Prospect of herbal medication as prevention against COVID variants

1 Introduction

Coronavirus (COVID-19) proliferated across the world in days and declared as pandemic on 12 March 2020 (GISAID, 2020; Mahmood et al., 2020). It was a viral infection induced by coronavirus (Cui et al., 2019; Wong et al., 2020). This virus was identified and divulged at the end of December 2019 in the city of China, Wuhan (Guan et al., 2020; Mahmood et al., 2020). Coronavirus was the member of simple joint cold virus family that merely originate respiratory tract problems (Gorbalenya et al., 2020). Infections caused by COVID-19 exhibited a wide range of symptoms that could be ended in deaths as it was rolling out rapidly throughout the world along with inflated mortality and morbidly rate (Huang et al., 2020; World Health organization, 2020.).

A person’s immune system was found associated with antibodies that fight against infections and diseases and protect the individual’s body (Sanche et al., 2020). So, the scientists from all over the world were in hurry to prepare vaccines against this lethal disease (Ur Rehman et al., 2021) and were successful somehow in shortest time duration of one year. Across most of the regions people inquired about ambiguities in vaccine preparation methods and asked for long term impacts on human health (Yangchen et al., 2022). In this chaos some information regarding herbs and natural medicines providing defense against Covid-19 has been spread without any scientific proof on social media (Günalan, 2021; Rizki et al., 2021). Mostly people believed in such information and started using these herbs and natural medical products considering them useful against Covid-19 infection, without any aftermaths (Yayinie et al., 2021). Investigation and studies proved that natural herbs and products help a person to nourish, improve, recover, and enhance its natural health but cannot prevent causing infections (El-Dahiyat et al., 2020). However, Covid-19 pathophysiological process was still not completely known. It was observed in clinical studies that persons infected with Covid-19 demonstrated high rate of cytokines presence called “cytokine storm”. This could enhance severity in symptoms of Covid-19 infected person. So, this was assumed that herbs caused reduction in cytokines in body could reduce severity of Covid-19 in the patients (Demeke et al., 2021). Clinical studies suggested that a healthy immune system was with optimal nutritional functioning system (Calder et al., 2020; World Health Organization 2020). Researchers and local practitioners were still looking for natural products, herbs, and commercial additives to fulfill the deficiency of food and additives that are sanctioned for Covid-19 prevention (El Alami et al., 2020).

There was no doubt that natural herbs, products, and medicines help and invest in human heath, but it could cause negative impacts if, not ingested properly; specially in elder people, pregnant women, and those who are already facing chronic diseases (Mahmood et al., 2012; Alyami et al., 2020). Literature showed that some natural medicines, herbs, and products have the capability to enhance immunity by taking them in combination with traditional drugs (Mahmood et al., 2013; Benarba and Pandiella, 2020; Aldwihi et al., 2021). Generally, the local herbal practitioners of Pakistan were already utilizing natural herbs, medicines, and products as traditional treatment against severe chronic and untreatable diseases.

Therefore, the influence of herbal medicine was projected in the beginning of pandemic in Pakistani population. Particularly in the beginning, as there was no recommended treatment, medicine, or vaccine was available (Kumar et al., 2022). According to the best of author’s Awareness and understanding there was not a single article published to evaluate the impact of herbal medicines in combination with local drugs was utilized by Pakistani people during the pandemic with constraints and restrictions. Till date no reference or information was obtained favoring the theory that natural medicines help in prevention from Covid-19 or curing such diseases solely (Aiman et al., 2016; Benarba and Pandiella, 2020; Khadka et al.,2021; Chandramouli et al., 2021; Alam et al., 2021a,b; Alotiby and Al-Harbi, 2021), but some information was available to prohibit Covid-19 disease severity. However, a registered herbal medicine practitioner in Faisalabad district, Punjab province, Pakistan claimed to treat Covid-19 by using some herbal formulas with locally available drugs in specific dose recommendations. This could be helpful to treat and prevent Covid-19 disease in multiple community groups were not eligible for vaccination such as: children under the 20 years old, people having heart diseases/any chronic disease, and pregnant women. Present study was aimed to investigate the impact and role of recommended formulae by local practitioner against Covid-19 disease. Moreover, to observe the public trust on herbal medicines and potential of herbal medicine to prevent Covid-19 variants.

2 Methodology

Following methodology was adopted for this study:

2.2

2.2 Study design

Present study was designed to observe COVID-19 symptoms and herbal medicine treatment efficiencies in symptomatic patients. An observational analysis was planned to collect accurate data. For this, a questionnaire comprised of five main parts were designed to record observations; including; Socio-demographic information of patients (Fig. 1), Response and awareness of symptomatic patients about COVID-19, Types of symptoms observed by patients, COVID testing trends, and Cure of symptomatic covid-19 by using herbal medicine solely and in combination of different types of medication like allopathic and homeopathic (Figs. 2–5). Expert team members attended the clinic for 4 months at peak COVID duration from 10th July to 10th August 2021 and 10th January to 10th February 2022 to investigate patients’ attitude and cure by using herbal and allopathic medicines.

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Fig. 1

Sociodemographic status of patients.

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Fig. 2

COVID patient’s response and awareness.

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Fig. 3

General COVID Symptoms in patients.

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Fig. 4

General COVID testing trend in patients.

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Fig. 5

Various COVID treatment effectiveness in patients.

