Abstract
Despite enormous efforts deployed and considerable positive results obtained in the global fight against the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) the scourge remains a major international public health hazard. The main control measures at the onset consisted in the application of barrier and hygiene measures to stop the spread of the virus and case identification and clinical management of symptoms in the absence of widely available anti-COVOD-19 drugs. Vaccination as a major control measure became widely available in the advanced countries of the global north, but not in Africa where less than 5-10% 0f the population are vaccinated against COVID-19. However, African countries, possibly excluding South Africa, have been less impacted by COVID-19 pandemic as they registered fewer cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Herein it is postulated that the wide use of African traditional Phytomedicines (herbal medicines) has contributed, at least in part, to the better control of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. Abundant evidence in the literature suggests the availability of anti-viral, anti-oxidant and immune-stimulatory agents in the proposed COVID-19 herbal remedies., these activities being similar to those the standard drugs used in the standard treatment/ management of COVID-19. The review also examines a number of COVID-19 herbal medicines including COVID Organics CVO (Madagascar) ADSAR, ELISIR COVID, COROCUR (Cameroon) IHP Detox Tea (Nigeria) and COVIDEX (Uganda) and notes that though approved by the competent authorities in the respective African countries, these phytomedicines have not been approved by the WHO. It is proposed that additional studies be carried out to validate the Africa herbal remedies for possible use as stand-alone or complementary treatment of COVID-19 in addition to vaccination and barrier and hygiene control measures.
Highlights
The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the Severe Respiratory Syndrome Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that erupted in Wuhan China in December 2019 rapidly spread around the world causing suffering and death as well as disrupting lifestyles and economies
Literature search The databases www.scholar.google.com and www.yahoo.com were searched for scholarly articles using the following key words: COVID-19 drug targets; COVID-19 anti-viral compound from medicinal plants; Phytomedicine for COVID-19, fever, cough, body pains; African traditional medicines for COVID-19, fever, cough, body pains The databases www.cdc.gov ; www.who.int; www.worldometers.info were consulted for statistical information about COVID-19, its pathogenesis, treatment and prevention
A large body of evidence confirms the availability of antiviral compounds isolated from the medicinal plants of Africa and China.( Muhtara et al, 2008;Asprilio and Wilar,2021,) Phytomedicines are used by more than 80% of the African population because of their availability and affordability
Summary
The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the Severe Respiratory Syndrome Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that erupted in Wuhan China in December 2019 rapidly spread around the world causing suffering and death as well as disrupting lifestyles and economies. On 7th October 2021 the dismal statistics of COVID-19 pandemic stands at 237,693,189 million cases and 4,852,326 deaths world-wide. The current control measures recommended by the WHO and adopted by many countries around the world are two pronged: a) barrier and hygiene measures to stop the transmission such as social distancing, hand washing, wearing of face masks, lockdowns and self-isolations etc b) case identification and management for those who develop symptoms and require hospitalization. As for the barrier-measures they were respected initially, but have subsequently been abandoned by a majority of the African population though officials can still be spotted on TV wearing masks and doing fist bumps, more because it is government policy rather than because of its usefulness to fight the pandemic
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
