As cases of coronavirus continue to increase across the United States more and more people are breaking social distancing rules and CDC guidelines. There seems to be the thought that we will “enter a second wave” in the fall, but the truth is, we’re still nowhere close to the end of the first. Our nation’s fumbled response to handling coronavirus and the reopening of the country amidst a pandemic has left hundreds of thousands dead and countless others infected. Those numbers will only increase if we aren’t more careful.
It is extremely important that we find as many ways as possible to stay healthy. We can’t control the actions of those who deny the risk of coronavirus, but we can control our own actions. There are simple things we can all do to prevent spread, like wear masks in public places, maintain six feet of distance from those outside of our families, and wash our hands frequently. These may seem like obvious things, but during this time, many have been neglecting these actions and becoming more careless. If we want to control the spread, we all have to comply with these simple actions. Just wearing a mask can reduce the coronavirus transmission rate through airborne particles and droplets by up to 75%, according to a University of Hong Kong study. The WHO and CDC have both said that masks and distancing can significantly decrease the number of cases and help flatten the curve.
Sometimes, however, even these precautions aren’t enough. The spread of coronavirus is largely out of our hands, especially since so many people never display symptoms and it is difficult to get tested if we aren’t showing symptoms. Along with the basic precautions of wearing a mask and maintaining six feet of distance, there are a few more things we can do to stay healthy: priming our immune systems, reducing viral load, and breathing exercises.
1. Priming the Immune System: When the body is infected with COVID-19, or any other harmful disease of virus, its first port of defense is the immune system. Therefore, it is vital that we keep our immune systems primed and strong. A few ways to do this include staying hydrating, eating a healthy diet rich in nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress. It can be hard to completely avoid stress during this tough time, but you can try managing it by meditating, exercising, calling friends and family, listening to music, etc. If possible, try taking immune boosting supplements as well, like zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D.
2. Reducing Viral Load: If you suspect that you or someone you have been in close contact with may be sick but you cannot get access to testing, the first thing you should do is take precautions to decrease the “viral load” or how much of the virus is inside of you. Gargle with warm, salty water twice a day, or use a mouth rinse. You should also rinse out your nose, using saline spray or a sinus rinse.
3. Breathing Exercises: When the lungs and airways of the body become infected with COVID-19, they become irritated and begin to swell and inflame. In some more severe cases, this can create fluid buildup in the air sacs, which can cause them to collapse and make it extremely difficult to breathe. Breathing exercises can open up your airways and help prevent these air sacs from collapsing, and it is a good idea to do them whether you are healthy or sick. The first exercise you can do is blow up a balloon, with a series of three breaths. Because you are blowing against resistance, blowing up balloons is a good way to increase your lung capacity and your oxygen saturation, which will help your body in the fight against COVID-19. If you can’t blow up a balloon, a simple alternative is to blow bubbles into a glass of water using a straw.
Although there is no way to remain 100% safe from COVID-19, taking the necessary precautions can significantly minimize the risks it poses to us. It is important that we listen to health professionals and do our best to remain healthy because that is the only way we will be able to win the fight against COVID-19. We can’t control the pandemic, but we can control our actions during the pandemic.