How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19 by Strengthening Your Immune System

Updated on March 19, 2020.

Did you know that more than half of the Spanish population is estimated to have a vitamin D deficiency, with over 85% of people over 64 years old affected?

And that studies show people with vitamin D deficiency are 11 times more likely to contract infections like colds or the flu? Meanwhile, optimal vitamin D levels have helped reduce cold and flu symptoms by 42% in those studies.

While the world focuses on how to isolate or fight the coronavirus externally, we sometimes forget that fundamentally it is our body along with our help and its defenses that manages to face and overcome any infection.

Supplements and optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients don’t guarantee that we’ll overcome an infection, but they form the fundamental basis on which our immune system is built. Without optimal levels, our natural defense capabilities are significantly reduced.

Examples like the reality of vitamin D are not often discussed, since general practitioners don’t include this vitamin or many other nutrients in routine medical check-ups. So, if you’re unsure whether you have optimal vitamin D levels after reading this article, that’s quite common in Spain.

A few years ago, when I asked my doctor to include my vitamin D levels, along with other preventive indicators, in my blood test, he told me he couldn’t do it due to protocol that those tests were only ordered for people showing symptoms of illness. It turns out that tests for many vitamins and minerals are expensive, partly because not many people request them and they aren’t grouped together, so the public health system avoids prescribing them until a disease has already manifested.

I ended up paying out of pocket for a full blood test, and I assure you it was one of the best investments I’ve ever made.

Years ago, when I was developing IT projects, I realized the importance of mastering even if only with basic knowledge a variety of topics that impact your personal or professional future. While we were handling web project assignments, clients would ask us to solve their business problems through more or less complex development.

I can divide these clients into two categories: those who had learned the fundamentals of technology and how the web works, and those who had no idea but knew they had a problem that only technology could solve.

Whenever I worked with the first group, communication was smooth, we reached quick and collaborative solutions, and systems were built within shorter timeframes and with moderate budgets.

When I worked with the second group, it was more like a lottery. They weren’t sure what they wanted, frequently changed their minds, and sometimes projects never got finished because there was a huge gap in understanding and communication.

I firmly believe that health is one of those areas in our lives where we absolutely have to be the leaders the CEOs of our own well-being. If we don’t take charge, we’ll end up depending on or worse, blaming medical professionals for fundamental issues that we could greatly ease if we had a basic culture and knowledge about the things that support our health and practiced them regularly.

For years, I’ve sought advice on health topics from people who have studied and know much more than I do about how the human body works, in order to build a foundation that helps me live a healthy life and support my loved ones in preventing and treating illnesses. I have personally experienced how this knowledge has helped us even during medical treatments making the professionals’ work much easier and eliminating many uncertainties that generate stress and anxiety.

This article gathers many of my learnings and recommendations from doctors and various specialists, including plenty of actions you can take to help yourself during the most critical moments ahead.

If you want to skip my summary of the current situation and go straight to the recommendations for boosting your immune system, click here.

We are living through a historic moment, amid a pandemic that the scientific community estimates will affect between 40% and 70% of the world’s population.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) and its direct and indirect consequences put into perspective the fragility of the human being and how quickly the balance that sustains our modern society can break. Bill Gates anticipated this in his TED talk we have experienced several epidemic outbreaks in the past, but today our world is much more globalized and highly connected, which fosters an exponential spread of infectious agents.

In the most difficult moments, our most human qualities also emerge. Courage, as shown by all healthcare workers, transporters, and essential service professionals who help us get through this situation with care. Love and affection phone calls have skyrocketed, as people want to be with and connect to their loved ones and help however they can. Creativity and ingenuity from communities that have facilitated 3D printing of valves for hospital ventilators to countless solutions and experiments to help with symptoms and the logistics necessary to treat the virus.

Generosity, expressed among nations and individuals, with the Chinese government and community mobilizing to send resources and deploy the most qualified professionals who already managed the crisis in their country people who have worked shifts of more than 12 hours without rest and have offered to share all they’ve learned in places where the critical outbreak is happening now.

Each one of us has a responsibility in this situation, and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to reducing the health and economic impact this crisis will have.

The aim of this article is to provide basic guidelines, based on scientific evidence, on what you can do individually to minimize the burden on the public health system—not only to prevent virus transmission as much as possible, but also to prepare your body and mind to face it with the least symptoms and impact on your health and the health of your loved ones.

Remember, scientists estimate that between 40% and 70% of the population will contract the virus at some point, but over 80% of people will experience only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. It is within your power to increase this percentage and your chances of getting through the virus without complications.

The media has spread plenty of information about how to prevent contagion, isolate high-risk groups, and take daily precautions, so in this article I will mainly focus on gathering the most important information and what you can do to strengthen and maintain the most optimal immune system possible something that will help you not only with this epidemic but also give you habits and tools to live a healthier life in the future.

• COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China. It is now present in 155 countries, with 220,000 confirmed cases, more than 84,000 recoveries, and 8,000 deaths globally. These figures are approximate, as testing is not widely implemented in most countries.

• It is a new virus, which humanity has not been exposed to before. This means we have not yet developed immunity, and everyone is susceptible to infection.

