Altstein: message about piperine blocking COVID-19 spread needs to be verified 
Message about piperine in black pepper to slow spread coronavirus needs careful testing – first on animals, and then on sick people. This was stated in a conversation with RT by the chief researcher of the Gamaleya Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Anatoly Altstein, commenting on the discovery by Russian scientists of a product that blocks the spread of COVID-19.
According to him, the task of scientists is to look for new approaches to solving such important issues. “Such studies are welcome. Another thing is that if such a find is immediately offered to fight COVID-19 without special checks, it will not be good, ”the virologist added.
The results of the research were also assessed by the professor of the Department of Virology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Alexei Agranovsky. “The comment is the same as for all magic pills: if so, do a trial and publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal. Then let's talk in detail. In the meantime, there is simply no reason, “he said.
The fact that piperine helps to slow the spread of coronavirus was reported by employees of the Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and St. Petersburg Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Pasteur. Olga Ostroumova, one of the authors of the scientific work, explained that this substance, contained in black pepper, changes the lipid membrane of the virus.