COVID-19 is the gift that sadly keeps on giving. What was initially dismissed as “just another flu” is now a global pandemic that has killed thousands, sickened millions, and crippled our national and global economy.

With social-distancing measures in place for about 98% of the American public, we’ve all had to shelter-in-place and limit person-to-person contact with the outside world. This certainly makes any sense of normalcy hard to come by as our day-to-day activities are significantly altered or put on hold indefinitely.

By The Numbers: Coronavirus Hits Black Communities The Hardest

Further complicating matters, this pandemic disproportionately affects some demographics more severely than others.

In particular, numbers show that black and brown communities have been most severely affected by COVID, and predominantly black cities like Detroit have been ravaged with higher mortality rates compared to the rest of the country. In many cases, higher underlying disease rates contribute to the fatality of the virus.

Additionally, the black population represents 80% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Georgia.

Fight COVID With A Strong Immune System

With this context as a backdrop, health becomes even more critical. How do we keep ourselves healthy during this time? The most important thing we can do is make sure we have a healthy immune system that affords us the best possible chance of fighting off this virus. Here are some things we can do:

• Get plenty of rest. The importance of sleep cannot be overstated, as a lack of sleep can not only make us more vulnerable to sickness but also affect the severity and duration of said illness.

  Doctors have long recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night for optimal health and to give our bodies a chance to fight off disease. 

• Eliminate stress. Obviously this is easier said than done with everything that is going on and with the challenges that this pandemic presents for all of us. However, the good news is that we can choose how we will respond.

  For instance, while staying informed is important, it is helpful to limit the amount of news we watch and monitor our time online so that we’re not overwhelmed (and consequently stressed) with information. Instead, consider listening to music or reading a favorite book as a way to decompress. A stressed immune system is a weakened immune system.

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Five or more servings of fruits and veggies per day have been shown to boost immune function since they provide essential nutrients like vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene.

  Nuts, broccoli, red peppers and strawberries are among the immune-strengthening foods that can help our bodies defend against viruses. Diet is especially critical since coronavirus is particularly virulent in those with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.

• Exercise. Even 15 minutes per day can boost your immune system, as it helps to clear out illness-causing bacteria from your lungs and respiratory system. It also lowers stress levels. Although many of us have lost access to the gym, the most important thing is movement.

  Don’t have a treadmill or stair climber? Use your stairs. No free weights? Canned goods or bottled water will do the trick. Sit-ups and jumping jacks are exercises that can be done even in the smallest of spaces. Or just go for a walk -- using social-distancing methods, of course.

• Be sure to get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D has been shown to lower inflammation in the body, which makes it less hospitable to disease, including respiratory diseases like COVID-19.

  Although our bodies naturally produce vitamin D in response to sunlight, supplementation may be a better option for people of color since the melanin that protects us from skin damage also restricts the amount of vitamin D our bodies make as a result of the sun’s rays. This contributes to vitamin D deficiency, a risk factor for disease vulnerability. 

To be sure, it’s important to note that it’s not just black and brown communities who are vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency. In fact, this deficiency has been identified as a global issue and observed by doctors in most countries.

As well, some experts speculate that low vitamin D may be a factor in the devastating coronavirus mortality rates in places like Italy, France, and Spain. Nonetheless, the correlation between skin pigmentation and deficiency levels should not be ignored since it has long been established that darker skin absorbs lower levels of sunlight, thereby contributing to lower levels of vitamin D. 

Getting enough vitamin D through foods such as mushrooms, fortified cereals, and fatty fish like salmon can be difficult for most people, so taking vitamin supplements is encouraged. Experts recommend about 2,000 units per day in order to reach optimum levels. 

Crisis Brings Opportunities to Practice Self Care

When it comes to the current pandemic, “this, too, shall pass,” as the saying goes. But in the meantime, the best thing we can do as we adapt to our new normal is to take care of ourselves. While there are many uncertainties during this time, our health is one of the few things we can directly influence.

Being proactive with our physical, mental, and emotional well-being will go a long way in ensuring that we have the upper hand in illness prevention, boosting our immunity so that our bodies are in the best position to fight off any illness, even COVID-19.

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