Worried About Coronavirus? Here is What You Should Know!
According to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coronavirus originates from a family of coronaviruses that infect different animal species. The virus rarely infects people; however, the recent strain discovered in Wahun China has proved deadly and highly infectious among humans.
What are the symptoms?
According to World Health Organizations (WHO), the common signs of coronavirus are similar to common respiratory symptoms, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, and difficulty in breathing.
In the worst scenario, the virus can lead to severe acute respiratory syndrome, pneumonia, kidney failure, or even death.
Coronavirus symptoms may manifest within 2-14 days of exposure.
How does the virus spread?
Just like any virus, when an infected person sneezes or coughs, approximately 20,000 micro-droplets containing viruses are released into the air.
These droplets can land on different surfaces, and by touching these contaminated surfaces and rubbing your face, it can cause virus transmission. Likewise, one can get the virus by direct contact with the droplets within people of proximity.
The health officials believe that one can still transmit the virus even before symptoms start to manifest. Researchers also state that survival outside its host has not been identified; however, other viruses range from 1 hour – months
Coronavirus susceptibility factors
Age – Fatality rate is higher with older age groups, e.g., people in their '80s have a high death risk that someone in their 50s
Weakened immune system
Nutritional deficiencies
Stress
Chronic diseases
Genetics
Although you cannot control some of the factors in this list, you can have the most on your nutrient intake. Nutritional deficiencies will put you at risk of a weak immune system, which automatically lends the virus powerful.
How can you protect yourself and your family?
While there's no shot for the virus yet, there're a few important things you can do to minimize the risk of exposure and ensure protection for you and your family.
The CDC recommendations for protection include:
Regular handwashing with soap and water for at least 20-30 seconds. Hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol can also help in the absence of soap and water.
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
Covering your mouth with a tissue when coughing and trashing it after.
Avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands
Avoiding close contact with people outside your family (maintain a distance of 6 feet or more)
Try to stay at home as much as you can to minimize exposure
In addition to the CDC, any practices that can improve your immune system can be of great benefit in protecting yourself against the virus.
Some of the things you can easily do to lower the risk include:
Avoiding stress and getting adequate amounts of sleep. Increased stress levels and lack of sleep increases cortisol hormone whose prolonged elevation can weaken the immune system. Exercise plays a vital role in reducing the release of stress hormones.
Eating a proper diet. A variety of plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients essential for a robust immune system.
Vitamine C is one of the key vitamins when boosting the immunity, and should be replaced since virus infections deplete it from the body. Other vital vitamins include vitamin E, selenium, and zinc, all of which you can obtain from nuts and legumes.
Avoid cigarette smoking. Tobacco lowers the immune defenses putting you at risk of pneumonia and bronchitis.
Sunlight. Sunrays trigger the conversion of the cholesterol under the skin into Vit D, which modulates adaptive immune responses.
Reduce alcohol consumption. Alcohol disrupts the functioning of your gut microbes and reduces the functioning of protective immune cells such as T and C cells, plus macrophages.
Probiotic intake. According to Harvard, the good bacteria from probiotics can help improve digestive health as well as improve the immune system. Different studies have also shown that taking probiotics may reduce cold and flu occurrences throughout the year, all of which are viral infections.
Some natural probiotics include fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and pickles, kefir, and kombucha tea.
Although there's no specific treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19), supportive care is needed to help strengthen the immunity against the virus. Among the easily infected individuals include those with low protection i.e., the sick and the elderly. So let's protect our elderly parents and grandparents by maintaining isolation and providing them with needed supplies to help boost their immune system. This, however, cuts across every individual. Some of the things you can do to ensure you stay safe is maintaining high standards of hygiene, getting some sunlight, exercising, and consuming a proper diet.
