THE SEARCH FOR THE USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN THE PREVENTION OF INFECTION BY COVID-19, INSIDE THE STATE OF TOCANTINS, BRAZIL

Given the current scenario of the pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, many people have sought alternative therapies, prevention for the disease, relief of symptoms or even a cure. Thus, aiming to describe the experiences of using medicinal plants during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a qualitative-quantitative, exploratory-descriptive research carried out in municipalities in the interior of the State of Tocantins (Colmeia, Rio dos Bois and Itapora). For data collection, a semistructured questionnaire containing 15 questions about the use of medicinal plants during the pandemic period between 2020 and 2021 was used. Sixty women participated in the study, of which 81.7% claimed to use medicinal plants in some way. Of the participating individuals, the age group from 30 to 38 years old was the most prevalent, representing 36.8 of the sample, and 30% were 58 years old or more given the results presented, it is possible to conclude that the use of medicinal plants is frequent among the population studied, especially when it comes to preventing some disease, such as Covid-19. Some of the plants mentioned have scientifically proven biological activity, however, care must be taken in their use and not to disregard scientific knowledge.