London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Covid-19: Fake 'immunity booster' found on sale in London shops

Covid-19: Fake 'immunity booster' found on sale in London shops

Fake "Covid-19 immunity boosters" are being sold over the counter in London shops, a BBC investigation has found.

Coronil, a herbal remedy from India, was found on sale in shops in predominantly Asian areas across the capital.

Manufacturers Patanjali Ayurved claim the pills protect against "respiratory tract infections".

Tests carried out for the BBC show the pills offer no protection from coronavirus.

A lab test of the drug carried out by Birmingham University for the BBC showed the pills contained plant-based ingredients which cannot protect against Covid-19.

Virologist Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar said the idea of "boosting" immunity makes no sense in terms of treating coronovirus.

"There are lots of nuances in how our immune system responds to the virus. We do not even know that heightening immunity helps," she said.

"It is unclear what Coronil is trying to do to the immune system."


Patanjali Ayurved is a multibillion-pound healthcare brand in India, founded by Acharya Balkrishna (left) and Baba Ramdey


UK advertising rules ban references to Covid-19 and "boosting immunity".

Similar claims are permitted in India, where Patanjali Ayurved has a large following.

One shop in Wembley advertises Coronil as a "Covid-19 immunity booster" both in store and on its website.

The BBC has located at least four other stores that sell the pills, claiming they treat Covid-19.

One customer told the BBC: "I take it because I'm 78.

"If I go out shopping I could catch coronavirus from anybody. That's why I take it… to protect myself."

'Covid cure'


There are no authorised health claims in the UK that any substance can "boost" immunity, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Claims to prevent, treat or alleviate the symptoms of coronavirus cannot be made without a product being licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The MHRA, which has not approved Coronil for any use, said: "Appropriate action will be taken where any unauthorised medicinal product is offered or sold on the UK market."

Patanjali Ayurved founder Baba Ramdev claimed in June that Coronil had cured Covid-19 patients.

"Our medicine resulted in 69% of coronavirus patients testing negative after three days and 100% after seven days," he said.

The Indian government has said Patanjali Ayurved can market Coronil as an immunity booster but not a cure.

Patanjali Ayurved has now withdrawn its claim that Coronil is a cure for Covid-19.

According to Full Fact, an independent fact-checking organisation, "misinformation like this can cause harm to people's health and finances".

Abbas Panjwani, a researcher at Full Fact, said: "During a pandemic, it is natural and perhaps understandable for people to seek out answers."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×