A Brief Introduction
Let’s first learn about Coronavirus.
Novel Coronavirus has been named as 2019-nCoV. It is a new strain of coronavirus which was never seen in humans until December 2019. In December 2019, Wuhan, China reported numerous unexplained cases of respiratory illness, including pneumonia. WHO confirmed that this outbreak has been caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). It shows that this coronavirus belongs to the same family of the virus responsible for SARS and MERS. WHO renamed the disease caused by 2019-nCoV as COVID-19.
People with lower immunity or suffering from any other illness are more susceptible to COVID-19 if came in contact with.
Some common signs of COVID-19 are:
- Cough
- Sore Throat
- Shortness of breath
- Pain & Aches
- Fever
- Tiredness
Viral diseases are usually self-resolving, and symptomatic treatment is the basic line of treatment. This includes treating cough, fever, cold, sore throat, etc. However, anti-viral drugs have reportedly been used in cases with lower immunity.
Importance of Immunity to Stay Healthy
Humans beings have with an intelligent and brilliant system called immunity. Immunity is the first and last line of defence in the human body. It is the natural defence system that will protect you and help cure the diseases.
With spread infectious diseases like coronavirus, harnessing immunity becomes the first step to preventative health.
Role of Vitamin C in Building Immunity
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that helps in supporting a healthy immune system and as a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals. It helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which protect the body against infection.
The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. Our body cannot make vitamin C, so it must come from the foods you eat every day.
Sources of vitamin C
Main source of vitamin C are Citrus fruits such as orange, kiwi, lemon, guava, grapefruit. Other vitamin C-rich fruits include papaya, cantaloupe and strawberries. Some vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and capsicums are also natural sources of vitamin C.
One cup of raw capsicums will provide 117mg of vitamin C, which exceeds the RDA for both men and women. A combination of kiwi fruit (75mg of vitamin C) and a vegetable will provide all the vitamin C you need in a day.
Bottom Line
It is important to boost immunity to protect yourself from Coronavirus; however, you must not forget the basic prevention against the infection. You must regularly wash hands with a good antiseptic soap or solution; cover your mouth, nose while coughing and sneezing; avoid touching eyes, mouth, and nose with unclean hands and avoid close contact with anyone showing signs of any respiratory illness.
