ARTEMISIA EFFECTIVE AGAINST SARS-CoV-2
Artemisia annua effective against SARS-Cov-2
A global coalition of researchers has found that extracts from Artemisia annua can inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in a laboratory. Publishing in Scientific Reports they report on three different extracts all of which were effective against SARS-CoV-2 and three variants. The new study echoes findings recently published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology which concludes that A. annua may provide safe, low-cost treatment for covid-19. Artemisia, also known as sweet wormwood, is known to possess powerful antiviral properties. Artemsinin from A. annua is commonly used as a malaria treatment. A. annua has a long history of use in herbal medicine to treat a range of infectious diseases. The question now is not whether it can treat covid-19, but will it be censored and dismissed in the same way as all the other natural compounds that act as both preventatives and treatments? In Europe, the situation is complicated by its regulatory status as A. annua is not permitted for use in many Member States.