Here are some tips to help your immune system during the flu season – Orange County Register

Even without the threat of COVID-19, it is important to keep your immune system strong during the cold season, called the flu season.

COVID-19 is not the only virus that is often asymptomatic. So is the flu.

According to a 2009 report by the National Institutes of Health, one in three people infected with the flu is asymptomatic. However, according to UC Health’s 2020 report, asymptomatic individuals may shed the flu virus, but are more infected with the flu than asymptomatic individuals with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. It is less likely to let you.

Let’s see what we can do before we reach something that can help our immunity Harvard Public Health School The factors that can lower our immune system are:

• senior citizen
• Environmental toxins: Smoke and other particles that cause air pollution.Excess alcohol
• Overweight: Obesity is associated with mild chronic inflammation
• Poor eating habits
• Chronic Diseases: Autoimmunity and Immunodeficiency Disorders Attack and Potentially Disable Immune Cells
• Chronic mental stress
• Sleep deprivation and rest

Many of these seem to be fairly standard issues to be addressed to avoid many health problems, as well as lack of immunity. So what helps? Chicken noodle soup? There is no scientific evidence for that. However, a balanced diet is a great place to start.

The image above is a healthy eating plate from Harvard University. It is intended to provide a proportional guide to daily nutrition.

Is there anything we can eat that is useful? necessarily. Harvard University’s Faculty of Public Health said: Each stage of the body’s immune response depends on the presence of many micronutrients. “

However, they list some vitamins as examples of nutrients that are important for the growth and function of immune cells:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• zinc
• selenium
• iron
• Protein (including the amino acid glutamine)

Always consult your doctor about nutrition and the use of supplements.

Vitamin D and COVID-19

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer. Harvard Public Health said: “To be clear that vitamin D prevents influenza and other acute respiratory infections requires further research. Even if vitamin D has some benefits, don’t skip flu vaccinations. When it comes to limiting the risk of COVID-19, it is important to practice careful social distance and hand washing. “

Here is the list CDC myths and facts About COVID-19 vaccine.

Herbal research

Echinacea: According to cell studies, Echinacea can destroy the flu virus, and when taken in a healthy state, it has a slight chance of preventing you from catching a cold.

Garlic: It’s going to be as reliable as keeping vampires away. There is a shortage of high quality clinical trials comparing garlic supplements to placebo.

Tea catechins: According to cell studies, tea catechins, such as those found in green tea, can prevent the replication of influenza and some cold viruses and increase immune activity. Human trials are still limited. Two randomized controlled trials found that green tea capsules had less cold / flu symptoms or a lower incidence of flu than placebo. However, both studies were either funded or had an author relationship with the tea industry.

Recent COVID-19 News

November 5: Pfizer Antiviral drugWhen combined with a low-dose HIV drug called ritonavir, hospitalization of high-risk patients or death from COVID-19 can be reduced by up to 89%.

November 2: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation All children aged 5 to 11 years receive the low-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer BioNTech.

Last month: CDC Booster shot For individuals vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

The following groups will be eligible for booster shots more than 6 months after the first series.

• 65 years of age or older
• 18 years old or older living in a long-term care facility
• 18 years or older with underlying disorder
• Over 18 years old working or living in a high-risk environment

For approximately 15 million people who have been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 years of age or older and who were vaccinated more than two months ago.

Influenza tracking

The US Outpatient Influenza-like Disease Monitoring Network monitors outpatient consultations for influenza-like illnesses (fever and cough or sore throat) rather than test-confirmed influenza, and other breaths such as SARS-CoV-2. Capture medical examinations by organ pathogens. It shows similar symptoms.

Is there less flu?

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the behavior of seeking medical care, and people may be accessing the medical system in different settings that are not captured as part of the ILINet, or at a different illness than before the pandemic. there is.Therefore, it is important to assess the syndrome Monitoring dataIn the context of other sources of surveillance data to obtain complete and accurate images of influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory viral activity, including those from ILINet.

Pneumonia, influenza, and covid-19 mortality

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvard Public Health School, Associated Press, National Center for Health Statistics