Our population is now seriously concerned about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which surfaced in Wuhan in China and has spread rapidly globally.
Coronaviruses have a tendency to mutate, the new ones being initially unrecognisable by our immune system, which is why we keep getting colds and flu every year. We are not permanently immune to them.
Rarely, a virus mutates, or fuses with another one, and is responsible for a much more virulent respiratory disease. This is probably what happened in Wuhan in 2019 and what happened in 1918 with the so-called ‘Spanish Flu’ which some claim killed more people than World War I.
Chinese villages still have a large bat population and this animal is claimed to be a reservoir of many viruses. It is also worth remembering that genetic mutations are the basis of how life on this planet has evolved, with some organisms (like humans) doing well (for the time being) while others have vanished into oblivion.
Coronaviruses have an outer fatty protective membrane which dissolves away with soap or alcohol leading to disintegration of the virus. This is why we’re advised to wash our hands often.
The virus has sophisticated sensors that recognise and latch on to cells in our respiratory tract. It can get there only through our mouth, nose or eyes.
That is why we are advised not to touch our faces with our hands. You cannot get it through cooked food because high heat destroys it.
There have been claims that the virus may remain on surfaces for many hours and potentially contaminated surfaces are everywhere. Again, the solution is handwashing and avoiding touching one’s face. Fortunately, the majority (about 80 per cent) infected with COVID-19 are said not to experience a serious disease but, for the elderly and those with a pre-existing health problem, infection is potentially fatal. The young should not be too blasé about this infection – the Italians claim a significant number of under-50s are experiencing serious disease.
What might account for the difference between getting mild symptoms or serious disease with COVID-19? We still know very little about this novel virus but, from general pathology principles, the difference between experiencing mild symptoms and suffering serious disease depends on two main factors – the dose of the infective agent and the competence of our immune system.
The advice to stay a metre or two away from others is to minimise the risk of breathing in the airborne virus from an infected person who’s breathing it out or coughing. This is obviously the most important advice but it may have panicked some elderly people.
One woman on a local radio phone-in sounded so anxious about airborne transmission that she was even fearful of looking out of a window, assuming the virus was everywhere in the air.
Supplementing with zinc tablets, and particularly so in this COVID-19 pandemic, would be wise
The stress of fear, anxiety and panic does no good to our immune system. This system is a complex array of defences against ‘outsiders’, such as microbes (bacteria and viruses), and against ‘internal outlaws’ (cancer cells). The defences include cells which recognise a chemical on an ‘outsider’ as foreign and send a message to other immune system cells which make a new chemical to neutralise the foreign one. Other immune system cells can kill cancer cells or our own cells infected by a virus.
Immune system cells killing lung cells infected with the virus is probably what causes the lung inflammation and the respiratory difficulties of severely ill patients. An exaggerated immune system response can sometimes do more harm than good. An old anti-malaria drug which modulates the immune system is being tested by some centres on severely ill COVID-19 patients, with claims of some success.
Newer immune modulating drugs used in autoimmune disease may also be useful, while old HIV drugs and a newer drug developed for Ebola are under testing for COVID-19. A vaccine will eventually follow.
The elderly and those with pre-existing health problems are more likely to suffer more severe COVID-19 disease mainly because their immune system tends to be weaker. What can we do to improve our immune system against viruses (and cancer)?
Besides trying to minimise the stress of anxiety and panic, a healthy diet is fundamental. But what is a healthy diet? Vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds are what’s required. Foods made from white flour and sugar have no nutritive value and too much of these increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Too much animal-derived foods (all meats and diary produce) increase your risk of cancer, besides heart disease.
Plant-derived foods have all the protein, vitamins, minerals and other chemicals needed for a healthy body and immune system.
The top of the league foods for super immunity are kale, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, brussels sprouts, carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, mushrooms, berries (all types), pomegranates and seeds (flax, sesame, sunflower).
Are there any food supplements which we know can help the immune system fight viruses of the cold and flu corona type?
Of all the ‘cold and flu medications’ advertised, the ones that medical science has found effective at reducing the risk of these infections, or shortening their duration, are the mineral zinc and vitamin D.
Zinc is found in seafood, particularly in oysters, and in many plant-derived foods, but supplementing with zinc tablets in the autumn and winter months, and particularly so in this COVID-19 pandemic, would be wise.
Vitamin D is crucial for a healthy immune system and is mainly acquired through the action of sunlight on the skin.
Most people tested in Malta (and elsewhere in the world) are deficient in vitamin D, so supplementation with vitamin D3 capsules is recommended.
We are lucky in Malta that the country is small and that the health authorities have taken this COVID-19 pandemic seriously straight away, unlike some much larger countries that initially seemed to think they knew better.
The early closure of schools and all other places where people congregate, and now also the airport, were all excellent decisions. Even better if we can avoid a complete lockdown.
Albert Cilia-Vincenti is pathologist and ex delegate to European Medicines Agency