Lauren Carlstrom, O+ Team Member |

As the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, spreads around the globe, the stock markets have taken a dive at home here in the U.S. After a promising start to the year, the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq Composite are all negative year to date (Waterfront Financial Group).

Several normally stable industries – including the airline, auto, tech, banking, mining, retail, Hollywood, shipping, tourism, cruise ships, energy, manufacturing and lodging – are reporting negative effects of the spread of the coronavirus (The Wall Street Journal). While concerned consumers are seeking out hard-to-find breathing masks, hand sanitizer, as well as our 99.5% pure recreational oxygen that is made in a FDA-registered facility, a recent Fortune.com report said 94% of Fortune 1000 companies are seeing coronavirus supply chain disruptions (Sherman). The supply and demand uncertainty is not only affecting our economy, but putting strain on our personal health, as well.

To breathe a little easier, preparedness and preventative knowledge about health and wellness are vital virtues – and practices – we can adopt. So, here are a couple tips I hope help you stay on top of your health – today and every day.

Preparedness: Wash Your Hands Well – For 20+ Seconds!

Want to how many people don’t wash their hands after using the men’s or ladies’ room? In 2018, the CDC reported only 31 percent of men and 65 percent of women wash their hands after using the bathroom. Now, guys and gals, let’s consider how to wash our hands well, and frequently, for at least 20 seconds.

It’s all about hygiene. Washing your hands helps protect against germs and bacteria (Galic). Here’s my summary, from a recent Livestrong.com article titled, “The Best Way to Avoid Getting Sick Is to Wash Your Hands — But You're Probably Doing It Wrong.”

1) Don’t skip the soap
2) Wash – with soap – for 20 seconds
3) Lather – with soap – your entire hands and even under the nails
4) Don’t re-contaminate your soap washed hands by touching handles and knobs
5) Don’t rely on hand sanitizer. It’s not as good as washing with soap!

Prevention: You’re Less Likely To Get Sick With A Strong Immune System

The coronavirus is, and behaves, much like the common cold. Before I get challenged on my medical background (I have none whatsoever), check out what Dr. Francis Collins, the Director of the National Institute of Health, wrote in an article today:

“Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, including some that cause ‘the common cold’ in healthy humans. In fact, these viruses are found throughout the world and account for up to 30 percent of upper respiratory tract infections in adults.”

When considering the fact that there is a potential for loss of life, or the fact that SARS is also a coronavirus (Collins), I’ll admit that calling the COVID-19 outbreak “the common cold” isn’t that comforting or easy to do. However, when looking at what we – as wellness-minded people – can control and be in charge of, it puts things into perspective for me. And, I can own my daily decisions about my health and choose known behaviors that help strengthen my immune system.

Multiple research and studies support that regular exercise (30 minutes a day for adults), breathing and meditation (even just 20 minutes a day), eating well, and getting ample sleep go a long way to boost the immune system. So does keeping oxygen levels at optimal levels, because oxygen helps your body, on a cellular level, work efficiently. Every day, I take the vitamins my doctor said are good for me, including a very absorbent, liquid form of Vitamin C, called Lypo-Shperic Vitamin C made by LiveOn Laboratories.

In addition to what goes in my body, I’m also actively thinking positive thoughts about my own health, doing things I love, laughing whenever possible, and staying engaged with other people and our world.

There isn’t a one-size-fits all plan for boosting the immune system, however I hope my protocol may help inspire or jolt one to inquire about ways to stay on top of health – today and every day.

Resources:

CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Handwashing: A Corporate Activity https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/handwashing-corporate.html. Retrieved March 3, 2020.

Collins, Francis, M.D., Ph.D. Structural Biology Points Way to Coronavirus Vaccine. https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2020/03/03/structural-biology-points-way-to-coronavirus-vaccine. Retrieved March 3, 2020.

Galic, Bojana. Livestrong.com. The Best Way to Avoid Getting Sick Is to Wash Your Hands — But You're Probably Doing It Wrong.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/13725173-how-and-when-to-wash-your-hands. Retrieved March 3, 2020.

Sherman, Erik. 94% of the Fortune 1000 are seeing coronavirus supply chain disruptions: Report. https://fortune.com/2020/02/21/fortune-1000-coronavirus-china-supply-chain-impact. Retrieved March 3, 2020.

Waterfront Financial Group. www.waterfrontfinancialgroup.com. Email published March 3, 2020.

The Wall Street Journal. Coronavirus Deals Blow to Global Business. https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-deals-blow-to-global-business-11582919791. Retrieved March 3, 2020.