While most medical news outlets have been focused on hand washing techniques and the effectiveness of wearing different types of masks, there are a number of other issues that people should be paying attention to when it comes to preventing COVID-19 infections. Several risk factors haven’t been widely discussed, though they are backed by sound scientific research.

For instance, those with a preexisting case of hypertension are at a higher risk of infection than the general population. Patients with high blood pressure can take dietary precautions to reduce this risk as well as their overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

Perhaps the most important component for individual patients to think about is how they’re treating their immune systems.

Boosting Your Natural Immunity

While antibiotics and vaccines have helped to drastically reduce the risk of infectious disease, people have not paid as much attention to their natural immunity in recent years. You’ll want to boost your own system as much as you can. Traveling too much and not getting enough sleep can both cause damage to your body’s immune system.

Too much physical strain can also weaken the immune system. There’s an excellent article at https://insidebodybuilding.com/overtraining/ that points out how common it is for athletes (and gym-goers) to overtrain their bodies, by pushing themselves to the limit (and beyond). Overtraining certainly isn’t a myth. You can overtax your nervous system, and in doing so can increase your risk of infection; due to heightened levels of cortisol. 

At the same time, you could be risking skin diseases and other maladies by using exercise equipment that hasn’t been cleaned properly. While gyms have recently adopted a more serious attitude regarding cleanliness, you’ll want to wipe down any benches you share with other people.

Nevertheless, exercise is an extremely important immunity booster that many people don’t get enough of. While too much physical strain can certainly heighten the chances that you’ll come down with a respiratory infection, the opposite is also true. If you’ve been living a fairly sedentary lifestyle, then this is an excellent opportunity to get active.

Always speak with a medical professional before you begin any kind of workout regimen. If you can’t get in to talk to a doctor physically, then you might want to consider a telemedicine program that gives you the freedom to communicate with one from the comfort of your own home. You might even want to take advantage of one of the many at-home workout programs that are available online.

Once you have your exercise regimen properly balanced, you’ll want to take a second look at your diet.

Getting the Right Mix of Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin C is by far the most popular vitamin when it comes to building immunity. Research has long linked this micro-nutrient to overall health. It prevents scurvy and may play a role in reducing the risk of cold and flu symptoms. The fact that COVID-19 is related to the common cold has ensured that this vitamin is seeing a resurgence in popularity. Developing a nutritional deficiency can make your body less able to fight off infections in the first place.

Don’t forget about other nutrients, however. While it’s good to increase your intake of citrus fruit, you’ll also want to consider increasing your intake of B12 and iron if you plan on improving your constitution.

Considering that diabetes and hypertension are important risk factors for developing coronavirus, simply improving your diet may go a long way toward reducing your chances of catching the disease.

Eating & Feeling Well

You might have noticed that what you eat has a profound impact on your mood, which can also impact your body’s ability to fight off diseases. Eating a diet rich in the right nutrients will also help to prevent decencies, without requiring you to resort to a supplement.

Researchers still aren’t sure about whether or not the intake of artificial food additives has any impact on human immunity. Nevertheless, this is an excellent opportunity to go through your diet and eliminate processed foods that are rich in preservatives and processed sugars. It certainly couldn’t hurt, and it might even make you think more about what you’re putting in your body.