Sweetgum balls contain the same active ingredient that Tamiflu contains, which is shikimic acid; It kills viruses including SARS-CoV-2
Sweetgum contains small amounts of shikimic acid, which is the starting point in the industrial manufacture of Tamiflu, a drug for treating influenza. However, there is no evidence that shikimic acid has the same effect. Tamiflu targets a specific protein found in flu viruses, so it doesn’t work against the virus that causes COVID-19, and neither does shikimic acid.