Use of herbal medicine in French Guiana: Influences and challenges for prevention strategies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction In French Guiana, the COVID-19 pandemic was marked by very high levels of transmission in the population, low rates of hospitalizations and deaths and high vaccine hesitancy. The use of traditional herbal remedies is very common in the population and understanding its influence as part of the population’s healing strategy is important. We investigated the use of traditional remedies for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in French Guiana and its influence on vaccine hesitancy. Methods An online survey was conducted between April and May 2021 among 1,295 participants aged 18 years or older. Demographic characteristics, attitudes and perceptions of the population about the pandemic, vaccination intentions and use of traditional remedies were collected through a standardized questionnaire. The cited plants were collected and deposited at the Cayenne herbarium for identification. Results For combating COVID-19, 31.7% of people used traditional remedies while 71.4% reported usually treating themselves with remedies unrelated to COVID-19. A total of 604 use reports were recorded as "anti-coronavirus". Quassia amara (Simaroubaceae) was the most frequently used species (153/604), representing 25.3% of the citations. Preventive use was more prevalent than curative use. Vaccine hesitancy was more common among people using traditional remedies. Discussion/Conclusions Several species commonly used in French Guiana such as Quassia amara, Neurolaena lobata, Alpinia zerumbet, and Tinospora crispa were found to be used in the context of COVID-19. Further studies would be useful to investigate qualitative and quantitative components of interest, mechanisms and effects.