ABSTRACT
Introduction: Patients with COVID-19 without underlying medical issues are asked to self-manage symptoms with minimal medicines and lifestyle changes. However, the majority of current guidelines make no particular recommendations for treating COVID-19 symptoms, which, in addition to being extremely debilitating, contribute to the virus's transmissionPatients with COVID-19 were given eucalyptus and lemon essential oils as part of this study to see if they could reduce their symptoms. Methods: This study was conducted using two-group single-blind randomized controlled trial. A total of 100 participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the aromatherapy group (n =50) or the control group (n=50). The intervention group inhaled three drops of eucalyptus and lemon were combined in a 1:1 ratio for 20 minutes in 7 days. Each participant was asked to indicate whether or not they had experienced any of the 13 Major COVID-19 symptoms. Results: Eucalyptus and lemon essential oils improved outcomes relative to the control at T1 across two outcomes: 1) total number of symptoms decreased 2.39 (1.11 to 7.39), 2) body temperature score saw a modest decreased 2.17 points (95% CI 1.12 to 6.48). At T2, improved outcomes relative to the control were observed in family total number of symptoms (DID coefficient 3.41 (95% CI (1.12 to 6.75), body temperature (DID coefficient 2.39, 95% CI 1.18 to 6.63). Conclusion: Eucalyptus and lemon essentials oils (applied together) could be used as an alternative therapy for COVID-19 symptoms management. © 2022 UPM Press. All rights reserved.