Madagascar has recorded its first coronavirus death alongside eight other deaths resulting from the use of the country’s herbal ‘cure’ for the virus, local media reported on Sunday.

The coronavirus death is a 57-year-old man, a parking lot security officer at a hospital in the city of Toamasina, according to local daily L’Express de Madagascar.

The man developed an Acute Lung Injury, a condition that doctors have confirmed resulted from the use of Covid Organics (CVO), an organic herbal drink the President of Madagascar claims can prevent or cure coronavirus patients.

Local media report that 56 persons who took the herbal medicine have been admitted with Acute Lung Injury, a condition more fatal than coronavirus. Eight persons have since died from medicine’s adverse effects on consumers.

Health officials say the deaths were not recorded as Coronavirus deaths because they recovered, and died while they were still negative for the virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had warned against the use of CVO without any medical supervision and cautioned against self-medication.

The WHO on Thursday said it is in touch with Madagascar over its herbal drink.

“We have offered to support the design of a study to look into this product [Covid Organics],” Matshidiso Moeti, the regional director of WHO office in Africa, told a media briefing.

Acute lung injury is an acute respiratory distress syndrome with unacceptable high mortality rate of 64%. Coronavirus is currently less than 1%.

The Indian Ocean island also reported 21 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 304, according to Express.