How do you fight the coronavirus with a healthy immune system? I live in Orlando, Florida, and this week our mayor issued a mandatory stay-at-home order because of the coronavirus. The only time we can leave our homes is for medical reasons, food, exercise, walking the dog, and work supplies.
It does not sound like a severe stay-at-home option with so many valid reasons to leave home, but it is the United States of America. I agree with the medical and food exception, but how can exercise be a valid reason to leave home. You can perform many exercises in your house. The federal government promises to pay everyone’s salary, who is unemployed, and give everyone else a check for emergency spending.
New York is the hardest-hit state with 33,000 cases. Florida is number six, with 1,977 cases. I am sure the government under-reported the number of cases because there is a shortage of test. The number of cases is doubling and tripling every three to four days across the country. As a country, our numbers will be higher than most other countries because of our liberties, socializing, traveling, and population size.
In a democracy or republic, the government must compromise and consider the desires of the people. Most American’s do not want their liberties restricted. The beaches were full of spring break students just last week, and gulf courses were packed across the state of Florida. The virus will put a lot of stress on our society, health care systems, and humanity. I am curious about what our new normal will be after the virus.
The past and fighting the coronavirus with a healthy immune system
Let me go back a couple of weeks to the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. In the beginning, the news reported a virus in China that had severe consequences for the rest of the world. I will admit I did not take it seriously, but every news station talked about the virus over the next couple of weeks.
The country began to shut down slowly. Professional sports and corporations canceled events, theaters, bars, theme parks, and gyms closed down. I knew things were dangerous when Disney World was closed. There was a run on the supermarkets. Toilet paper was the first thing to disappear off the shelves. I still have not figured out why toilet paper.
One day, I received a text message from my employer stating there was a mandatory zoom meeting. At the zoom meeting, my employer informed us that all of our classes switched to online and that we would work from home. There was a shift in our culture, and it felt like we were preparing for war. The entire United States was under attack by an enemy that was an existential threat. The world around me had changed, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was now living in an occupied country.
The present and fighting the coronavirus with a healthy immune system.
How do I plan to live in this new world order? The first responder teaches a strategy to survive a mass shooting or terrorist attack. The approach is run, hide, fight. The same method can be used with the coronavirus. The first step is to avoid the coronavirus as if it was the plague because it is the plague. Social distancing is now a word that is a part of everyone’s vocabulary. When I go to the store to buy food, there is no socializing, and everyone keeps their distance.
Some people cover their mouth and nose with a mask and wear gloves. Any produce purchased at the store is washed before it is eaten. Our hands have become agents of the virus, must be cleaned frequently, and kept away from our faces. But what happens after running and hiding, when the virus finds and attacks us. I am not a negative person, but the reality is that some of us must fight this virus.
How to use your immune system to fight the coronavirus
I do not want to test positive for the coronavirus, but I will not be a casualty if I do. So, while I run and hide like everyone else, I am preparing for a fight. The types of foods I buy and eat now build my immune system. I am eating bell peppers and fruit every day. Nutrition and fitness have always been important, but they are more critical now. The math models tell us that this epidemic will get worse before it gets better.
Once the epidemic runs its course, another one will follow. That is what history has shown us. So, protecting yourself by practicing good hygiene, exercising, and eating a well-balanced meal is necessary. Of course, you should visit your doctor, but the health care system gets overwhelmed by viruses like the coronavirus and swine flu. Many people will die because the health care system does not have the resources to deal with an epidemic.
We are at war, and the best way to survive a war is to be healthy, smart, and adaptable. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, stated: “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” Now, if I get seriously sick, I am going to the doctor, but I will also help myself by building a healthy immune system and staying fit.
There are no guarantees, but I would instead go into a fight strong than weak. Those who fall victim to this virus will have compromised immune systems and other medical problems. A person who has a robust immune system may get sick, but their immune system will be there to protect them and prevent the virus from killing them. If I come under attack by the coronavirus, I will be ready. Will you?
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