Comparison Between Healthcare Professionals And The General Population On Parameters Related To Natural Remedies Used During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Herbal medicine is a common method for symptom relief and treatment because of its ample availability and lack of regulation on its prescription. However, herbal use is associated with adverse effects, drug interaction, and sometimes life-threatening complications. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, people shifted toward herbs when modern medical field failed to discover a treatment or immunization early in the course of the disease. Based on expert consensus, herbal medicine was recommended in Eastern countries, although trials were still ongoing. Methods: A descriptive web-based anonymous survey was created and distributed online all-over Saudi Arabia to gather information on commonly used herbs, knowledge, and attitude towards them among general population (GP) and health care workers (HCWs).Results: Although natural product use was high among GPs, both groups used similar herbs, reflecting cultural tradition and beliefs. However, GPs show better knowledge and attitude about herbal medicine than HCWs. Conclusion: Mental exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of medicine-based evidence might influence HCW’s trust and knowledge on herbal medicine. Therefore, research and educational courses on herbal medicine for all medical practitioners are needed for proper counseling, thereby reducing risk and ensuring patient safety.

Complementary and Supportive Therapy Practices Used by Nurses to Prevent COVID-19: Natural and Herbal Products

“…In a study with similar results to our study, it was determined that 17.2% of nursing students consumed yogurt and kefir to protect themselves from COVID-19 disease [6]. In another study conducted with healthcare professionals, it was found that 9% of the participants believed that kefir protects from COVID-19 [4].…”

“…Similarly, in a study conducted with nursing students in Turkey, it was reported that 57.7% of the participants consumed lemon to prevent COVID-19 [6]. In a study investigating the use of herbal products in the general population and healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was reported that both healthcare personnel and the general population took vitamin C supplements or that the consumption of citrus fruits containing vitamin C such as lemons and oranges is common [4]. In another study evaluating the nutritional habits of adults after the COVID-19 epidemic, it was determined that almost half of the participants (50.4%) started to take vitamin C as a supplement [10].…”

“…In the research, "Personal Information Form Questionnaire", which was prepared by the researchers by scanning the literature, was used [2,4,[6][7][8][9].…”

“…In addition, it has been reported that herbal medicines, natural products and plant extracts used as complementarysupportive therapy increase the immunity of individuals, reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and are effective in managing the disease in individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 [1,3]. Healthcare professionals, who are at high risk for the risk of COVID-19 transmission, have tried to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection and strengthen their immune systems with herbal supplements, together with the natural products they have been using since the pandemic process [4]. As a matter of fact, nurses who played a role in the maintenance of primary health care services during the pandemic used herbal medicines, natural products and plant extracts as complementary-supportive treatment intensively due to the fear of getting infected and transmitting the infection to family members and patients [4,5].…”

“…Healthcare professionals, who are at high risk for the risk of COVID-19 transmission, have tried to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection and strengthen their immune systems with herbal supplements, together with the natural products they have been using since the pandemic process [4]. As a matter of fact, nurses who played a role in the maintenance of primary health care services during the pandemic used herbal medicines, natural products and plant extracts as complementary-supportive treatment intensively due to the fear of getting infected and transmitting the infection to family members and patients [4,5]. In line with this information, the aim of this study is to determine the herbal applications that nurses use as complementary-supportive treatment to prevent COVID-19.…”