Eat healthy instead of taking vitamin capsules to prevent COVID-19

As a preventive measure against novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has infected 126 people and killed three individuals in India, health experts here advised that people should eat healthy food to keep immunity intact.

In the last four months, the deadly coronavirus has killed more than 7,000 people and infected at least 180,000 lives globally after it broke out in China last December.

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Amid the scare are myths, misconceptions and misinformation about common flu and people are rushing to keep themselves protected and taking over-the-counter (OTC) vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin D3, Celin 500mg etc. to strengthen immunity during a virus outbreak.

However, according to R S Mishra, Associate Director and Consultant, Internal Medicine at Max Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, "These are all myths and I would request people not to believe them."

"As of now there, is nothing proven to increase your immunity against coronavirus. Though these recommendations may be provided to some person with low levels of vitamins or micronutrients, there are no such recommendations from anywhere including the World Health Organisation (WHO) or any other authority," Mishra told IANS.

"While nobody knows the impact of this cocktail of vitamins mentioned, why is there a need of giving an excess of it to a person who has normal levels of vitamins already. Instead, we recommend to eat healthy, live healthy and do the required amount of exercise which is the best thing to do to keep your immunity intact," Mishra stressed.

There is no proven medicine on Earth as of now which claims to prevent or treat COVID 2019, the doctor added.

According to the WHO, people should eat only well-cooked food, avoid spitting in public, and avoid close contact.

Rakesh Chawla, Senior Consultant, Respiratory Medicine, Saroj Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi said that vitamin C is an immunity Booster, and these inputs are necessary to boost immunity in general.

"Along with the supplements, it is also advised to do warm saline gargles regularly, because the coronavirus tries to remain in the throat for around 2-3 days, so if you are cleaning your throat regularly, your things are going to be on a better side," Chawla said.

"While there are no proven treatment modules available, and hence every possible preventive measure will act as a weapon against the coronavirus," he added.