Coronavirus 101: How to Prepare & Strengthen Your Immune System

While the world has been aware of the Coronavirus since as early as late December, it continues to spread along with concern and worry about it. In recent days the people, as well as the markets have reacted very fear of the spreading Coronvirus which some are now calling a "Pandemic".

The good news however is that there are steps you can take to not only protect yourself, but also to strengthen your immune system. If you reside in the USA fortunately the risk of getting the virus remains very low, but public health officials say there will be outbreaks in the USA so now is a good time to review your emergency plans.

So with all that in mind, in today's post we're going to be sharing some information about the Coronavirus, some tips on how to protect yourself, and some supplements you may be interested in picking up to begin strengthening your immune system and overall health.

Did you know the average person touches their face 3,000 times per day? One of the best things you can do to prevent any viruses is to wash your hands. Viruses can be spread from respiratory droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs. When out in public try to avoid touching door knobs, elevator buttons, and hand rails. You should also wash your hands frequently washing for at least 20 seconds. You should also avoid close contact with people who are sick, avoid touching your face, and disinfect surfaces often.

While there is a lot of hype and fear about the Coronavirus, you have to remember we live in a 24 hour news cycle, and hype and fear sell and get clicks. In China, more than 3/4 of the documented cases have been classified as "mild". Some people experiencing fatigue, headaches, and less common diarrhea. In China the death rate currently is measured at about 2% with the average age of death among those with COVID-19 is those in elderly people in their 70's and people with underlying medical issues. Just for comparison, the death rate for MERS was 34% and comparatively 10% for SARS.

The good news is the Coronavirus isn't widespread in the USA, so now is a great time to form a plan for preparedness. Think about this in somewhat the same fashion you would a hurricane or snowstorm. Stock your cupboards with extra food and supplies. Check your medicine cabinet to ensure you have basic medications like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, have a good supply of your prescription medications, etc.

You may have seen people at airports, or even out in public wearing masks. There's also been news that masks are selling on eBay for as much as 10,000. Before you go spending your 401k on masks, remember that there's not conclusive evidence that wearing a face mask can help prevent people from being infected by Coronavirus. They may not fit tightly or properly, the virus may be smaller than the holes in the mask, and there's even some emerging evidence that breathing harder due to wearing a mask may actually increase your chances of getting the virus. The purpose of masks is more for those with the virus to prevent the spread, not to prevent you from getting it.

Keep abreast of CDC warnings and advisories. The CDC updates this information frequently with a rank level which ranks low risks at 1, and high risks at 4, the highest level. For Italy which has been experiencing outbreaks, the threat level is now level 2. Travelers should avoid travel if possible, avoid contact with sick people, and wash their hands often.

One of the best ways to avoid getting sick is to keep your body in tip top condition. This means eating clean, staying physically fit, getting enough sleep, and taking care of your body. When you miss sleep, eat poorly, or are under stress, your more susceptible to a weakened immune system and catching and illness. With that in mind we wanted to share with you 5 Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements which may help to boost your immune health.

Vitamin C, also known as Ascorbic Acid is a water soluble vitamin well established for its role in supporting a healthy immune system. We recently got in a powerful 1,000mg Vitamin C formula from Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals that sells for $22.95 for a 200 tablet bottle.

Echinacea is probably the best known and most studied immune boosting herb. Numerous studies have found this plant may help your immune system combat infections and viruses, and may even help you recover faster. Also just in from Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals is Echinacea which comes in 400mg tablets to support healthy white blood cells and immune system function. You can pick-up a 120 tablet bottle for just $24.95.

The berries and flowers of elderberry are packed with powerful antioxidants and vitamins that may help to boost your immune system, and some experts recommend elderberry to prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms. Some studies have shown that elderberries do indeed have significant benefits against cold and influenza. On average patients who took elderberry in one study saw relief 4 days earlier than a group that didn't. Right around the time we got Hi-Tech's Echinacea in, we also received the brands all new Black Elderberry formula which aims to promote healthy antioxidant levels and a healthy immune system. You can pick-up a 120 tablet bottle for just $29.95.

Garlic contains a number of compounds which are known to help the immune system fight germs. Garlic contains a compound called alliin which is the main active ingredient in garlic. Allicin is a sulfur which is converted into other sulfurs which are thought to give garlic it's medicinal properties. These compounds have been shown to boost the disease fighting response of some types of white blood cells in the body when they encounter viruses. One of our favorite Garlic supplements is Solarays 500mg Garlic capsules which you can pick-up from our online shop for just $6.02 per bottle.

We wanted to limit this article to 5 Vitamins, Supplements or Herbs that helped boost the immune system. For the last and final number five we wrestled with whether to include Vitamin D or Zinc, however ultimately we decided on Zinc. Zinc is a mineral which is important to the body in a variety of ways including keeping the immune system strong. We offer a Zinc from popular Vitamin Manufacturer Life Extension. It comes in 50mg high potency capsules and sells for just $6.75 for a 90 capsule bottle.