Dr. Michael Mosley: You can flush the water in the second wave in the following ways:

After a spectacular heat wave, the summer in England is over and it’s heading for autumn.

I usually love this time of year, but for now I’m seriously thinking that there will be a big wave in the coming months. Coronavirus Cases — Increasing cases in parts of the UK if not yet heading for the second wave.

Part of the problem with cold weather is that you spend more time indoors and the virus propagates. But we’re still learning how Covid works, which is a steep learning curve.

A few weeks ago, my wife Claire and I went out with a few friends to dine at a pub restaurant.

No attempts were made to reduce social distance, none of the waiters wore masks, and no one was asked to provide contact information. I have to confess, it scared me — and I haven’t returned since then.

I’m not germanphobe — our home is always in the same type of family cleanliness as a dog, no antibacterial soap, usually wipes the surface quickly, but uses R (virus replication) UK The rate of crossing is more than 1. This number is worrisome as cases can grow exponentially and more people will be exposed to the virus.

And I don’t think we can rely on the widespread vaccines as early as the end of the year.

As a 70 year old man (I’m 63 years old), I’ll check two boxes of serious Covid risk factors (my gender and the elderly).

So what can we do beyond the obvious, such as wearing a mask or keeping a social distance, to protect ourselves and our loved ones?

Like the flu, this coronavirus is transmitted when small droplets of the virus are blown into the air, coughing, sneezing, laughing, singing, or screaming.

If you are unlucky the closer you are, you can get infected by holding the virus in your hand (rubbing your eyes later) or by inhaling part of the virus.

The longer you stay with an infected person, the higher the risk, especially if you are close to indoors.

Therefore, one thing to do is to avoid or reduce high-risk Covid activities (Google’s “Covid Risk” for diagrams where you can easily classify your daily activities into different risk categories).

The least dangerous is to take it home or open a post. If you leave a letter or parcel for a few days and then “self-isolate” it before processing it, we will be happy to let you know.

“Low to medium” risks include grocery shopping, eating out at restaurants, two nights at a hotel, and golf.

“Medium to high” risks include going to a beauty salon, eating in a restaurant, traveling by plane, shaking hands, or shaking hands.

The “high risk” category is fairly obvious. Eat at the buffet, attend religious services (especially when full), go to bars and gyms.

I have done a lot of “low to medium” risk activities (including processing posts). However, I consciously stopped because there is a GP, Claire, in the “moderately high risk category”. For example, since the beginning of March, I haven’t shook hands and only eat indoors at restaurants. On some occasions.

The only “high risk” we went to was to go to a local cinema with about 10 people there.

I hate Jim and I’m not going to the bar until the end of this crisis. It’s not because I’m personally worried about getting infected and getting seriously ill.

In fact, my personal risk is fairly low. This is known thanks to the following Covid Risk Quiz designed by the British Medical Association.

My score was 3 (my age is 2 and my male is 1) and the risk was “medium”, but Claire, 59, was rated 1 so the risk is low.

No one wants to catch or spread Covid-19, even if you’re at low risk, so here’s a step-by-step procedure to prevent that, based on evidence.

Weigh

You can’t do anything about age, gender, or ethnicity (important for serious Covid risk), but you can do anything about weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar with all the serious Covid risk factors.

As the Shape Up Britain series in last week’s email showed very well, losing weight can significantly improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

To my surprise, many overweight people don’t know it. A recent study found that only 10% of obese people (with a BMI greater than 30) understand it.

Enter the sun

Good night sleep is especially important for keeping the immune system in good shape, as the body begins to make important components of the immune system, such as antibodies.

A large study in the United States in 2019 found that people who slept more than 7 hours a night were four times less likely to catch a cold than people who slept less than 6 hours.

Bright morning light helps set your body clock, leading to better sleep and stronger immunity. If you can’t go outdoors, sit by the window.

Take vitamin D

I’m not a fan of supplements, but I recently bought vitamin D. It is essential for a healthy immune system and plays an important role in the activation of T cells. This seems to be particularly important for the destruction of the coronavirus.

Evidence is mixed to see if it makes a big difference to Covid-19, but NHS’s advice should consider taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily for most of us. about it.

Hello elbow

Instead of shaking hands, I’ve become a person who moves my elbows — I also use my forearms or elbows to push open doors. If you need to touch the lift button, do it with a pen. Then go up the stairs.

Don’t give

Whenever I go out, I always wash my hands before eating. And more recently, I’ve been singing Staying Alive for at least 20 seconds.

Brain tricks I used to reduce drinking …

Earlier this week, I was shocked to hear that the number of people drinking at a health-threatening level doubled from February to 8.5 million.

Stuck indoors, worried about Covid-19, worried about their work, it’s no wonder that many have started drinking.

I’ve never been a heavy drinker, but the most boring thing is that alcohol only makes me sleepy. A few years ago, my wife Claire and I decided to try a 5: 2 approach to alcohol. Now on Fridays and Saturdays, I avoid drinking alcohol for the remaining five days.

Another trick I use to slow down the amount of alcohol I drink is to leave a bottle of wine on the other side of the room. That’s why I have to wake up for replenishment and I try to drink a glass of water per glass.

These are ways to reduce your intake without overusing your willpower. It’s about tricking your brain into forming new habits that unknowingly soften your behavior!

Of course, if you are seriously drinking alcohol, you may need professional support. It’s a good idea to start with an honest conversation with the GP.