Ever since the coronavirus was identified by Chinese officials in early January, news reports have alerted us to its escalation on an almost hourly basis. With over 4,000 cases in China, 106 of which have proved fatal, new outbreaks of the virus have since been confirmed in Australia, Canada, France and Germany. A respiratory infection similar to SARS, the nature of the coronavirus means it has the potential to spread far and wide, and quickly.
If the virus is actually as contagious as is being currently asserted, modern air travel and the purported time of incubation and asymptomatic status (about two weeks) really means it can spread anywhere on the planet, says cardiologist and vitamin C expert Dr Thomas E. Levy. As with nearly all other contagious viruses, spread is most commonly due to airborne virus in microdroplets from sneezing, coughing and the exhalation of infected individuals.
A sensible first step? A strong immune system is really the only significant protection for an individual, says Dr Levy. And a great deal of immune system strength comes from the vitamin C content in the immune cells. When the levels of vitamin C in the body are low, the immune system can never function at full capacity, he adds. (To boost your natural defences try a daily dose of oral supplementation, anywhere up to 2000mg.)
Understandably, the possibility of a pandemic is enough to cause serious panic. While avoiding exposure to anyone likely affected is an obvious precaution, there are practical ways you can protect yourself and allay your worries. Here are Vogues tips to help you keep calm and carry on.
Read more: Does A Pillow Spray Have The Power To Revolutionise Your Sex Life?
Washing your hands frequently isnt just good daily etiquette, its the first line of defence when it comes to warding off the spread of infection. For the most effective results apply warm water to your hands before lathering up with your chosen soap Floriss Luxury Hand Washes make the job more enjoyable. Scrub vigorously for at least 20 seconds to kill any germs, making sure you reach every part including the backs of your hands and under your fingernails, then rinse well and dry. If the occasion means its impossible to get to running water, then a hand sanitiser will suffice; just ensure it contains at least 60 per cent alcohol, which is enough to get to work eliminating almost all classes of germ immediately. When it comes to mixing form and function, Byredos Rinse-Free Hand Wash, (25) does a sterling job: combining Scandi-chic packaging with breezy florals and soft musks, it makes pulling it out of your handbag every hour a pleasure, rather than a chore.
While you might be more familiar with the power of LED therapy when it comes to treating myriad skin ailments (everything from increasing collagen and bounce in the skin to fading acne scars), its also an effective tool in combatting feelings of stress and anxiety. Near-Infrared has a balancing effect on cortisol, which is commonly referred to as the stress hormone, while happy hormones like serotonin and dopamine are triggered by the lights, explains The Light Salon co-founder Laura Ferguson. Add to that the sensation of warmth that gently spreads over your skin for the duration of the treatment, and chances are youll re-emerge much more zen than you went in. Plus, of course, glowing, healthy skin is always a welcome bonus. For a quick but effective blast of bliss without even having to remove your make-up, book in for The Pick-Me-Up (35 for 15mins) at The Light Salon.
Read more: How To Survive A Hormone Crisis In Your Twenties
Meditation can play a key role in providing a sense of clarity and perspective during times of intense worry, something youll already know if youre one of the 40 million global users of the Headspace app. On a physical level, things like meditation, sound healing, reiki healing and breathwork kick in your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation, and tone down your fight or flight response, explains Yulia Kovaleva, Founder of Re:Mind Studio. To engage with this ancient relaxation technique, regardless of your experience or skill, Yulia suggests the simple step of connecting with your breath. Breathe in, collecting all the tension and tight feelings around your chest, and then exhale. Imagine it moving down through your body, down to your belly, into your pelvis and all the way down into your feet and leaving your body, releasing it into the ground. Best of all, the practice can be done anywhere and anytime, even (and perhaps aptly) on the Central line at 8am.
Not just a way to perk up your evening bath, aromatherapy has a proven impact on issues including depression and insomnia. As we breathe the essential oil, some constituents are absorbed through the nose via the olfactory bulb which communicates with the limbic system, says Annee de Mamiel, aromatherapist and skin practitioner. The limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels and hormone balance. Harness the potency by sprinkling a few drops of an inhalation blend inside a tissue; de Mamiels Altitude Oil (30) was created to help protect the immune system and contains linalool-rich lavender to relax the mind, and antiviral eucalyptus, pine and lemon myrtle to fight bacteria and viral pathogens.
