DR. MOWADAT RANA — Pandemic means (Pan: all, demos: people) we all will meet Covid-19 in the next one and a half season no matter what we end up doing… it is a disease that has no cure.
The only real cure is the Human Immune System.
The more robust is our immune system the better would be our capacity to deal with Covid-19 in short term and forming longer term immunity.
Nobody is talking about building immunity and work on the models that we control from within.
Everyone is running from an enemy that will eventually catch up with you no matter where you go, sooner or later.
So the answer is:
- Take due precautions (2 meter distance, masks when in public, washing, etc.)
- Do not feel invincible, stay in denial; or, in the opposite state of panic, paranoia and dread of yourself or your loved ones catching the disease.
- Work / stay productive .. idle mind will lower immunity.
- Build physical health. Exercise regularly.
- Take diets that stimulate killer T-cells and increase secretion of Cytokines designed to kill viruses. Fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds may do that more than meat.
- Stay in positive mental health of happiness joy connectivity with loved ones, and social togetherness (in spite of physical distance), and rid yourself of feelings of vengeance, anger, jealousy, mistrust, prejudice.
- Take part in care of others in need of succour and nurturance.
- Listen to music, play, dance or do anything that lifts your spirit, and be merry instead of living in a state of bereavement, anxiety, depression and waiting for a disaster to hit you…( these are absolute killers of human immunity).
- Let the specialists do their job and get on with yours. Do not waste time speculating on matters which you may understand little or only partially.
- Make the best of these unusual times to reflect, pray, meditate, and enhance your spirituality by caring for other’s needs.
All these actions will enhance your immunity.
You will now be secure and ready to meet the enemy head-on whenever it comes. This way you will give it a real fight from within, body, mind, spirit all fighting at their best.
Answers can never be in science or scriptures alone… they are within us after we synthesize both, and seek benefit from both, rather than either of them alone.
The writer is a retired Brigadier
