Coronavirus: Keep yourself safe from superspreader Omicron variants; Immunity boosting foods to have

COVID is still a threat and will remain so until the coronavirus stops mutating; which seems implausible. The newest mutations of the coronavirus that causes COVID have been the headache of researchers and health experts. Reason: They have the ability to escape immunity. They can even dodge the immunity induced by the vaccines, thus making it extremely necessary to be vaccinated and take booster shots.

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Omicron is currently the dominant strain of the COVID causing coronavirus and so far is the only strain of the virus that has remained in circulation for over an year. One reason that can partly explain this is that the Omicron is super efficient in escaping the immunity which gives it an edge to spread easily and mutate speedily.

As of last week, a total of 36 cases of XBB were detected in Maharashtra. Of the total number of cases, 32 had recovered in home isolation and the other 4 were hospitalized for precaution. So far no severity has been reported in connection to XBB.

XBB is a recombinant of BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 sublineages, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. " As of epidemiological week 40 (3 to 9 October), from the sequences submitted to GISAID, XBB has a global prevalence of 1.3% and it has been detected in 35 countries," it has confirmed.

The simple answer to this is to keep the immunity quotient high throughout the year. There are several ways one can enhance the immunity, the easier ones are through diet and exercise.

COVID safety rules are extremely relevant to keep the virus at bay. Wearing masks, keeping hands clean, avoiding touching face with unclean hands, avoiding coming in contact with exposed and unclean surfaces and maintaining a physical distance from people who are infected are a few ways you can be safe from COVID.

When it comes to dealing with a deadly virus, we remember the old age saying on having a balanced diet.

A proper diet gives you the stamina to fight off the diseases, it provides your body sufficient nutrition to tackle the pathogens and it also gives the body the power to heal properly.

It is extremely important to include a healthy and seasonal diet in your daily life.

Antioxidant rich green tea is the label for a good immune system. Do include this in your diet for its added benefits.

Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate, a powerful antioxidant which is known to prevent oxidative damage in cells, and acts as an antiangiogenic and antitumor agent. It helps the body to stay healthy and prevents it from falling sick often.

Fermented foods like Indian yogurt is an excellent source of disease fighting good bacteria. These can be included in breakfast, lunch and dinner.

These ease digestion, help with the gut microbiome and regularize the gut system. A healthy gut is the gateway to a healthy body.

There is nothing else that can provide you with the best nutrition than having a full plate of seasonal vegetables and fruits.

There are several reasons why you should have these. They are naturally grown; not forcefully grown unlike other vegetables to meet commercial requirements. Since they are grown naturally with nature's support, they have the original nutrients in the right proportion.

These tiny seeds and nuts are super excellent sources of antioxidants. Considering their small sizes many times we don’t value their importance.

However, a handful of these between meals will cut down your hunger and craving for unhealthy junk foods and will also nourish your body with compounds that you are unable to get from regular meals.

Try to include foods like spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, oranges, sunflower seeds, citrus fruits, blueberries, fish, ginger, garlic, turmeric, almonds, and kiwi to the diet.

The diet portion can be as per the availability of the fruits and vegetables in a specific region or part of the year.

Keep your food plate colorful, full of variety and seasonal. Minimize oil consumption by steaming or grilling the vegetables.