Can essential oils protect you from Covid-19?

Doctor's Answers 2

Photo of Dr Jipson Quah
Dr Jipson Quah

General Practitioner

I cannot claim to be knowledgeable about essential oils so I am quite doubtful if they offer any special protection against COVID-19.

Some sellers of supplements and essential oils are using coronavirus claims to market their products. One of these claims is that essential oils may have "anti-viral" properties. While this may or may not be true, it does not mean that it protects one from contracting the virus, nor is there evidence that it has any effect on Covid-19.

Here you can find a warning letter from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to a seller of "Unapproved and Misbranded Products Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19)".

As of 2 April 2020, there are not yet any vaccines or drugs approved by the FDA to treat or prevent Covid-19.

No.

Follow the common sense guidelines to limit the spread of droplet-borne infectious disease:

  1. Avoid crowds.
  2. Wash your hands with soap and water frequently, or if water is unavailable, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  3. Cover your face if you are coughing, or sneezing.
  4. Wear a surgical mask if you are unwell.
  5. Dispose of soiled (wet) masks or tissues promptly into designated waste containers. Do not leave these lying around where someone else may come into contact with this contaminated waste.
  6. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, as the virus particles can remain viable on surfaces for up to 12 hours.
  7. Get enough sleep.
  8. Ensure sufficient intake of fluids, fruit and vegetables to ensure your immune system is functioning optimally.

All of these should be sufficient to protect you from contracting any droplet-borne infectious diseases, including the common cold and seasonal influenza (the novel coronavirus is from the same family as regular influenza).

Beware of charlatans who are looking to take advantage of ignorance to make a quick buck, or worse still, lull you into a false sense of complacency.

There is no essential oil that can "detoxify" the air or inactivate the viral particles.

DO NOT attempt to infuse your surgical mask with essential oils as this can break down the filtration material and compromise the water resistance of the mask. Surgical masks are effective against droplet-borne infection only if the mask can repel water.

If you are feeling unwell, seek medical attention promptly.

Similar Questions

Are there any supplements recommended for vegans who fall sick often?

I am a vegetarian myself. The vegan lifestyle is environmentally friendly and possibly healthier, but there are many potential pitfalls. If you are not bound by religion or otherwise, it might be good to still eat small amounts of animal based products once a week to stay healthy. Otherwise, you might need to supplement your diet with iron, B12 and folate which are missing in a plant only diet. Your best bet is actually to join a community or a forum where there are other people with your same eating habits to ask for advice.

Photo of Dr Paul Ang

Answered By

Dr Paul Ang

General Practitioner

Can I still get the Gardasil 9 vaccine if I am older than 26 years old, and what are the benefits and considerations in getting it past the CDC approved age?

The Gardasil 9 vaccination provides protection against cervical cancer as well as warts. When a medication or injection is approved by the government, it relies on research to support the claims made by the medications. In this case, the claim is that: In the few thousands of patients that the company gave the vaccine to, these girls were between 9 to 26 years old. And according to the research, the injection did reach the outcomes that it claims. And hence, this is called the "label indication".

Photo of Dr Paul Ang

Answered By

Dr Paul Ang

General Practitioner

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