Wellness lessons from the Coronavirus threat

Infectious diseases have always been around, but it takes a new one – a scary and potentially deadly one – to once again become aware of microbial threats. The new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is that kind of wakeup call.

Infectious diseases are the world’s leading cause of premature death according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly 50,000 people die of an infectious disease every day – 17 million each year – and the leading infectious killer is pneumonia. While threats from infectious diseases in the US have declined in the last few decades, in this season alone the CDC estimates there have already been 34 million flu illnesses, with 350,000 reported hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths (136 children among them) just from influenza.

Yet we almost forget about infectious diseases – perhaps blissfully so.

But now, the preparation for what’s to come can teach us some important life and health lessons.

Watch your hands

The centerpiece of the COVID-19 advice is to wash your hands. We’ve been washing hands since preschool, but suddenly we’re paying attention to how it should be done: Hands should be washed frequently, with water and soap, and for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating, after using the bathroom, after blowing your nose and after touching other people and places they’ve touched.

Hands and where they go have become a major focus. You’re instructed to not touch your face.

That’s because respiratory infections spread through droplets in the air, but you can transfer microorganisms directly into your eyes, mouth and nose by your own hands, hands that have touched contaminated surfaces.

Not touching your face is hard. That’s because face touching is much more than a habit, it’s simply human nature, it’s a subconscious action, much like occasionally changing your posture. A study of medical students in Australia found that they did so 23 times an hour. Another recent study of face touching found 6 such incidents in 14 minutes.

We should try our best, for sure, but perhaps rather than repeating the do-not-touch-your-face directive, we should be aware that we do touch our face, and therefore double down on excellent hand hygiene.

Washing hands frequently and well is the most important thing.

And it’s always been so. Many illnesses are spread by contaminated hands – hands carrying bacteria and viruses – and washing hands with water and soap prevents many cases of diarrhea, pneumonia and respiratory infections.

We’re all in this together

In times like this, while we each have our own preparation to take care of, we should take note that we really are all in this together. How we’ll fare relies on cooperation, keeping our cool, and taking care of each other.

It starts with being considerate: Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, replace handshakes, hugs and kisses with non-touch hellos, keep your distance if you can – this virus can be transmitted by people that don’t have symptoms (they may develop them later or perhaps not at all).

While emergency preparedness is called for, and channeling concern towards action is soothing, stock, but don’t hoard. Get some imperishable food and a few extra-week’s supply of medication you may need. Beyond that, there’s nothing special to buy and hoarding necessary resources hurts others: the CDC doesn’t recommend masks for healthy people for protection.

We need to plan for how to organize in case daily routines (such as schools and public gatherings) are disrupted, and for that we’ll need to lean on each other.

Another important thing to remember is that although the chance of becoming seriously sick remains quite low it’s the vulnerable people in our local community, and in the end, our entire human community, that we should be worried about most. Slowing this outbreak is critical because overwhelmed hospitals won’t be able to care for very sick people if the spread is fast.

Health systems are a limited resource, a resource we share, and we should try our best to stop or delay transmission of this virus so that this limited resource isn’t depleted.

Be kind to your body and your mind

Take care of yourself: All diseases, and especially infectious diseases, are an interaction between a host and a pathogen. COVID-19 tends to be severe in people with underlying illnesses and in smokers. Now, as always, be good to yourself: eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, avoid stress, get the flu vaccine if you haven’t already.

Keep your calm. Being stressed and worried is a waste of energy and not good for your immunity. Keep informed by turning to trusted sources such as the CDC, WHO and your local municipality’s websites, but don’t overload on coronavirus coverage, especially if it makes you anxious – you don’t need to read tweets and feed updates on this trending hashtag.

Your nutritional status, fitness and calm aren’t an impervious shield from infection, nothing is, but they improve your odds, and your health should never been taken for granted.

Malnutrition is a known immunosuppressant and a risk factor for infectious disease, but caloric overload can also make you less resistant to disease: During the H1N1 of 2009 pandemic obesity was found to predict a worse outcome from the infection.

Good nutrition and exercise also protect you from a myriad of other diseases: type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke to name a few. Poor diets are a major cause of disease, and as such, also a risk factor for complicated and severe infectious disease. This wakeup call we’re all having is a great opportunity to shape up and look at your diet quality.

Learning these wellness lessons could be the silver lining of living through COVID-19.

Stay healthy and safe.

Dr. Ayala