Can CBD, terpenes and other cannabinoids help with battling covid?

During the pandemic we have seen a few stories in the news regarding CBD and covid. 
Could CBD help people with covid? Let's go through some of what has been published so far.

Forbes has done several stories on CBD and covid. 

In a story published July 15 2020 they speak about the benefits CBD could have for the lungs. 

Now new evidence is adding support to the theory that cannabis derived CBD may help those suffering from the severe lung inflammation that occurs in more serious cases of COVID-19. The study from researchers at Augusta University in Georgia suggests  that CBD may positively impact ARDS or acute respiratory distress syndrome - a dangerous symptom in COVID-19 caused by an overactive inflammatory response. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘cytokine storm’. The authors of the study explain that “currently, other than supportive measures, there is no definitive cure for ARDS, illustrating the urgent need for creative and effective therapeutic modalities to treat this complex condition.”

The research itself was performed on mice, who were first given a treatment called Poly(I:C) to artificially induce ARDS, with symptoms similar to what we see in severe COVID-19 patients. This created a cytokine storm, reduced the blood oxygen saturation by 10%, and even produced structural damages to the lungs in mice subjects. Then after the mice were experiencing the cytokine storm and coinciding respiratory distress, they were given CBD. And the results showed just how powerful CBD can be when treating ARDS. “These symptoms were totally or partially reversed and returned to the level and condition of the normal after treatment with CBD” the authors report.

“These symptoms were totally or partially reversed and returned
to the level and condition of the normal after treatment with CBD”
the authors report.

Researchers on the study say that CBD could play an immunotherapeutic role in treating severe respiratory viral infections like COVID-19, based on the present findings. 
“The current data support the notion that the anti-inflammatory function of CBD may reduce cytokine storm and mitigate the effects of exaggerated inflammation,” they explain. They add that “considering all potential regulatory effects of CBD as well as the vast distribution of endocannabinoid system in the body, it is plausible that CBD may be used as a therapeutic candidate in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions including COVID-19 and other virus-induced ARDS.”

Another story from Forbes Jul 21, 2020 tells us that CBD and terpenes work well together for this. We speak a lot about the Entourage effect when we promote CBD Shifa Oils, as those are a combination of many cannabinoids and terpenes. And the combination seems to always perform better than just CBD alone. 
But this study says that terpenes, compounds that provide the aroma and flavor in cannabis and many other plants, may lead to even better results than CBD alone, and might outperform conventional treatments like corticosteroids. Reports from the study show that a combination of CBD with terpenes was 2 times more effective at inhibiting cytokine activity than dexamethasone, a corticosteroid which a recent study found to be an effective treatment for Covid-19 cytokine storms.

Then in January 21, 2021 Forbes focused on a study on different cannabis strains for treatments. This also helped to reduce the specific type of inflammatory distress— “cytokine storm”—that precedes severe cases of acute respiratory distress due to Covid-19. 
The strains used here had high THC and lesser amounts of CBD and other cannabinoids. 
The study found cannabis may “tame” or reduce the severity of Covid-19. One of the main causes of severe Covid-19 that proceeds acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an influx of “pro-inflammatory cytokines,” which is also known as the “cytokine storm.” “Out of all cytokines, TNFα and IL-6 play crucial roles in cytokine storm pathogenesis and are likely responsible for the escalation in disease severity,” the study says. The treatment addition of cannabis extracts helps “curb inflammation and prevent fibrosis, and lead to disease remission.”

So it seems like cannabis components could yet again help fight another severe medical issue.  All covid sufferers should be offered cannabinoid treatments.