5 Things You Must Do to Keep Your Immune System Strong against Coronavirus

In light of the current Coronavirus situation and also the fact that we are now in the Influenza season, it is extremely important that we keep our immune systems strong. The stronger our immune system is, we reduce the risk of contracting viruses and/or reduce the severity and length of illness. Here are 5 important things we must do to keep our immune system strong for our protection:

1. Maintain a Healthy Diet

Contrary to popular opinion, eating to boost immune function is not about mega-dosing on vitamin C. Instead, we should be thinking about optimizing our body's ability to fight infections. This comes down to building some strong dietary and lifestyle habits to help keep you fighting fit and better able to deal with an infection when it crosses your path. Some of the key nutrients involved in immune function are amino acids found in protein-rich foods, a range of essential vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C and E, selenium, zinc, copper, iron and essential fatty acids. Research has found that people who are deficient in one or more nutrients are generally more susceptible to infections, and these infections are more severe and last longer. These nutrients are found in ample quantities in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables – but that diet must be diverse. The key to using our diet as a tool to make sure we’re fighting fit is to ensure we eat as many different types of nutrients and minerals as possible. [5 foods to boost your immune system]

Building a strong immune system is not only about what we do eat, but also what we actively choose to avoid. Eating a diet high in sugar and regularly eating fast food weakens our immune system's response. Research conducted at the University of Bonn in Germany has determined that fast food causes the immune system to react in the same way it does as when it is exposed to bacterial infection. So it is key to limit or avoid eating sugary and fast foods to strengthen the immune system.

2. Get a Good Night's Sleep:

Not getting enough sleep, also weakens your immune system. Studies show that people who don't get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick.

During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you're under stress. Sleep deprivation may decrease the production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don't get enough sleep. How much sleep do you need to bolster your immune system? The optimal amount of sleep for most adults is seven to eight hours of good sleep each night. Teenagers need nine to 10 hours of sleep. School-aged children may need 10 or more hours of sleep.

3. Exercise Regularly:

Recent studies have shown that having an active lifestyle with regular exercise can cut risk infection by nearly 50%. Further research is required to understand how exercise increases your immunity to certain illnesses, but there are several theories. Some of these theories are:

• Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other viral and bacterial illnesses.

• Exercise causes a change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before.

• Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the chance of illness. Lower stress hormones may protect against illness.

4. Practice Good Hygiene

Sorry to state the obvious as this is what we are all being told and the truth of the matter is that following basic hygiene practices is one of the best defenses against germs. The World Health Organisation advises people to wash their hands at least five times a day for around 20-30 seconds with soap and water.

Other measures you can take are to disinfect your door handles, telephone, computer keyboard, light switches, taps, fridge, kettle and microwave handles, etc or anything you or your family might use often; especially if you have children that might not follow proper handwashing techniques.

Experts are also advising people to reject formal handshakes and instead opt for pats on the backs or air handshakes. This will help stop the virus from spreading.

Also. cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough, or cough into your elbow rather than your hand.

5. Reduce Stress

High levels of stress can take a toll on your immune system. It causes your body to produce high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which opens the door for more inflammation in the body. High levels of inflammation in the body will lead to an overworked, over-tired immune system that can’t properly protect you. In addition, stress decreases the body’s lymphocytes — the white blood cells that help fight off infection. The lower your lymphocyte level, the more at risk you are for viruses.

With the uncertainty and changing information surrounding COVID-19 and the amount of misinformation being trolled through the internet its understandable that stress levels may be higher than usual. Some key points to remember during this time are

• Recognizing it is important to manage what you can with the information you are provided but also release the need to control what you cannot.

• Limit your consumption of news. As the information on COVID-19 continues to develop, it is important to stay updated with information from reputable sources such as this prevention guide and this myth-busting list from The World Health Organization.

• Limit social media. While social media can be a great tool for sharing the right information it's also a treasure trove of false and misleading information and fake news. Fear sells, and the old news media saying "if it bleeds, it leads" is still functioning today. Social media greases and amplifies dramatic headlines, while more functional or nuanced information gets squashed. The Poynter Institute has gathered fact-checkers from 30 countries to check news with a special Twitter search and promoting hashtags #CoronaVirusFacts and #DatosCoronaVirus. The WHO has also set up a website called EPI-WIN.

In short, be concerned but don't panic, vet what you read and the check that sources are reputable. Stay healthy and take care of your immune system.