• It spreads rapidly. On March 1st, there were 76 detected cases in Spain. Today, there are over 14,000 an exponential increase in just over two weeks. Unless extreme containment measures are taken, the entire population could be affected within weeks. The cost of insufficient measures will far exceed the cost of strict containment.

• According to the contingency plan by the SEEIUC, a moderate scenario with a 12-week pandemic would result in 278,000 people requiring hospitalization. In the seventh week (estimated as the peak), more than 9,200 patients could need intensive care and 5,400 could require mechanical ventilation. These numbers exceed ICU capacity by 257% and ventilator availability by 157%. And this is based on a moderate scenario, which could worsen without strict containment.

• It will get worse before it gets better, and we will be dealing with it for the next 12–18 months. It may slow down in the summer but could resurge in the fall, similar to the Spanish flu in 1918.

• It transmits easily and can survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours especially on metal and plastic.

• Infected individuals can transmit the virus from the second day after exposure up to 14 days, even without showing symptoms.

• The virus is easily destroyed using cleaning products such as alcohol, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide.

• High-risk groups include: people with chronic illnesses, those over 70, healthcare workers, smokers, and individuals on immunosuppressive treatments (those with autoimmune diseases, cancer, or who have undergone organ transplants).

• Up to 80% of infected people experience mild or no symptoms. Between 96% and 99% recover from the infection. However, up to 1.5 million people could die in a country like the United States due to the large scale of the epidemic, exponential spread, and the lack of population immunity.

• Typical symptoms include fever, dry cough, hoarseness, and fatigue. A stuffy nose or mucus is not typical of this virus.

• The disease primarily affects the lungs, potentially leading to respiratory failure in severe cases. Death can result from a cytokine storm, a massive inflammatory response (more on this below). This occurs due to the inhibition of surfactant production in the lungs, which is what keeps airways open.

• While the virus mainly affects older or ill individuals, it can also impact younger people. Children typically show no symptoms but can still carry and transmit the virus.

• Mortality rates vary significantly depending on the amount and quality of testing done (more on this later).

• South Korea has developed a diagnostic test that is effective in 98% of cases.

• They conduct 10,000 tests per day. As of today, the Spanish government has not released official data on the number of tests conducted. For reference, a total of 5,000 tests have been carried out in the United States far below what is necessary. In South Korea, the coronavirus has a mortality rate of 0.6%, which is higher than that of the flu but much lower than in China and Italy, where large-scale testing has not been conducted and mortality rates have been estimated between 2.4% and 6%. These percentages are likely inflated due to not accounting for the actual number of infected people with mild or no symptoms.

• The key to knowing the real mortality rate is having accurate data on the total number of infected people, not just those diagnosed or showing symptoms.

• Scientists at Columbia University estimate that for every person diagnosed, there could easily be 5–10 undiagnosed infected individuals, which would bring mortality rates much lower than what is being reported in the media.

• The most accurate data regarding mortality among healthy individuals comes from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, as all 3,500 passengers were tested. So far, 706 have tested positive and 6 have died, putting the mortality rate at 0.85% almost 10 times higher than the common flu, but similar to rates seen in influenza virus cases.

• Spain’s delay in increasing test production and scale has led to controversial expert opinions—ranging from testing anyone with symptoms, case by case and in quarantine, to only testing those with severe symptoms. This has mainly been due to a lack of available kits and mass testing protocols.

• Testing will increase, but the protocol to be adopted is still unclear. Testing all contacts may not be possible, but testing symptomatic individuals should be.

• China and South Korea have seen a decrease in infection cases due to the strict measures they implemented, including quarantines and contact tracing. In some instances, extreme actions were necessary to stop transmissions.

• In countries where the initial response was delayed, like Spain, the strategy has shifted from containment, to mitigation, and finally to reducing new cases through quarantines and social distancing.

• Slowing the spread of the virus through quarantine and social distancing (even if the same number of people eventually get infected) helps reduce the burden on the healthcare system, hospitals, and intensive care units. There are approximately 3,310 ventilators available in Spain—far below the number needed if the spread is not contained.

At the moment, there are no approved treatments beyond supportive medical care such as managing symptoms, fluid recovery, and use of ventilators. However, a large number of people are working on multiple approaches. Here are some of the most promising so far:

• Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine): A medication used to treat autoimmune diseases. It is easily available as a generic drug, inexpensive, and has relatively few side effects. A recommended dose is 200 mg twice a day for 10 days.

• Remdesivir: An antiviral drug developed for the Ebola virus, administered intravenously. It is currently under study, and treatments like this may be approved faster than vaccines.

• Convalescent plasma treatment: This involves taking blood from a recovered COVID-19 patient, extracting the antibodies, and giving them to an infected person.

• Cytokine-blocking drugs (tocilizumab, sarilumab, etc.): These can reduce the inflammatory storm that causes death. Cytokines are molecules that act as inflammation messengers, and they can spiral out of control during COVID-19 infection.

• Interferon B: Developed in Cuba, this drug may help calm an out-of-control inflammatory reaction. More studies are needed, but it looks promising.