Even if not directly affected by trauma, often the thought of perceived risk is enough to make us feel anxious. To set your mind at ease, enlist the help of an herbal tincture to soothe frayed nerves, re-establish a sense of equilibrium and sharpen brain function. Lauded in Ayurvedic medicine, studies have shown that ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, is an adaptogenic herb (meaning it can help your body handle stress better) that can have a significant effect on fighting symptoms of anxiety by modulating cortisol. Try adding a teaspoon to your morning smoothie, or mixing with warm milk and honey before bed.
More from British Vogue:
All products featured on the website are independently selected by our Editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Read the original here:
5 Ways To Avoid Freaking Out About The Coronavirus - British Vogue
- 001 Cells of the Immune System - Video [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2011]
- 002 Can immune cells from healthy people pulverize cancer? [Last Updated On: February 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 4th, 2012]
- 003 Seg_2 - Suhaasini: Immune System Boosters - 21 Feb - Suvarnanews - Video [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2012]
- 004 Seg_1 - Suhaasini: Immune System Boosters - 21 Feb - Suvarnanews - Video [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2012]
- 005 Researchers Find Sarcoma Tumor Immune Response With Combination Therapy [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2012]
- 006 Transplant Procedure Creates 'Hybrid' Immune System to Combat Rejection [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2012]
- 007 Radiation Blast May Turbocharge Bristol-Myers Melanoma Drug, Report Shows [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2012]
- 008 Vaccination strategy may hold key to ridding HIV infection from immune system [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2012]
- 009 Stem cell treatment tricks immune system into accepting donor organs, study shows [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2012]
- 010 Bite-Sized Biochemistry #53 - Immune System [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2012]
- 011 Progress, no big breakthrough, in hunt for HIV cure [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2012]
- 012 Could the immune system help recovery from stroke? [Last Updated On: March 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 14th, 2012]
- 013 'Personalized immune' mouse offers new tool for studying autoimmune diseases [Last Updated On: March 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 15th, 2012]
- 014 "Personalized Immune" Mouse Offers New Tool for Studying Autoimmune Diseases Model May Allow Development of ... [Last Updated On: March 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 15th, 2012]
- 015 Peoples' immune systems can now be duplicated in mice [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2012]
- 016 Immune Role in Brain Disorder? [Last Updated On: March 19th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 19th, 2012]
- 017 Kidney Transplant Patients Seek Life Without Immune-Suppressing Drugs [Last Updated On: March 20th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 20th, 2012]
- 018 A Chimeric Immune System: Fixing the Problem With Organ Transplant [Last Updated On: March 20th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 20th, 2012]
- 019 Key to immune system disease could lie inside the cheek [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2012]
- 020 Powerful new cells cloned: Key to immune system disease could lie inside the cheek [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2012]
- 021 Powerful cheek cells offer promise for combating immune system diseases [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2012]
- 022 Cancer research targets a key cell protein [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2012]
- 023 Your Gut Is Good For You: Benevolent Belly Fat Modulates Immune System, Helps Repair Tissue Damage [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2012]
- 024 Trudeau Institute announces $9 Million Translational Research Award [Last Updated On: June 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 14th, 2012]
- 025 Immune system molecule weaves cobweb-like nanonets to snag Salmonella, other intestinal microbes [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2012]
- 026 Immune Design Corp. Announces Appointment of Dr. Roger Perlmutter as a Member of Its Board of Directors [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2012]
- 027 Hope for Leukemia and Myelodysplasia Patients from Rabbits' Antibodies [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2012]
- 028 Mix of Immune Cells Detects Cancer [Last Updated On: July 16th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 16th, 2012]
- 029 New evidence links immune irregularities to autism, mouse study suggests [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2012]
- 030 Mouse with human immune system may revolutionize HIV vaccine research [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2012]
- 031 New Clinical Trial Seeks to Cure Advanced Crohn's Disease by Replacing a Diseased Immune System with a Healthy One [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2012]
- 032 Clinical trial seeks to cure advanced Crohn's disease using bone marrow transplant [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2012]
- 033 Replacing Diseased Immune System With A Healthy One To Cure Chrohn's Disease [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2012]
- 034 Dormant HIV gets rude awakening [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 28th, 2012]
- 035 Cancer Drug Unmasks HIV in Immune Cells [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 28th, 2012]
