evidence: The SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted medical and socioeconomic havoc, and despite the current availability of vaccines and broad implementation of vaccination programs, more easily accessible and cost-effective acute treatment options preventing morbidity and mortality are urgently needed. Herbal teas have historically and recurrently been applied as self-medication for prophylaxis, therapy, and symptom alleviation in diverse diseases, including those caused by respiratory viruses, and have provided sources of natural products as basis for the development of therapeutic agents. To identify affordable, ubiquitously available, and effective treatments, we tested herbs consumed worldwide as herbal teas regarding their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. [...] Based on the facts that CoVs are present in animals such as rodents, bats, pigs, and cats residing in utmost proximity of human settlements and civilization and seem to have caused human epidemics in the past [22, 23], we speculated that human culture might provide certain behavioral adaptations to coronavirus infections. Such knowledge may be applicable to alleviate some of the hardship and suffering caused by SARS-CoV-2 in a process of "cultural repurposing". People with respiratory diseases often consume herbal products and teas in attempts of self-medication. Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, people reported that they have changed their behavior accordingly. In two studies comprising thousands of people, up to 57.6% of individuals reported having used nutritional supplements or herbal products, usually as teas, in attempts to protect themselves from COVID-19 [24, 25]. Therefore, we wondered how effective herbal teas actually are against SARS-CoV-2 and tested the in vitro antiviral activity of herbal infusions against SARS-CoV-2 variants including VOCs.