding that the coronavirus pandemic has shown that self-reliance was critical.

On its Twitter page, the University of Botswana explained that its scientists were exploring extraction of medicines from indigenous plants used traditionally as inhalants to open chest airways.

According to the university, the research by the Faculty of Healthy Sciences is on medicinal plants such as aromatic plants that have been historically rubbed on the chest to aid breathing.

Norris revealed that the University of Botswana has designed and produced a clinically sound ventilation hood and face mask for Covid-19 patients.

We have also designed and developed a face shield for Covid-19 frontline health workers. The shields are already in production while the hood and mask will soon go for production as well, he said.

With regard to the ventilation hood, it has been developed for Covid-19 patients with acute respiratory failure (those having difficulty in breathing). It offers the patient a non-invasive support for breathing.

The hood is a see-through bag worn on the head. It has a rubber neck which sticks comfortably on the neck to reasonably seal off a mixture of oxygen and clinical air supplied to the patient by trained medical staff.

The bag has three openings at the bottom, two of which serve to supply a proportionally controlled mixture clinical air and oxygen to the patient while the third one serves as an exhalation outlet-Inlet gases are readily available in hospitals either from bedside lines or pressurised containers.

What is most interesting about this hood is that it is clinically sound for any medical environment. Furthermore, it is made from locally available material. It is relatively cheap and one-size-fits-all.

The hood works within acceptable air pressure and volume that suit patients various needs. The hood also provides visibility in that the patient can be physically observed while being given attention. Most importantly, the device can be used in remote areas.

Meanwhile, the face mask which is also a see-through device covering the mouth and nose, has similar functions as the ventilation hood. Consequently, in the event of severe respiratory failure, the mask can be used together with a ventilator to induce breathing in patients. Again, the interesting part about the face mask is that it has similar functions and attributes as the ventilation hood and comes in different sizes.

According to the Dean of Faculty of Engineering Professor Benjamin Bolaane, all the three products are part of the University of Botswanas initiatives towards providing innovative solutions to societal challenges. Therefore, he said, in the wake of Covid-19, the university immediately assembled a team of engineers and product designers to specifically come up with solutions that support the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

See more here:

Bots explores indigenous medicine to tackle Covid-19 Gaborone - The Southern Times