How To Strengthen The Immune Response To Prevent Covid-19

Covid-19 pandemic has raised a lot of questions. The world health organization (WHO) doesn't have answers to the majority of these questions. It is due to the fact that not much is known about the virus. This has led so many to seek answers elsewhere. Answers are coming in from different kinds of people. Some are well educated. Some of these answers contradict the WHO stance. One of the most asked questions is how do one prevent covid-19?

WHO Covid-19 Prevention

WHO has always listed out how to prevent covid-19. The prevention method include:

WHO Guide

1STAY home as much as you can

2KEEP a safe distance

3WASH hands often

4COVER your cough

5DECONTAMINATE surfaces

5SICK? Call ahead

Read Also: How pharmacist can prevent covid-19 at work

However, many people believe that a good health (immune) can help prevent the infection. Others posit that it will help to reduce the severity of the infection. Why this is not among the prevention methods of covid-19 by the WHO, it sounds logical. Because good health does help prevent or reduce severity of many infections. Attempting to keep a healthy body won't do any harm. It will also help fight off other infections. So what can we do to improve on our health?

Immune Response

The immune system is made up of cells and chemicals that wade off suspected disease causing Invaders. There are three process. The first immune defence mechanism is the entry points into out body. They include the skin and the lungs. The skin which is the largest organ of the body prevent invaders. When the first barriers fail, the body activate it's innate response to an infection. The body sends out chemicals and microbiomes to destroy the invader and at the same time trigger the adaptive response in case the innate response fails. The adaptive response is the release of antibodies. It usually take time in some cases days for antibodies to be released.

Looking at the immune system, there are so many points that it works. So in order to build a strong immune response, there must be an all round attempt to fortify the immune system.

Pathophysiology Of Covid-19

Covid-19 is contracted through the nose, eyes and mouth. So the skin may not play a key role here. The only solution is to avoid contact with the virus as the lungs are well exposed to the virus. But if it enters the lungs, it attaches itself to cells. From the cells it makes extra copies. These copies further infect other healthy cells until the body is overwhelmed.

Some people are asymptomatic. Some are of the opinion that they have a good immunity while some are of the opinion that it could be due to their genetic make-up. Whatever the case this looks like a respiratory disease. Although recent observation is changing the narrative.

Activities That Build Immune Response

Immune response

Knowing about the infection, an attempt is made to increase the lung immune response. Some look at it like influenza and draft treatment plans with that in mind. In all, the bottom line is to prevent the infection. However, when the infection has set in, hold the person until their immune system fights it off. The main attempt is to increase the white blood cell count to a healthy level and microbiome.

Sleep And Rest

Sleep is a time the body undergoes repair. Without it, every other step is futile. It helps the body reformat to factory settings without much energy use up. Those in isolation and quarantine should get enough of it, limiting time with mobile phones and other electronic gadgets that can take away their time.

Avoid doing things that will interfere with sleep. Stop or reduce the use of alcohol and caffeine as this can alter sleep patterns.

Diet And Food

Nothing beats a balanced diet in these critical times. It is effective and costs less. There is no standard when it comes to eating right. However, one should not forget to add yogurt and vegetables to the diet. These yoghurt add probiotics to the diet which are part of the body defence mechanism. As long as the immune system of some are able to fight off this infection, one cannot rule out the contribution of probiotics.

A lot of misconception exists in the use of supplements to assist the body build a strong immune response. Some people claim that food cannot provide all the essential nutrients so the need for supplements. One thing is for sure. Supplements are completely useless in healthy individuals. But as for those who could not meet up their daily nutritional needs, supplements may be the way to go. However, much conflicting research on this still puts the topic under heated debate. But one vitamin that has gotten a positive nod from many researchers is vitamin D which is gotten from exposure of the skin to morning sun. People who are unable to get this naturally should buy one.

Other supplements that have been hinted to help build the immune response when not available in diet are vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin D and zinc. They are obtained from most foods we eat, especially fruit and vegetables.

As you eat right, avoid foods that destroy the body's immune response. Reduce the intake of antibiotics because they destroy the gut microbiome. Avoid drugs that affect the digestive tracts in one way or the other. They may end up causing more harm than good.

Hydration

Drink plenty of water. Not today alone but forever. Water helps the body produce lymph which carries white blood cells and other immune cells around the body. Reduce intake of things that reduce hydration such as caffeine. Alcohol is also known to cause water loss which is bad for a healthy body. There is no scientific evidence that alcohol kills the virus in the lungs.

Read Also: Multivitamin and their function

Smoke

Smoke is known to affect a number of health conditions. Covid-19 does not seem to be an exception as many smokers died from covid-19 as compared to non-smokers. This could be due to the fact that smoking affects the lung's health. And covid-19 is a virus of the lungs.

Exercise

Strenuous activity is dangerous as it affects the body immune response. However, mild forms of activities strengthen the body's response to infection. Stress from exercise or any form maybe from thinking worsen immune response.

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