WWII-Inspired Solution To Deal With Coronavirus Pandemic

Complete lockdown, social distancing, hand hygiene and all the other guidelines proposed by the authorities will help us fight the extremely contagious Coronavirus. It’s all proven to be so good so far, but we need something more effective to reduce mortality and morbidity. With no vaccines or medications, how can we reduce mortality? The answer to this question is - lifestyle changes. Prehabilitation can be one effective alternative for the current scenario. It may help us combat the Coronavirus in a better way while we are confined indoors.

What Is Prehabilitation?

The term prehabilitation was coined during World War II to prepare the soldiers for the war front. It’s nothing but a preparation approach that is designed to increase the functional capacity of a human. It involves nutrition, hygiene, physical training, and exercise.

We too need to prepare ourselves along these lines to be able to fight this pandemic.

Being Physically Fit

Physical fitness is something that all of us need to maintain in the current pandemic situation. Physical activity is a must for all, and we must remain active even while we are restricted indoors. It might sound bizarre, but engaging in household chores like cleaning, dusting, mopping, gardening, etc. will help you stay fit and burn calories. Combine your regular chores with yoga exercises like surya-namaskar, pranayama or any other form for better results.

Meditation during these times will boost your mental and psychological strength, which in turn will help your Immune System grow stronger and prevent disease.

Eating Healthy

Good nutrition is important for good health. We must be careful about what we eat and must maintain good eating habits during the lockdown period. With the following simple diet alterations, you can take care of your health.

• Avoid Unnecessary Calories: Cut down on junk food, deep-fried items, chips, bakery items, cold drinks, salty food and sugary items.
• Increase Protein Intake: Vegetarians can opt for dal, legumes, chickpeas, rajma, beans, sprouts, paneer, cheese, milk, curd, buttermilk, etc. And non-vegetarians can opt for eggs, fish, and chicken along with all the vegetarian items.
• Increase Intake of Spices: Include spices like turmeric, cinnamon, garlic and ginger (powdered or in the root form) in your diet.
• Increase The Intake Of Healthy Food Items: Include nuts, seeds, and dry fruits in your diet. Snack on fresh fruits instead of junk food items.
• Stay Hydrated: Keep yourself hydrated with water and other healthy fluids like fresh fruit juice, etc.
• Quit Smoking: Give up on smoking, at least until the pandemic is over as smoking affects the lungs and the Coronavirus happens to have a predilection for the lungs.
• Medications: Do not skip any of your regular medications. Follow your doctor’s advice strictly.

Lockdown is inevitable and our best bet to contain the virus. It can get dull at home, but there are a lot of things that you can do. Use this time productively, do things that you wanted to, but never had the time for. Pursue new hobbies, read books, catch up with old friends, learn something, and just relax while you still can. Forget about everything that stresses you, just be with your family and relax.

Lastly, be positive. We are all in it together and we’ll get out of it together. Life will be normal soon enough.

Dr Manjusha Agarwal,

Consultant Internal Medicine, Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author. They do not reflect the opinions or views of the organisation.