Fight against COVID-19: Survey of Spices & Herbs Used in North India

Treatments for the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic continue to be researched. Clinical trials with antivirals or immunomodulators have met with variable success. Traditional herbal remedies for health problems are popular for prevention and treatment of ailments especially in low resource countries. It is notable that morbidity and mortality from COVID were lower in low resource countries compared to the west. Other factors attributed to this difference include ethnicity, temperature, humidity, innate immunity, and nutrition. Objective: To identify the traditional herbs used for protection against COVID, in north India. Method: This questionnaire-based survey was conducted from August to September 2020 at five districts in North India. Participation in the brief interview was voluntary. Responses were recorded in a predesigned questionnaire (Annexure). Descriptive data analysis was done. Results: A total of 250 people participated in the interview. Majority (84.4%) of the respondents used mask. A total of 66.8% of the respondents confirmed using traditional herbs and spices. Most frequently used home remedies were decoction of herbs including ginger, Tinospora cordifolia, turmeric, black pepper, carom seeds. Turmeric milk was also popular choice. COVID positivity was present in family members of 4% (n = 10) of the respondents, of these four did not consume any herbs. Conclusions: This study provides an overview on the use of home remedies in North India. Given the scarcity of reliable information on home remedies and traditional medicines, further research is needed to develop robust evidence for their role in disease prevention and treatment.