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Lesotho makes strides towards possible COVID-19 treatment

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The Department of Research and Innovation at the National University of Lesotho has made strides towards the possible treatment of the COVID-19 virus.

A year ago, the university approached the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), to test the effectiveness of two indigenous plant species against the coronavirus.

CSIR has released the results confirming that extracts of the two indigenous plant species from Lesotho are active against two COVID-19 strains.

The council says the samples were tested against the severe and acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 as well as against the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.

Dr Lerato Seleteng-Kose who led the research from the Incubation hub at the National University of Lesotho says, “My PhD was on medicinal plants of Lesotho where I was looking at their effectiveness against different ailments or diseases. So, my focus in that PhD was respiratory diseases and now when COVID-19 came in, my research became relevant.”

“Because I had already screened some medicinal plants from Lesotho against respiratory problems, which we know COVID-19 is also respiratory. So, I met this guy who is a traditional practitioner but also has some scientific basis because I taught here for his Bachelors degree in science,” adds Seleteng-Kose.

The National University of Lesotho makes strides towards the possible treatment of COVID-19:

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