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3 Results

4 Discussion

The majority of people utilized herbs, natural foods, and nutritional supplements as alternative solutions to boost up their immune system and to reduce their risk of illness across the world. This was first observed in Saudi Arabia to look at the wide usage of herbal products during the COVID-19 outbreak (Mahmood et al., 2014a; Mahmood et al., 2015a; Amna and Laila, 2021). Furthermore, the goal of previous researches was to find out the variables influenced herbal medicine intake during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the patterns and frequency of consumption, and to assess their possible adverse effects. Literature represented that the majority of Arabs were still relied on traditional herbs for healing. Also, the usage of herbs and natural food items has grown in popularity globally (Mahmood et al., 2014b; Mahmood et al., 2015b; Alam et al., 2021a,b). Current study also showed same pattern as sociodemographic data represented that patients of different age group, gender, educational background, and financial status preferred herbal medication to treat covid-19 (figure 3.1). Referring to the premise given at the outset of previous studies, the findings clearly demonstrated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the consumption of herbs and natural products increased significantly at global level (Ang et al., 2020). But another reason was public interest and general facilitation of covid-19 testing (Mehmood et al., 2017a; Yangchen et al., 2022). Figure 3.2 of this study also showed that financial status of almost 70 % of patients were unstable and people were later found reluctant against covid-19 test. Developing countries were also reported that they have meager system of covid testing or was costly for common public (Mehmood et al., 2017b). Current study also investigated that patients with clear covid-19 symptoms hesitated to go through testing system (figure 3.2). Few studies highlighted the nutritional contents of honey to boost immunity across many cultures (Yayinie et al., 2021). However, the frequent usage of natural food items, particularly black seeds, honey, ginger, lemons, turmeric, and garlic was taken as a key finding in previous studies. Honey, black seeds, and garlic were the most widely utilized natural items among Lebanese adults, according to a study by (El Alami et al., 2020) Olives, onions, garlic, ginger and olives were the most often utilized natural goods, according to a recent Moroccan study (El Alami et al., 2020). Moreover, According to Hamulka et al. (2020), during the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been more interested in and consumed immune-related substances and foods such zinc, garlic, omega-3, ginger, turmeric and vitamins C & D. However, figure 3.3 showed various symptoms observed in patients visited herbal clinic during peak timings were same as were globally assigned to the Covid-19 symptoms (World Health Organization, 2020). Figure 3.4 showed that 80 % of patients failed to undergo covid testing and 90 % of patients who agreed for covid testing were severely affected with the disease. Many developing countries were facing problems in provision of covid-19 testing facilities (Pakistan: COVID-19—Situation, 2020).

Many studies were originated virtually to get information about herbal use to prevent covid-19. Posts on social media, family traditions, and friends' recommendations were the participants' primary sources of information regarding the usage of herbs and organic products. People in the United States and European nations like as the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France, in contrast to Saudi Arabians, used the internet to learn about herbs, food items, and supplements throughout the pandemic (Günalan, 2021). Moreover, the quality and trustworthiness of many of these pieces of knowledge were unknown; hence, their authenticity was in doubt, potentially leading to inappropriate behaviors. As a result, prospective public awareness efforts about how to get correct information from reliable sources could be helpful for individuals to have a better understanding of the credibility of health data sets. The prevalence of herbs and natural ingredients was not associated to any socio-demographic parameters other than age, according to our findings.

According to the previous researches, ginger, chilli pepper, black seeds and garlic have been the most commonly ingested herbal and natural ingredients among the elderly, but honey and Murrah were preferred by the younger ones. This conclusion was backed up by a recent study out of Jordan, which found that herbal medicine use was unrelated to any demographic characteristics apart from age (El-Dahiyat et al., 2020). It might be owing to the substantial differences in the two age groups' everyday lives or their distinct taste choices. Currently, this was the first study of its type in Pakistan to assess the trust and effectiveness of herbal medication on covid-19 patients (figure 3.5). Related variables influencing their usage, and the associated harmful consequences of using them during the Corona Virus pandemic were also considered during the observational study. The most noteworthy finding suggested a large rise in the use of herbs and organic products among Pakistani people during the outbreak of COVID-19 (figure 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5). Ultimately, based on the observational evaluation, the present study emphasized the combined use of herbal medication with allopathic and homeopathic medications. As a result, the current study suggested that more research be conducted to determine the significant consequences of utilizing herbal medications in diabetic patients in comparison to a control group (El-Dahiyat et al., 2020). Importantly, the study suggested that patients with chronic diseases and primary care doctors be educated on how to utilize various herbal medication solely and in combination with common flue drugs.

5 Conclusion

Herbal medication was effective for all public without age, gender, education and financial differences; and mostly age of covid patients were ranged between 36 and 50 years; and 30 % of the patients were above 50 years, However, only 20 % of the patients were young (15–35 years). Another main problem was covid-19 testing, as patients were reluctant for covid testing. Study represented that 80 % of patients believed that they were infected with covid-19 and avoided proper covid-19 testing. This could be due to their unstable financial status; and a major reason for using herbal medication. Another observation was about patients trust on herbal medication. It was found that 100 % patients visited the clinic were favoring and trusting herbal medication; and all covid-19 symptoms appeared in patients were ended due to proper use of herbal medication. Previous studies reported that vaccination was effective against one type of variants but herbal medication could be preventive against each variant by boosting up immunity. So study concluded that herbal medication could be used as a collective preventive measure against COVID variants but more clinical studies were recommended to adopt this.