Health

With the Coronavirus making headlines and the spread of the virus inevitable many people are looking for how to protect themselves from a virus such as the new Coronavirus. The truth is we are well past the point of preventing the spread of the virus around the world and at the point, we need to consider how to protect ourselves and our families. Keep as healthy as possible before exposure The better your health before you are exposed to a virus like the Coronavirus the better opportunity you have to fight it off before you even see symptoms. There are several things you can do to keep healthy and give yourself the best chance possible. See your doctor for a check-up Those seeing the worst effects of this virus are those with other health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. These conditions can lead to reduced immune systems making you more susceptible to viruses and making the healing process more difficult. With proper diagnosis and treatment, many health conditions that can put you in harm's way of a virus can be treated allowing you the same chance to fight off the virus as others. Stop smoking. The coronavirus is creating trouble by giving its victims pneumonia. Pneumonia is the number one cause of death from viruses like the coronavirus and the flu. Antibiotics do not work on viruses meaning if you get this all they can do it give you supportive care. Smoking makes your lungs less efficient and more likely to fill with fluid. Quit smoking now to give your lungs the best chance at fighting off this virus. Take your vitamins With the depletion of soil, even the healthiest diets are lacking int he vital nutrition they once held. This can leave more people with deficiencies that lower the immune system and make it harder to fight off illness. Take a quality multivitamin, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin A during a viral outbreak to help your body run at it's best. Boost your immune system We all know that building a strong immune system is the best way to protect ourselves from the common cold and flu. This new virus is similar to other viruses that cause the common cold. Because of this it would be smart to take a Vitamin C supplement and Elderberry to help boost your immune system. Enjoy foods that can help boost your immune system when planning your family's menu. Get plenty of sleep and exercise. Keeping our bodies in tip-top shape takes effort and real work. Make a point to ensure you get plenty of sleep to help your body stay on top of its game. In fact, much of our healing happens in our sleep so the more sleep you get the better. Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep a day. Along with plenty of sleep add a quality workout to your routine to strengthen your body and your lungs. Cardio workouts are great for helping make your lungs stronger. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Reduce your contact with the virus While you can only do so much to protect yourself from a virus by improving your overall health you still want to reduce your contact with the virus. From good hygiene to avoiding places the virus is likely to spread you can do several things to help protect yourself from the coronavirus. Wear a mask during travel and in crowded places At this point, the CDC is not recommending everyone wear masks yet. This can great a shortage like we are seeing now if you try to find medical masks or p95 masks on Amazon or in local stores. I know masks have helped to keep my family healthy like when I spent weeks in and out of the hospital while my father was in it last spring. We are saving our p95 masks for when we find ourselves in large crowds so the filters we have will last us longer should the virus spread. If you can not find masks you can make your own fabric ones that can be washed. Be sure to change them at least every 4 hours. Check if masks are in stock on amazon here. Learn more about masks and how they can help protect you from a virus here. Clean your home well and often Germs are bound to find their way into your home. To reduce the risk of them making your family sick and to make less come into contact with your family so they can fight off the germs that do you need to kill germs in your home. Lysol and Clorox both have several disinfectant products approved by the EPA for killing new emerging viruses. In general, the EPA says that the coronavirus is an enveloped virus and vary easy to kill with the right disinfectants. Pay attention to areas like the kitchen and bathroom where germs spread the most. When disinfecting around the house be sure to get commonly touched areas like the following: Doorknobslight switchesPhonesRemotes Game controllersComputer mouse and keyboardHandles to the refrigerator and freezerButtons on microwave ovens Practice good hygiene Cough into a mask or thick hanky to avoid spreading germs to the air, your hands, or sleeve where people often cough then touch as they go throughout their day. Wash your hands often and carry hand sanitizer with you for when you can not wash your hands. avoid using hand dryers in public bathrooms that have been proven to spread fecal mater. Change your clothe and shower after going out in crowds or visiting a medical facility. If your family gets sick check out these tips for comforting sick children.