Venezuelans turns to generations old home remedies in fight against Coronavirus

Faced with a Coronavirus pandemic while Venezuela was suffering from an economic crisis has left people with no choice but to turn to home remedies. The economic crisis in Venezuela means that there is a shortage of medicines and medical supplies. In such circumstances, the people of Venezuela are turning to homemade remedies.

Forced to turn to homemade remedies

The homemade remedies include hot drinks infused with lemon, salt, garlic or onions. Venezuelans that find themselves without monetary resources are cooking up concoctions handed down from one generation to another. According to reports, while these home-made remedies may have been passed down generations, none of them has been scientifically tested.

Venezuela’s president has ordered the entire country into lockdown in an effort to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus. According to reports, people are only allowed to buy food or medicines. Schools are closed and most air transport links suspended. Police and the armed forces have been mobilized and patrol the streets in an effort to ensure that the lockdown is adhered to.

Venezuela has reported 70 confirmed cases of coronavirus but has not reported any deaths.

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IMF rejects Venezuela’s request

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on March 17 rejected Venezuela's request for a $5 billion loan to help the economically devastated country fight the novel Coronavirus outbreak. This comes a day after IMF's managing director Kristalina Georgieva in a blog post said that the global lender stands ready to mobilize its $1 trillion lending capacity to help member countries. 

According to reports, the IMF cited a lack of international recognition and clarity on President Nicolas Maduro's government in its denial statement. President Nicolas Maduro had reportedly requested the loan earlier in the day when he said would help his government fight the global pandemic. The United States and 50 other countries have refused to recognize Maduro's government for more than a year. 

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(With input from Agencies)