- 036 Unexpected variation in immune genes poses difficulties for transplantation [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2012]
- 037 UCLA Researchers Discover "Missing Link" Between Stem Cells and the Immune System [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2012]
- 038 'Missing link' between stem cells and the immune system [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2012]
- 039 UCLA researchers discover missing link between stem cells and immune system [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2012]
- 040 'Missing link' ties blood stem cells, immune system [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2012]
- 041 Stem Cells & Immune System: "Missing Link" Found [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- 042 Immune system molecule affects our weight [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2012]
- 043 Immune system harnessed to improve stem cell transplant outcomes [Last Updated On: October 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 2nd, 2012]
- 044 Researchers harness the immune system to improve stem cell transplant outcomes [Last Updated On: October 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 2nd, 2012]
- 045 Vaccine to treat cervical cancer shows early promise [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2012]
- 046 Technique shields immune system from chemo effects [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- 047 Immunice Recommendations - Video [Last Updated On: November 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 9th, 2012]
- 048 Caiden's Story - A 4-year-old's epic battle - Video [Last Updated On: November 27th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 27th, 2012]
- 049 SU2C-CRI Cancer Immunology Translational Research Dream Team - Video [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2012]
- 050 Immunotherapy Boosting the immune system to fight cancer - Video [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2012] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2012]
- 051 Microgravity Affects The Immune System - The Daily Orbit - Video [Last Updated On: April 29th, 2013] [Originally Added On: April 29th, 2013]
- 052 Embryonic Stem Cells Generate Immune System - Video [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2013] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2013]
- 053 Repairing a Damaged Immune System - Video [Last Updated On: June 28th, 2013] [Originally Added On: June 28th, 2013]
- 054 Stem Cells and the Immune System - Anastasia Filomeno - Video [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2013] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2013]
- 055 3 - day fast might reboot your immune system - Video [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2014]
- 056 WHD Murings Apak Apak Magnetic Healing Mat ( The Immune System & Stem Cell Activator ) - Video [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2014]
- 057 A chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL) patient's video diary: Immune system - Video [Last Updated On: November 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 22nd, 2014]
- 058 MS Stem Cell Medication Therapy Shows Promise - Video [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2015]
- 059 Stress Weakens the Immune System [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2015]
- 060 Your Immune System: Natural Born Killer - Crash Course ... [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2015]
- 061 How to boost your immune system - Harvard Health [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2015]
- 062 How Your Immune System Works - HowStuffWorks [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2015]
- 063 Immune system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2015]
- 064 Immune response: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2015]
- 065 Immune and Lymphatic Systems Anatomy Pictures and ... [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2015]
- 066 Adaptive immune system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2015]
- 067 Immune System: Can Your Immune System ... - Biology of Aging [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2015]
- 068 What Is the Immune System? (with pictures) [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2015]
- 069 Immune System - KidsHealth [Last Updated On: June 3rd, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 3rd, 2015]
- 070 The Immune System | Health | Patient.co.uk [Last Updated On: June 8th, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 8th, 2015]
- 071 Immune System - Cancer Fighting Strategies [Last Updated On: June 27th, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 27th, 2015]
- 072 How Sleeping Can Affect Your Immune System - Mercola.com [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2015]
- 073 14.00-Immune-Adult - Social Security Administration [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2015]
- 074 Immune System: MedlinePlus - National Library of Medicine [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2015]
- 075 Lack of Sleep and the Immune System - WebMD [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2015]
- 076 Easy Immune System Health home page [Last Updated On: July 13th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 13th, 2015]
- 077 Immune System News -- ScienceDaily [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2015]
- 078 How Sleeping Can Affect Your Immune System [Last Updated On: August 5th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 5th, 2015]
- 079 The immune system and cancer | Cancer Research UK [Last Updated On: August 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 19th, 2015]
- 080 Innate immune system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2015]