COVID-19 and medicinal plants: A critical perspective

On a global scale, the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is having a direct and indirect effect on human lives, socioeconomic conditions, and the natural environment. The measures are taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus and slowdown of economic activities could have major short and long term effects on the natural ecosystem and climate in the coming days. Based on the current scientific studies, the present perspective intends to examine the possible direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ecosystem particularly on medicinal plants. The natural compounds obtained from medicinal plants and herbal formulations provide rich sources of novel effective measures to control viral infections. The unpredictable COVID situation has affected the environment based on several aspects which may play a key role in impact on plants. The positive perspectives of the world pandemic are a significant improvement in quality of air, reduced carbon emission, increased water purity and reduction in other types of pollution. But at the same time, the negative consequences are much more, which mainly includes increased consumption of preventive medical equipment and medical wastes due to treatment and human immortality, which is continuously endangering the medicinal plants. These wastes may affect the natural cycling process and the natural habitat of the medicinal plants which are a promising solution for the prevention of viral diseases in the years to come. Hence, this perspective will be beneficial for the possible research studies and proper implementation of the strategies that might be support the global climate sustainability.