Traditional Healing Methods: Focus on the Medicinal Plants Against Coronavirus (Covid-19) Infection

Background: In African health care system, medicinal plants are major components and most assorted of all therapeutic systems. In major parts of rural Africa, traditional healers prescribing medicinal plants are the most easily accessible and affordable health resource available to the local community and at times the only therapy that subsists. Coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) is an acute virus (SARs-coV-2) which has caused a global pandemic. This paper aims to emphasize the importance of herbal medicine as a possible alternative and effective immune system booster against coronavirus disease in Ogun state, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Ethnobotanical survey was carried out using 80 randomly selected respondents among the villagers, herbalists, herb sellers, traditional medical practitioners, students, community leaders, by oral interviews and semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. Results: A total of 81 plant species from 35 families which were mostly represented by Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, Apocynaceae and Rubiaceae, and 61 botanicals were used singly while 21 other botanicals were combination of two or more plants in a single herbal preparations reported in the study area are used for management and alternative therapy against ailments such as fever, cough, body pain, flu, cold and shortness of breath that are associated to symptoms of covid-19. Conclusion: Herbal medicines provide an alternative therapy for boosting immunity system to help fight coronavirus. Traditional healers are still very relevant to African healthcare system.