From  the common cold (rhinovirus), to uncomfortable cold sores (herpes simplex), to “the flu” (influenza), we have all experienced a viral infection during our lives. While the cold is unpleasant, some viruses are truly dangerous, and what makes viruses so frightening is the fact that there are few effective treatments for them. Most of what we can treat when we are infected with a virus are its symptoms. When that virus is the common cold, that is inconvenient. However, when the virus is something more serious, our inability to shorten its duration or reduce the damage it causes can be a matter of life and death.

This has never been as clear as it is right now, with the world in the grip of the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19. This new virus (SARS-CoV2) belongs to the coronavirus family that includes SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which terrified the world in 2003. As we experience a global pandemic that is claiming tens of thousands of lives, scientists are racing against the clock to develop a vaccine or treatment for this devastating coronavirus.

Fortunately, there is evidence to show that an effective treatment and even prevention may already exist in the form of Artemisia annua. This plant contains a range of active compounds that make it a naturally occurring, side-effect free, combination therapy. As seen in the scientific report below, Artemisia annua is effective against a range of viruses, but most importantly shows considerable activity against SARS-coronavirus.