Overview
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illnesses.
The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes, and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face.
The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).
What Healthy Diet Can Do During Covid-19?
Eating a healthy diet is very important during the COVID-19 pandemic. What we eat and drink can affect our body’s ability to prevent, fight and recover from infections.
While no foods or dietary supplements can prevent or cure COVID-19 infection, healthy diets are important for supporting immune systems. Good nutrition can also reduce the likelihood of developing other health problems, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.
For babies, a healthy diet means exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months, with the introduction of nutritious and safe foods to complement breastmilk from age 6 months to 2 years and beyond. For young children, a healthy and balanced diet is essential for growth and development. For older people, it can help to ensure healthier and more active lives.
What Are The Tips for maintaining a healthy diet Against Covid-19?
1. Eat a variety of food, including fruits and vegetables
• Every day, eat a mix of whole grains like wheat, maize, and rice, legumes like lentils and beans, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, with some foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs, and milk).
• Choose whole-grain foods like unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice when you can; they are rich in valuable fiber and can help you feel full for longer.
• For snacks, choose raw vegetables, fresh fruit, and unsalted nuts.
2. Cut back on salt
• Limit salt intake to 5 grams (equivalent to a teaspoon) a day.
• When cooking and preparing foods, use salt sparingly and reduce the use of salty sauces and condiments (like soy sauce, stock, or fish sauce).
• If using canned or dried food, choose varieties of vegetables, nuts, and fruit, without added salt and sugars.
• Remove the salt shaker from the table and experiment with fresh or dried herbs and spices for added flavor instead.
• Check the labels on food and choose products with lower sodium content.
3. Eat moderate amounts of fats and oils
• Replace butter, ghee, and lard with healthier fats like olive, soy, sunflower, or corn oil when cooking.
• Choose white meats like poultry and fish which are generally lower in fats than red meat; trim the meat of visible fat and limit the consumption of processed meats.
• Select low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.
• Avoid processed, baked, and fried foods that contain industrially produced trans-fat.
• Try steaming or boiling instead of frying food when cooking.
4. Limit sugar intake
• Limit intake of sweets and sugary drinks such as fizzy drinks, fruit juices, and juice drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavored water, energy, and sports drinks, ready-to-drink tea and coffee, and flavored milk drinks.
• Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes, and chocolate. When other dessert options are chosen, ensure that they are low in sugar and consume small portions.
• Avoid giving sugary foods to children. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods given to children under 2 years of age and should be limited beyond that age.
5. Stay hydrated: Drink enough water
Good hydration is crucial for optimal health. Whenever available and safe for consumption, tap water is the healthiest and cheapest drink. Drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages is a simple way to limit your intake of sugar and excess calories.
6. Avoid hazardous and harmful alcohol use
Alcohol is not a part of a healthy diet. Drinking alcohol does not protect against COVID-19 and can be dangerous. Frequent or excessive alcohol consumption increases your immediate risk of injury, as well as causing longer-term effects like liver damage, cancer, heart disease, and mental illness. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
7. Breastfeed babies and young children
Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean, and contains antibodies that help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Babies should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life, as breast milk provides all the nutrients and fluids they need.
• From 6 months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe, and nutrient-dense foods. Breastfeeding should continue under babies at 2 years of age or beyond.
Women with COVID-19 can breastfeed if they wish to do so and should take infection prevention and control measures.
Is There A Vaccine For Covid-19?
Yes. There are three COVID-19 vaccines for which certain national regulatory authorities have authorized the use. None have yet received WHO EUL/PQ authorization but we expect an assessment on the Pfizer vaccine by the end of December and for some other candidates soon thereafter.
Large studies of 5 vaccine candidates' efficacy and safety results, including these three (and for Moderna and AstraZeneca), have been publicly reported through press releases but only one (AstraZeneca) has published results in the peer-reviewed literature. , We expect more such reports in the near future. It is likely that additional candidates will be submitted to regulatory authorities for approval. There are many potential COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently in development.
Once vaccines are demonstrated to be safe and efficacious, they must be approved by national regulators, manufactured to exacting standards, and distributed. WHO is working with partners around the world to help coordinate key steps in this process, including facilitating equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the billions of people who will need them. More information about COVID-19 vaccine development is available here.
Are Antibiotics Effective In Treating Or Preventing Covid-19?
Antibiotics do not work against viruses; they only work on bacterial infections. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, so antibiotics do not work. Antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
In hospitals, physicians will sometimes use antibiotics to prevent or treat secondary bacterial infections which can be a complication of COVID-19 in severely ill patients. They should only be used as directed by a physician to treat a bacterial infection.
CONCLUSION
This review summarizes recent scientific literature and existing recommendations from national and international nutrition agencies on an optimal diet, vitamin and mineral supplementation, and good hygiene practices for food preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings can be used to help dietitians and healthcare professionals better address dietary recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guidance related to the safe handling of food, from production to consumption, is critical to reducing the risk of viral dissemination. The general recommendation is to consume a diet based predominantly on fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy sources, and healthy fats (olive oil and fish oil) and to limit intakes of sugary drinks and processed foods high in calories and salt. Dietary supplements (ie, vitamins C and D, zinc, and selenium) should be administered to individuals with, or at risk of, respiratory viral infections or in whom deficiency is detected. Breast milk is the safest and healthiest food for infants, and breastfeeding should be encouraged, even in women diagnosed with COVID-19.
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