Ways to ensure you do not get hurt as lockdowns come to an end with Covid-19 science still imperfect

Ways to ensure you do not get hurt as lockdowns come to an end with Covid-19 science still imperfect 👁|👁

With multiple countries lifting the pandemic restrictions or intending to do so, what are the apparent gaps and overlooked aspects in common safety measures and underlying science that can help us minimise possible injury and mortality as we get exposed back to lots of people?

Taking a quick step back to reflect on gravity of this pandemic, the worldwide number of deaths may be 2 to 3 times higher at over 500,000 with total infections at 50 to 250 million assuming infections at 50–85x of those reported. This is not counting the collateral deaths i.e. people with other serious medical conditions who faced mortality due to lack of medical attention due to coronavirus. There are now 40 mutants of the virus some of which cause 270 times more virus load that others. The virus is a crises in sciences as doctors grapple with highly varied symptoms. In many countries half the deaths are from kidney or heart failure or brain stroke not lung infections.

We break down our analyses into 3 categories:

• Overlooked personal safety aspects: Hazards of bathrooms, buildings, groceries, and face protection.

• Forgotten nutrition: Supplements, food and harm of anti-nutrients.

• Unrecognised mental health: Overcoming fear and negative thoughts that will hit your immunity regardless of your diet and luck (also covered in detail in a separate animation).

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Overlooked personal safety:

The amount of virus particles (viral load) an individual may be exposed to, will obviously be higher post re-opening. It is well known that an infected person can pass on the infection to possibly 400 others in a month, assuming 25% of infected will be hospitalised that is about 100 additional seriously ill people of which about 2–3 may face mortality.

The hazard of bathrooms: From the infections and mortality faced by the medical staff, we can say the virus spreads through the excretions (urine and faeces). We also know, the virus survives on surfaces for 3 days or more. Flushing of toilet basins may cause a high air-spray of the virus particles (aerosol plume). There is no way to tell if the previous person used the basin with the lid on or what surfaces were touched or if the hands were washed well. The men’s washrooms have running water in open basins which often scatter the droplets and have no cover. The cleaners will need medical-grade training and gear that is rarely provided. Absence of such training/gear may not only harm the cleaners but may turn them into a source of infections as they move in/out or between washrooms. Washrooms in public places may face higher challenges than in commercial establishments but may be not be anymore safe.

Inadequate face protection: It is fairly well recognised that the virus enters our bodies not just from face but also eyes and perhaps ears. So why do we think just the face mask is adequate?

The hazard of groceries: Grocery workers are as much if not more exposed than medical workers. They have also faced higher mortality due to careless shoppers. We are not clear why grocery workers have not been provided with a mandatory plastic cabin or even face shields in many countries. Also have the grocery staff been briefed on bathroom hygiene so that they do not contaminate the merchandise? Further, online groceries may not be safe to use straight after delivery as the virus survives anywhere between a few hours to days.

The hazard of buildings: The damaged sanitary pipelines and air draft of bathroom ventilators may cause cross-infection across apartments. During the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS (which is also caused by a coronavirus) officials found that the virus was probability transmitted in a Hong Kong apartment tower through faulty plumbing (World Health Organization).

Forgotten nutrition and natural immunity:

In our rush for vaccine we are overlooking the fact that vaccines are only one part of overall immunity system. Mix of strong supplements, good food, and most critically, the prevention from harm by anti-nutrients will go far while we figure out the vaccine.

Selenium and Vit-D deficiencies appear to be particularly associated with virus infections. The role of Vit-C, Zinc, and Vit-E is well recognised. Doses as high as you can tolerate safely may be the best but caution is required with Selenium. Please check with your doctor or online sources for what is best for you in terms of dosages.

The importance of greens, fruits, and vegetables in keeping up your immunity can not be overemphasised. However, wash the fresh food with soap and let it dry to ensure virus hygiene.

The harm of anti-nutrients: While you focus on building immunity with food and supplements overlooking your consumption of sugar, alcohol and tobacco will diminish or entirely take away the benefits of good food/supplements if not harm you. The virus hits the lungs bad, so why would you not stop smoking and let the lungs heal?

Unrecognised mental health support:

How to deeply overcome fear and negative thoughts that will hit your immunity regardless of good diet and great care with anti-nutrients? Simply seeking replacement of fear with love will not work. Immersing yourself with sensual pleasures will only provide temporary distraction, not inner calm required to help immunity. Traditional prayers based on seeking are hard to get your mind to focus on. If you don’t know what to do to calm down and you are not sleeping well it will hit your immunity.

What can you do: Use the fear to inoculate yourselves against fear. Start with 5-minute everyday contemplation of you falling sick repeatedly till your inner fears reconcile with it. Gradually increase the timings to 10 to 15 minutes. Do not give up after until you surpass the fears. Contemplate on family and friends falling sick in a similar way once you get over your fear. Then contemplate on wishing well for others. Practice every day and you will see the fear reduce and redemption appear.

Thus, while you wait for the vaccine or just hope you will not fall ill, putting in practice proactive safety measurers that address logical gaps in safety recommendations blended with a nutrient regime that recognises the anti-nutrients along with cultivating deep-inner calm will go a long way in keeping you safe and sane.

This will help you to calm down, prepare you mentally to take on the illness, reduce your symptoms if you get infected, motivate you not to be a source of infection to others, and may well save your life if you, unfortunately, fall seriously ill.

Finally, regardless of the immediate help, suggested practices in the long run will lead to good immunity and hygiene, will last you beyond this wave of infections, and possibly prepare you for the dreaded and more lethal second or third waves or seasonal waves that could be around the corner.