When the coronavirus (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic, people all over the world were at a loss. After all, the disease is new and there is currently no cure.

But preppers know that staying calm is the first thing you need to do in the face of a disaster like this. Next, you need to make lifestyle changes and set up preps if you want to survive when the SHTF.

COVID-19 is highly contagious and it is particularly lethal against the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Therefore, following a healthy diet and taking supplements are some of the crucial preventive measures to take to support immune health and lower your risk of contracting the disease.

Follow a balanced diet

Eating nutritious foods gives you access to essential vitamins and minerals. These nutrients help keep all of your bodily systems functioning properly.

Follow a diet based on animal or vegetable proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats to keep your body from entering a state of stress that can weaken your immune function.

If you have any underlying health problems, take a complete vitamin supplement that can help boost your overall health.

Boost your vitamin C intake

Ascorbic acid or vitamin C helps enhance tissue repair. The vitamin’s antioxidant properties also help strengthen your immune system.

The best food sources of vitamin C include fruits and vegetables like:

• Bell peppers
• Blackberries
• Cauliflower
• Grapefruit
• Guava
• Kale
• Kiwi
• Leafy greens
• Lemons
• Limes
• Oranges
• Papaya
• Parsley
• Potatoes
• Red and yellow peppers
• Strawberries
• Thyme

Eat vitamin C-rich fruits and veggies regularly to maintain your immune health.

Exercise regularly

COVID-19 may cause severe complications in those with a weakened immune system and those at risk often include patients receiving treatments like chemotherapy or steroids.

While the elderly are at risk for the disease, data suggests that older adults who were more active have had a lower complication rate among other infected patients. This could be because regular exercise helps improves lung capacity.

COVID-19 affects the respiratory system. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, which then progresses to pneumonia and, finally, the collapse of the bronchi and lungs.

Exercise regularly to improve your lung capacity and physical fitness.

Look after your mental health

Social media is full of alarming posts about COVID-19, but mixed in with factual reports are fake articles that can only aggravate your stress and anxiety.

It is important to monitor the news, but you should also corroborate the information you read. Falling into a state of panic and hysteria will do you no good amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Review the official pages of trusted news sources like Natural News or scientific sites that host fact-based studies for unbiased and truthful reports about current findings and updates on the pandemic.

Don’t add to your stress by falling prey to false reports that are designed to boost views, likes or shares. The state of the world may already be contributing to your intense psychological stress, so don’t add more tension to your worries.

If the news is taking its toll on your mental health, try some of the tips below to manage your stress:

• Staying at home is one of the best ways to prevent infections. However, social isolation can cause loneliness, which can negatively affect your mindset. Stay in touch with loved ones who live far away using online forms of communication.
• Try to be productive. If you’re one of the lucky few allowed to work from home, keep yourself busy. Once you’re done with work, revisit old hobbies likes knitting, painting or reading.
• If your anxiety is too much to bear, try meditation. Relaxation techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, guided meditations or progressive muscle relaxation can help calm your nerves.

Maintain personal hygiene

Proper hygiene is one of your most powerful weapons against the coronavirus. Use antibacterial hand sanitizer or wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and running water to eliminate bacteria.

You can also use 70 percent isopropyl alcohol to keep your hands clean. Avoid touching your face without washing your hands because the virus easily enters the oral and nasal mucous membranes.

Be stricter about cleanliness at home

Various studies suggest that coronavirus can live on surfaces like metal, plastic and wood. It is believed that, outside of a human host, the virus has a survival time of at least four hours to three days.

Clean surfaces regularly with disinfectant solutions to prevent the virus from staying active in your home. If you have very young children or live with an elderly relative, disinfect common areas with surfaces you normally come in contact with, like kitchens and bathrooms, every three days.

Prep your survival stockpile

If you’ve been observing prepping guidelines, you will already have most of the items you need in your survival stockpile.

Your local area could eventually be declared a state of quarantine. Once this happens, your non-prepper neighbors will flock to supermarkets to hoard items that they should have stocked up on before SHTF.

Check your stockpile before heading to the nearest supermarket. Make a list of supplies that you need, and talk to each family member to see if they also need anything for their personal use.

Finalize your list and consider buying in bulk if you believe you won’t be able to make a large purchase for at least one month. Before you leave your house, take the necessary measures to protect yourself from possibly contracting infectious diseases.

Follow the tips above and read up on other preventive measures against COVID-19 at Prevention.news.

Sources include:

AskAPrepper.com

EverydayHealth.com

HelloGiggles.com