Ensure your vitimin D levels are enough - this is now known to be an essential ingredient in making your immune system work and is likely a major reason why people's immune systems (in northern and southern lattitudes) tend to dip over the winter months where there is less sunlight - which is where much of our vitimin D often comes from.
@Graylight Healthy diet and exercise is really good - unfortunately in the case of vit D we get the majority of our intake (at least in western countries) through our exposure to sunlight. In winter months, in parts of the world that have swings in the amount of daylight hours (as well as the angle of the sun being lower at it's zenith) the amount of sun available to make vit is vastly reduced - this isn't conjecture, it is verifiable through studies that sample blood). In UK and US at least we know from existing studies that vit D is typically too low for a sizable proportion of the population. A corollary is Japan where diet is much richer in foods containing vit d and levels are much healthier. So if possible to get it in diet then, absolutely, that is best as you get other important nutients too. Vaccines can be effective - but we don't have vaccines for the vast majority of things that cause colds - there are over 200 viruses that can cause a common cold - some are corona viruses (like COVID19), some are influenza virues (like what we refer to as "flu") some are parainfluenza viruses and many are rhinoviruses. It's interesting to note that you can acquire a flu virus but if you have mild symptoms it is just considered a cold - the same virus causing more severe symptoms is what you would call "flu". Most of the symptoms these viruses cause is actually your immune system doing it's thing to rid your body of the foreign invader - e.g. blocked/runny nose or fever.
Washing hands before eating is good practice as there are other pathogens that can be problematic when they get inside you. That isn't going to protect against respiratory viruses though - these are mostly "caught" through breathing them in (not saying you can't get them by touching people's snot etc but those are in a minority). Unfortunately cloth or even surgical masks are not effective in stopping you either transmitting or inhaling them and we think higher density masks have some effectiveness- they won't guarantee that you won't catch something so relying on them isn't good idea. Social distancing is more effective - but as a species we are not designed to live apart and lack of exposure to pathogens can have negative effect on longer term immunity - unless someone is cutting themselves off entirely forever they will have to come in contact with others eventually and when they do they will be exposed to a milleau of different pathogens that their immune system which hasn't had much to do will have to deal with all at once.
@CheekyBadger Bear in mind there's no causative correlation proven between good vit. D levels and better immunity against respiratory pathogens. In particular, as far as I can recall, there's no RCTs showing reduced infection rates, lesser symptoms or shorter recovery times in populations supplemented with vit. D. as opposed to populations with similar characteristics and not supplemented.
@Elessar and that’s my point. Vitamin D is essential, particularly in women. It’s true that we get much of it from the sunlight, but the sunlight doesn’t have to be warm; we still get vitamin D in the winter. Regardless, it’s not linked to Improving respiratory function or listen I know you need breakfast sweetie killing viruses and bacteria. It’s great for other things but not cold and flu prevention.
@CrazyMusicLover I've still a few boxes of FFP2s that were given to me for covid and I keep using them indoors in public spaces. So far the only thing that I've caught, quite ironically perhaps, is COVID itself (both times from people I live with, and at home I'm certainly not wearing masks) - but nothing else since <2019 as far as I can remember/say lol
Exercise, Fresh Air, Well balanced diet based on both vegetables and meat, Vitamin D, Keep your bladder and bowels active. Most important keep your spirits up. Be positive and forward looking.
@hippyjoe1955 VAERS includes every report without checking. even the guy who reported VAERS that an injection turned him into the Incredible Hulk - and now you're saying a bunch more Incredible Hulks went unreported?? ROTFL!!!
In 2004, anesthesiologist James Laidler submitted an alarming report to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Laidler wrote that after he got his annual influenza vaccine, his muscles began to grow in size, his skin became green, and he turned into the Incredible Hulk.
Laidler’s intent was not to notify government officials of a dangerous side effect, but to show the need for caution when interpreting the data found in VAERS, the national vaccine safety surveillance program run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
VAERS is a passive reporting surveillance system, and the people who submit to it can include doctors and healthcare providers, but also anyone who receives a vaccine, their family members, or even lawyers. (This is different from the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink, which is limited to health care professionals, and requires more documentation for submissions.)
I read the comments here, all excellent advice. Just don't forget to get as much fresh air as you can. Even the house needs fresh air thru the winter months. Dry dead house air can be hazardous.