• Vaccines: It will likely take 12 to 18 months to complete the necessary trials to ensure they are safe for use in humans.

• Supportive medical therapies: Some therapies being recommended based on their mechanisms of action include theophylline (a bronchodilator), ARBs (for blood pressure), amantadine (an antiviral), and sodium bicarbonate (like Alka-Seltzer, which increases pH and may make it harder for the virus to spread).

High doses of Vitamin C: In Wuhan, doctors have been using high doses of intravenous vitamin C for sick individuals and hospital staff. Almost all patients with symptoms received between 50–100 mg/kg/day for mild symptoms and 100–200 mg/kg/day for more severe cases. This treatment is currently not being administered in Spain, but initial trials are expected soon, and it may be introduced in intensive care units for patients with severe infections.

Ozone therapy: This therapy is not widely known but has been extensively used in other countries during infection peaks. Ozone has strong disinfectant properties and can be administered intravenously, rectally, or nasally. It also helps improve immune function and the body's antioxidant systems. More studies are needed, but it could prove effective as part of the treatment.

The main protective measures revolve around two things: the first is aimed at avoiding infection, and the second at strengthening our immune system so we are more resistant to the virus.

This pandemic can bring out both the best and the worst in us, so it's up to you to decide. It's a time to show affection and compassion, to reconnect by calling friends, having more video calls with family, or finding refuge at home with loved ones cooking together or helping those in need.

Over the past few years, I’ve learned to observe the people I know who frequently get sick the “typical” colds, the flu, or “the kids got me sick.” Among my acquaintances, there are also those who very rarely fall ill, and when they do, they usually experience milder symptoms than average. Over time, I started to notice certain patterns: eating habits, lifestyle choices, nutritional supplementation, and exercise routines that seemed to contribute to this group’s greater resistance to illness. Here are some of the insights I’ve gained:

• Eat unprocessed, nutrient-rich foods.
  Our immune system depends on natural, nutrient-dense foods to function properly. In developed countries, deaths caused by infections are often not due to the pathogen itself, but rather the body's inability to fight the infection because of nutrient deficiencies. Over 90% of Americans are deficient in at least one essential nutrient, so improving the quality of our food is critical. Diabetics are more vulnerable to COVID-19, so anyone with high insulin resistance or prediabetic conditions can take this opportunity to cut back on sugar and starch, which weaken the immune system. If you're ordering takeout, choose restaurants that offer healthy, unprocessed options.

• Cut sugar and starch from your diet.
  There has never been a better time to detox and reduce the junk food we consume. Scientific studies show that sugar can suppress your immune response for hours after consumption. Limiting sugar will improve both your health and immune function.

• Make sure you get enough protein.
  Especially if you follow a mostly vegetarian diet. Protein plays a critical role in immune function, and protein deficiency is a risk factor for mortality in infections. Aim to consume about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, or roughly half your body weight in grams of protein per day.

• Add garlic, onion, ginger, and plenty of spices like oregano, rosemary, and mint to your meals.
  Use them in soups, vegetables, and sauces. Onion and garlic have antimicrobial properties.

• Eat multiple servings of colorful fruits and vegetables daily.
  They are high in vitamins C and A, and phytonutrients that support immune function. Choose leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, sweet potatoes. Aim for 2 servings of fruit and 8 or more servings of vegetables each day.

• Eat pickled and fermented foods to support your gut microbiome and immune system.
  Try sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, unsweetened yogurt, and kefir.

• Alkalize your body.
  Sugar and processed foods promote a more acidic environment in your body, making it more susceptible to infections like COVID-19. Eating unprocessed foods and vegetables promotes a more alkaline state. Eat vegetable soups and broths.

• Drink plenty of fluids, especially warm ones.
  Staying well-hydrated helps with vital functions, including the immune system. Drink teas like ginger or turmeric. Always carry a water bottle with you to build the habit. Avoid concentrated juices or sugary drinks, as they are harmful to your immune system.

• Get enough sleep!
  Sleep is known to restore and heal the body. Without enough sleep, good immune function is impossible. Regulate your sleep rhythm by going to bed earlier. Aim for 7–8 hours of sleep. If you feel stressed or anxious, include breathing exercises or meditation before bed. Apps like Calm or Headspace can help.

• Exercise regularly.
  Moderate exercise for 30–45 minutes helps improve your immune system and cardiovascular health. Avoid overexertion if you're feeling tired or run-down, as it can weaken your defenses. Even during quarantine, it's important to maintain and build cardio-respiratory capacity. Try online yoga or cardio classes, or play Just Dance in cardio mode.

• Practice meditation and yoga.
  The data is clear: high stress levels increase our vulnerability to infection. In one study, volunteers were injected with viruses in their nasal passages. The only ones who got sick were those with elevated stress levels. Now is the perfect time to learn or deepen your meditation practice, do yoga, take relaxing baths, do breathing exercises, or take turns giving massages at home.

• Grow a home garden.
  If you have space, consider starting a small urban garden to grow your own fruits and vegetables. During World War II, personal gardens produced over 40% of the food in the United States.