Are Essential Oils Effective Against COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus)?

At the time of this writing, COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) has already spread to 212 countries with a total confirmed cases of more than 3 million. It is no surprise that the worldwide panic around COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) has been causing people to resort to alternative cure or prevention for coronavirus. Many false claims have circulated on social media about possible treatment for coronavirus. One of the most ridiculous ones I have read is the claim that eating tons of bananas daily can prevent having coronavirus. Another popular claim floating around the Internet is that essential oils can be used to either treat or prevent COVID-19. Some supporters of the claim have stated that some essential oils with antiviral properties can prevent or treat 2019 novel coronavirus. Such claim is so prevalent that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already issued warning letters to some essential oil companies who are making such unproven claim.

The big question is: are essential oils really effective against COVID-19? The answer is NO. Even Robert Tisserand, the leading expert in the studies of essential oils, has stated in his article that at the moment there is no existing research or clinical studies to support the claim that essential oils can prevent or treat COVID-19. It is true that there are essential oils that have the ability to prevent the spread of certain viruses (antiviral properties). For instance, there are some studies indicating that tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oil can prevent the spread of influenza (flu) virus. However, even though some essentials oils work against certain viruses, it doesn’t mean that they will automatically work against COVID-19. It’s very important to note that each virus has different genetic makeup. Since COVID-19 is a pretty recent virus, scientists from around the world are yet to develop a vaccine or medicine for COVID-19. The same is true for essential oils. More studies (both in vitro and in vivo) need to be conducted before we can prove the efficacy of essential oils against COVID-19. But of course, we don’t close the doors for future research about the possibility of using essentials oils as alternative prevention or treatment for COVID-19.

In conclusion, with the plethora of false information spreading around the social media with regards to prevention and treatment of COVID-19, it’s very important to do a thorough research before actually believing them. With a disease as serious as COVID-19, the best thing to do is to consult a doctor rather than doing self-medication.

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