Page 85 - IJPS-11-5

International Journal of
Population Studies Therapeutic resilience during COVID-19

Table 2. Home remedies to treat COVID-19 patients
Home remedies Ingredients for preparation
• Inhaling steam • Nim tree and lime.
• Nim (also known as • Nim tree and lemon.
margose) tree leaves • Pawpaw leaves and nim tree leaves.
• Moringa tree leaves with lemon, ginger, pineapple peels, and nim tree leaves.
• Inhaling unidentified plants, while receiving the steam treatment.
• Employing menthol crystals or other menthol-based materials.
• These simple home remedies quickly relieved coughs and stuffy noses. Only one/two teaspoons of Vicks VapoRub should be
added to a hot water basin. Inhale the vapors gradually, allowing your body to unwind with each exhalation.
• Herbal baths • Nim tree leaves were the most widely used approach.
• Unknown plants.
• Pawpaw leaves on a nim tree.
• Ginger-based • The mixture can be blended with various herbs, such as garlic, lemon, and hibiscus, and included in beverages, with/without
beverages sugar or honey.
• Lemon-based • Warm water and lemon, with/without sugar or honey.
beverages • Fresh lemon juice.
• Lemon juice combined with other fruits.
• A lemon-ginger dish, with garlic and honey as additional options.
• The process of • Consumption of guava leaves as a beverage can be performed, either in isolation or in combination with other herbal
preparing herbal ingredients.
beverages using • Boiling pineapple peels.
locally sourced • Different moringa leaf preparations.
ingredients • Consuming moringa leaves in their unprocessed form, incorporating cinnamon, cocoa powder, or honey as optional
ingredients.
• Spice-based drinks • Aidan fruit, also known as prekese.
• Hibiscus-based • A beverage made with hibiscus and ginger, with/without sugar or honey.
beverages • A fruit-based hibiscus and ginger beverage with pineapple, lemon, or lime.
• Spices, such as ginger, hibiscus, and Aidan fruit, are often referred to as prekese in the region.

(Sadio et al., 2021). Despite the absence of pharmaceutical Finally, these non-pharmacological approaches were
endorsements, these treatments have been widely regarded generally effective. They were also economical, broadly
as effective, with many individuals attesting to their success available, and presented as a safer alternative to contemporary
in preventing the virus. medical interventions. In a context where the healthcare
In Faisalabad, with local populations experiencing system faced significant challenges and access to treatment
insufficient healthcare infrastructure, individuals was limited, these home-based approaches were vital,
have turned to immune-boosting foods and herbal especially for patients exhibiting mild/moderate symptoms.
supplements for the treatment and prevention of the Meanwhile, many individuals felt reassured in overseeing
virus. Various remedies, including citrus fruits, honey, their health conditions at home and utilizing time-honored
and turmeric, are believed to enhance immunity and methods that had been passed down for generations. In
aid in recovery (Adebiyi et al., 2022). Research from this case, these non-pharmacological treatments, firmly
India has also demonstrated the advantages of turmeric established in local traditions, served as both medical
in addressing a wide range of conditions, including solutions and reflections of cultural resilience.
colds and liver disorders (Hewlings & Kalman, 2017). In sum, this ethnographic study underscores the
The extensive adoption of these supplements and foods importance of these cultural practices during the pandemic.
indicates a broader dependence on natural approaches to The application of home remedies, such as herbal teas and
bolster immunity before and during exposure to COVID- spices, emerged as a representation of cultural resilience,
19 (Soleymani et al., 2022). In addition, this response was highlighting the ways in which communities adjusted to the
intricately connected to cultural practices, reflecting the healthcare challenges presented by COVID-19. This study
ethnographic context of Faisalabad, where traditional also elucidates the interconnection between these traditions
remedies not only served as health interventions but also and contemporary public health measures, demonstrating
as integral components of the community’s social and that cultural practices played a pivotal role in the survival
cultural fabric. strategies of many individuals during the pandemic.

Volume 11 Issue 5 (2025) 79 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.4109