@TexChik what is this healthy diet and exercise you speak of. do drink water and happy with who I married even though he interrupts my sleep frequently
@hippyjoe1955 Good ol' VAERS, too bad you didn't read the VAERS disclaimer. Did you know that anybody can post anything to VAERS?? The raw data there is TOTALLY unchecked!!!
VAERS https://vaers.hhs.gov/faq.html Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is VAERS
... VAERS is not designed to detect if a vaccine caused an adverse event, but it can identify unusual or unexpected patterns of reporting that might indicate possible safety problems requiring a closer look.
According to "Reported Adverse Events Updated Sept. 27, 2021" https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html
More than 390 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the United States from December 14, 2020, through September 27, 2021. During this time, VAERS received 8,164 reports of death (0.0021%) among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine. FDA requires healthcare providers to report any death after COVID-19 vaccination to VAERS, even if it’s unclear whether the vaccine was the cause. Reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem. A review of available clinical information, including death certificates, autopsy, and medical records, has not established a causal link to COVID-19 vaccines.
@hippyjoe1955 Are you thinking of the guy who reported to VAERS that an injection turned him into the Incredible Hulk - you're saying a bunch more Incredible Hulks went unreported?? https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjpmp7/anti-vaxxers-misuse-federal-data-to-falsely-claim-covid-vaccines-are-dangerous
DUUUDE!!! How many more 'unreported' Hulks do you believe are out there??? ROTFL!!!
Aside from the usual advice like making sure to get consistent, healthy sleep, eating foods that are high in vitamins and nutrients, and getting at least a little bit of exercise a day like walking, reducing stress in every way possible definitely helps. Lots of studies confirm that a bunch of stress stress weakens the immune system. Also people who have a good relationship with their friends and family, just ways of feeling supported and laughing etc. helps reduce stress and makes a big difference on the immune system. Always easier said than done though.
Carrageenan nasal sprays (yes it's the substance often used in cooking as well)
Nasal carrageenan increased the recovery rate from all colds by 54% (95% CI 15%-105%; p = .003). The increase in recovery rate was 139% for coronavirus infections, 119% for influenza A infections, and 70% for rhinovirus infections. The mean duration of all colds in the placebo groups of the first four quintiles were 4.0, 6.8, 8.8, and 13.7 days, respectively. The fifth quintile contained patients with censored data. The 13.7-day colds were shortened by 3.8 days (28% reduction), and 8.8-day colds by 1.3 days (15% reduction). Carrageenan had no meaningful effect on shorter colds. In the placebo group, 21 patients had colds lasting over 20 days, compared with six patients in the carrageenan group, which corresponds to a 71% (p = .003) reduction in the risk of longer colds. Given that carrageenan has an effect on diverse virus groups, and effects at the clinical level on two old coronaviruses, it seems plausible that carrageenan may have an effect on COVID-19. Further research on nasal iota-carrageenan is warranted.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34128358/
Of course this is not a replacement to a healthy diet / balanced nutrition profile, basic hygiene, vaccination, masking and all that jazz.
@Graylight Seems to have a double function, both mechanically coating the nasal tissue providing some sort of barrier, but also promoting viral clearance (locally) due to broad-spectrum antiviral properties.
Couple of drops of tea tree oil on a tissue for sniffing or if you're careful, a bowl of steaming water steam inhalation. Be careful with that last one though, someone I know poured the bowl of water over his lap and was very badly burnt.
@hippyjoe1955 cites VAERS and ignores the VAERS disclaimer: VAERS https://vaers.hhs.gov/faq.html
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is VAERS ... VAERS is not designed to detect if a vaccine caused an adverse event, but it can identify unusual or unexpected patterns of reporting that might indicate possible safety problems requiring a closer look.
dippy claims
Vaers is wildly under reported.
and you make that outlandish claim based on what evidence???
Are you thinking of the guy who reported to VAERS that an injection turned him into the Incredible Hulk - you're saying a bunch more Incredible Hulks went unreported?? ROTFL!!!
In 2004, anesthesiologist James Laidler submitted an alarming report to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Laidler wrote that after he got his annual influenza vaccine, his muscles began to grow in size, his skin became green, and he turned into the Incredible Hulk.
Laidler’s intent was not to notify government officials of a dangerous side effect, but to show the need for caution when interpreting the data found in VAERS, the national vaccine safety surveillance program run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
VAERS is a passive reporting surveillance system, and the people who submit to it can include doctors and healthcare providers, but also anyone who receives a vaccine, their family members, or even lawyers. (This is different from the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink, which is limited to health care professionals, and requires more documentation for submissions.)
