Medicinal plants and functional foods used as resources against Covid-19 by an andean population in Peru

Abstract The objective of this research was to identify those medicinal plants and functional foods that the population of Cusco, located in the Peruvian Andes, use as resources to cope with COVID-19 either for prevention or as an adjuvant to treatment with drugs. A descriptive, non-experimental and cross-sectional research was developed. The study population consisted of inhabitants over 20 and under 70 years of age, of both exes from the districts of Cusco, San Jeronimo, San Sebastian, Santiago and Wanchaq in the city of Cusco, Peru. A virtual survey was applied to 1747 inhabitants, for which a questionnaire was designed and elaborated with 07 items whose content was validated by 10 expert judges using Aiken’s V (Aiken’s V > 0.90). The data collected were exported to a database in Microsoft Excel. This research work was reviewed and approved by the Research Bioethics Committee of the National University of San Antonio Abad del Cusco. The results obtained show that the medicinal plants most used by the population studied were eucalyptus (70.2%), kion (68.3%), garlic (58.8%), matico (49.6%), chamomile (34.0%) and coca (21.6%). The functional foods consumed by the population include lemon (79.1%), kion (65.3%), orange (62.2%), honey (63.5%), onion (52.4%), avocado (40.2%), broccoli (35.8%),fish (35.5%) and tarwi (32.5%) for prevention, symptom relief and as an adjuvant in the treatment with drugs for COVID-19.ResumenLa presente investigación, tuvo como objetivo identificar aquellas plantas medicinales y alimentos funcionales que la población del Cusco ubicada en los Andes del Perú, hace uso como recursos para hacer frente a la COVID-19 ya sea para la prevención o como coadyuvante al tratamiento con medicamentos. Se desarrolló una investigación descriptiva, no xperimental y transversal. La población de estudio estuvo constituida por los habitantes mayores de 20 y menores de 70 años, de ambos sexos de los distritos de Cusco, San Jerónimo, San Sebastián, Santiago y Wanchaq de la ciudad del Cusco., Perú. Se aplicó una encuesta virtual a 1747 pobladores, para lo cual se diseñó y elaboró un cuestionario con 07 ítems cuyo contenido fue validado por 10 jueces expertos utilizando la V de Aiken (V de Aiken > 0,90). Los datos recopilados fueron exportados a una base de datos en el programa Microsoft Excel. Este trabajo de investigación fue revisado y aprobado por el Comité de Bioética en Investigación de la Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que las plantas medicinales más utilizadas por la población estudiada fueron eucalipto (70,2%), kión (68,3%), ajo (58,8%), matico (49,6%), manzanilla (34,0%) y coca (21,6%). En relación a los alimentos funcionales que la población consume se encuentran limón (79,1%), kión (65,3%), naranja (62,2%), miel (63,5%), cebolla (52,4%), palta (40,2%), brócoli (35,8%), pescado (35,5%) y tarwi (32,5%) con fines de prevención, alivio de síntomas y coadyuvante en el tratamiento con medicamentos para la COVID-19

Psychological Factors Affecting Risk Perception of COVID-19: Evidence from Peru and China

COVID-19 has spread around the world, causing a global pandemic, and to date is impacting in various ways in both developed and developing countries. We know that the spread of this virus is through people’s behavior despite the perceived risks. Risk perception plays an important role in decision-making to prevent infection. Using data from the online survey of participants in Peru and China (N = 1594), data were collected between 8 July 31 and August 2020. We found that levels of risk perception are relatively moderate, but higher in Peru compared to China. In both countries, anxiety, threat perception, self-confidence, and sex were found to be significant predictors of risk perception; however, trust in the information received by government and experts was significant only in Peru, whereas self-confidence had a significant negative effect only for China. Risk communication should be implemented through information programs aimed at reducing anxiety and improving self-confidence, taking into consideration gender differences. In addition, the information generated by the government should be based on empirical sources. Finally, the implications for effective risk communication and its impacts on the health field are discussed