A novel coronavirus, designated as 2019-nCoV, emerged
in Wuhan, China, in the completion of 2019 calendar year. As of January 24,
2020, nearly 830 cases had been identified in nine countries viz China,
Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, Nepal, and the United
States of America.
Twenty-six
mortalities ensued, mainly in patients who had serious fundamental
co-morbidities. Many details of the appearance of this virus such as its origin
and its ability to spread among humans remain mysterious, increasing number of
cases appear resulted from human to human transmission. 2019-nCoV is the third
coronavirus to emerge in the human population in the past two decades in spite
of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) outbreak in
2002 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak
in 2012, an emergence that has put world population and medical organizations
on highly prepared [1].
China immediately reports this issue by informing the
World Health Organization (WHO) and sharing information with the international
community after discovery of the causative agent SARS CoV-2. The WHO responded
promptly by organizing diagnostics development; issuing direction on patient
monitoring, specimen collection, and management; and providing up-to-date info
on the outbreak of COVID-19 [2-3]. Several countries in the world are screening
travellers from Wuhan for fever, aiming to detect 2019-nCoV cases before the
virus banquets further.
Updates from China, Thailand, Korea, and Japan
indicates the disease associated with 2019-nCoV appears to be relatively minor
as related with SARS and MERS. Corona viruses constitute a large family of
viruses that can infect animals including humans, according to world health
organization (WHO). These viruses have been responsible for numerous outbreaks
all over the globe, including the early detected severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) pandemic of 2002-2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome
(MERS) outbreak in South Korea in 2015. Most recently, a novel coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2, also known as Covid-19) elicited an outbreak in China in December
2019, flashing worldwide anxiety. While some corona viruses have caused
shocking epidemics, others cause mild to moderate respiratory infections, like
the common cold, fever, body pain and head ache etc., [4-6].
Dos and don'ts as outlined by Department of
Naturopathy under the ministry of AYUSH
|
What to do |
What
to avoid |
|
Drink plenty of warm
water, lemon or fresh citrus juices with honey or jaggery. |
Avoid cold drinks, preserved juices and aerated drinks and
coffee. |
|
Increase seasonings in
your daily food (Jeera, Turmeric, Ajwain, Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom etc.). |
Avoid refined sugars. |
|
Prepare foods that are
low on oils and fats (Dhalia, Idly, Kichdi). |
Avoid confectionary and bakery products. |
|
Ensure a balanced food
regime. · Have protein rich (Dal Kichdi, boiled legumes) and fiber rich
foods, millets, (vegetable soups). |
Avoid sweets, chocolates, ice creams. |
|
Obligate plenty of
coloured fruits and vegetables. Wash them thoroughly; have boiled vegetables
as curry or sambhar. |
Avoid snacking on oily and junk foods. |
|
Drink alkaline rich
juices. |
Reduce salt intake. |
|
Include Zinc and
Selenium rich foods: Oats spinach, beans, milk, cheese, pumpkin seeds,
cashews etc. |
Reduce the amount of trans- and omega-6 fatty acids in the
diet (vegetable oils). |
|
Drink at least one glass of Yogurt/day (probiotics) to
improve gut flora. |
Food in eateries. |
|
Smoking and alcohol. |