Knowledge about COVID-19 and beliefs about and use of herbal products during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The lack of treatment options for COVID-19 has raised many concerns among populations worldwide, which has led to many attempts to find alternative options to prevent the transmission of the disease or to alleviate the progression of the infection, including focusing more on preventive measures (to prevent transmission to other individuals) and the use of natural products and herbal extracts to increase immunity and decrease the probability of getting infected. This study explored the knowledge of the population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) about COVID-19 preventive measures and their belief about the consumption of herbal products for the prevention of COVID-19 infection. A total of 5,258 individuals participated in this study. Participants’ knowledge about the appropriate COVID-19 preventive measures in terms of handwashing procedures, self-quarantine and social distancing was moderate, with a mean score of 5.5 (SD: 1.7) out of 10 (representing around 55.0% of the total score). About 22.1% (n= 1,161) of the participants reported that they have used herbal products or nutritional supplements during the pandemic period, to protect themselves from the disease. Social media and the Internet (39.4%, n= 372) were the main motivators for the participants to try herbal products. Vitamin C was the most commonly used food supplement to increase immunity and reduces the chance of contracting COVID-19. Our study demonstrated that the general population in Saudi Arabia has a moderate level of knowledge about COVID-19 transmission and preventive measures. A considerable proportion of the population reported the use of herbal products or food supplements in order to protect themselves from the disease. Policymakers are suggested to provide further educational campaigns that increase population knowledge about the disease transmission routes and preventive measures. In addition, the use of herbal products should be evidence-based to ensure patient safety.

Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice towards COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Of the participants, 91.2% thought that people’s commitment to the Ministry of Health’s precautions will prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, as noted previously [ 26 ]. Of this study’s participants, 90.4% believed that reducing the number of pilgrims during the Hajj season could limit the COVID-19 pandemic in line with the recommendations [ 27 ], and 86.4% of participants believed that the correct wearing of face masks could lead to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, similar to a study from Pakistan [ 28 ].…”

Dietary Supplements during COVID-19 Outbreak. Results of Google Trends Analysis Supported by PLifeCOVID-19 Online Studies

“…As previous studies report, vitamin C [ 1 , 3 , 5 ], vitamin D [ 5 ], and omega-3 fatty acids [ 3 , 5 ] are one of the most popular nutrients taken with DSs. A recent study from Saudi Arabia found that vitamin C was used during the COVID-19 pandemic by almost all DSs users [ 31 ]. Another study from the USA reported that medication changed in barely 3% of respondents, mostly regarding introducing new vitamins or DSs, including zinc and vitamin C, since COVID-19 spread [ 32 ].…”

“…In the second edition of our study, we also reported that between 16 to 33% of respondents during the autumn period increased their intake of turmeric, garlic, raspberry syrup, fermented vegetables and fruits, lemon, honey, and ginger. Alyami et al [ 31 ] also reported that around 15% of respondents used herbal products or DSs, and even twice more believed that consumption of turmeric, ginger, garlic, or onion may help to increase immunity and to reduce the risk of getting COVID-19. In our study, immunity improvement and improving the overall health and wellness were the main reasons for DSs use, declared by nearly 60% of respondents.…”

“…In our study, immunity improvement and improving the overall health and wellness were the main reasons for DSs use, declared by nearly 60% of respondents. In addition, other studies report that use of some DSs is often justified by the desire to improve immunity, overall health, to prevent illness, or to treat viral infections, even before the COVID-19 outbreak [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 13 , 31 , 33 , 34 ].…”

“…Nevertheless, previous results showed that during the pandemic, many people worsened their diet or/and gained weight [ 24 , 25 , 59 , 60 , 61 ]. Unfortunately, knowledge about COVID-19 prevention is not fully satisfactory [ 31 , 52 , 62 ] and often derives from social-media or media [ 52 , 62 ]. As it was previously described, Internet information about methods of COVID-19 prevention and treatment, or immune system boosting, including the use of DSs, varies significantly depending on the type of website (e.g., governmental or commercial) and sometimes has an inadequate quality or even presents potentially harmful information quite often [ 14 , 15 , 50 , 63 ].…”