Coronaviruses are a class of viruses. And like all viruses, while some strains cause mild illness, others result in more serious, possible fatal illness such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

SARS affected a large number of people including healthy young adults, but we must remember that the majority of severe cases were the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions.

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DR. Julian Ng from the DTAP (DR. Tan & Partners) Clinic shares his thoughts on coronaviruses and shares some simple ways on how we can boost our own immune system to combat the virus.

Coronavirus fatalities

According to DR. Ng, 80% of Singapore’s cases during the SARS time were involving those with chronic conditions and 45% of the fatalities were in those aged 65 and above. Very few young children developed severe symptoms.

For the COVID-19 outbreak, the highest fatalities published in the latest epidemiological study involve those 80 years and above (15% of cases) and few young children developed severe symptoms. And the youngest patient in Singapore was a six-month-old baby who recovered easily from the virus within a few days.

Who is susceptible to developing severe symptoms 

So DR. Ng says that we can deduce that those with conditions such as HIV or diabetes would be more susceptible to COVID-19 and have a higher risk of developing complications or succumbing to the virus. 

As well, organ transplant patients or those who are long-term users of steroids will also have suppressed immune system and will therefore be more vulnerable too.

Tips to combat COVID-19 coronavirus

So in order to reduce your chances of succumbing to the COVID-19 virus and to boost your body’s chances of recovery if you do contract the virus, according to DR. Ng?

1) Get enough sleep

Only if you get enough sleep at nights, your body can repair itself. If you are sleep deprived, your body is less able to produce sufficient antibodies to fight off diseases.

2) Don’t smoke

Smoking wrecks your immune system. The natural respiratory system of a healthy person has tiny brushes to remove dust and mucus and forms a firewall to bacteria and viruses. If you smoke, these brushes are damaged, therefore making it easier for these harmful particles to get into the lungs.

3) Exercise

Regular exercise can reduce the chances of upper respiratory tract infection from 18 to 67 per cent. But if you are unwell, let your body recover before starting or resuming an exercise regime.

4) Healthy diet

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Choose foods that have high vitamins or micronutrients to boost the immune system such as sweet potatoes, kale, sunflower seeds, legumes and oysters.

Conclusion 

With these tips, DR. Ng hopes that you are able to boost your immune system and reduce your chances of contracting the coronavirus, and in the event that you do become infected, that your body and natural immune system will be able to fight off the virus easily.