Boosting the immune system<\/strong><\/p>\n Just like in many things, a healthy community starts from a healthy individual. Our bodies, luckily, have their own first line of defense\u2014the immune system.\u00a0The immune system has the overall function to \u201cprotect the body from possibly harmful substances by recognizing and responding to antigens<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Our body elicits an immune response to defend the body from pathogens that may be harmful to our wellbeing, which in turn helps us fight off illnesses and infections through proper treatment.\u00a0Boosting one’s immune system\u00a0is easy especially for people who do not have medical conditions or disorders that may affect how their immune system works.<\/p>\n Here are some simple\u00a0steps<\/a>\u00a0that you can do to make sure your body’s first line of defense is at its best:<\/p>\n Proper hygiene<\/strong><\/p>\n Washing your hands after going outside and touching\u00a0high-touch surfaces should be second nature to us all by now.\u00a0Our hands\u00a0are a Petri dish of all sorts of microorganisms that\u2019s why it is important to make sure that they are clean all the time and to avoid touching your face most especially your eyes, nose, and mouth with dirty hands.<\/p>\n After going outside to do groceries or run some errands, take a shower and put your clothes in the wash especially if these came in contact with high-touch surfaces or other people. While the chances to contract the virus through your clothes are low, it’s better to be safe than sorry.<\/p>\n Disinfecting household items and high-touch objects<\/strong><\/p>\n Since experts found that the coronavirus can stay on surfaces for an hour or so, disinfecting has become a new norm in the daily routine of most people as one of the preventive measures against the dreaded virus. With that, here are useful tips on how to disinfect your home, your grocery items, and your gadgets:<\/p>\n Community<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Social distancing<\/strong><\/p>\n As more business establishments open and public transportation gradually resume,\u00a0a persistent\u00a0reminder by the government is to\u00a0maintain social distancing in public places at all times. The distance between one person and another should be a minimum of one meter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It is important to practice social distancing because close contact with an infected person for a prolonged period heightens your risk of contracting COVID-19. The virus can spread when\u00a0aerosols from an infected person’s mouth and nose land on the mouths and noses of nearby people and inhaled into the lungs.<\/p>\n As much as possible, keep your distance from other people when in public spaces like groceries, malls, and public transport.<\/p>\n President Duterte has declared in a televised address last May that social distancing and wearing of masks will be the new norm in the country until a vaccine for the coronavirus disease becomes available.<\/p>\n Wearing of facemask<\/strong><\/p>\n Just like social distancing,\u00a0it is also mandated by the government for people to wear face masks or other face coverings when they are in public places. An explanation provided by the\u00a0Center for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>\u00a0as to why wearing face masks can be helpful to slow the spread of COVID-19 is the existence of asymptomatic patients. These are individuals who carry the virus but are not exhibiting any symptoms and may be spreading it without knowing.<\/p>\n By wearing face masks, you can protect yourself or alternately, protect others from the virus.<\/p>\n Don’t forget to dispose of your disposable masks properly by placing\u00a0it in a plastic bag before putting it in the trash. For those who use a reusable mask, you should handwash it with bleach solutions and let it air dry.<\/p>\n As much as we all want to stay in the safety of our houses to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19, most people have jobs to attend to and errands to run that are not doable at home. In the new normal where things will most likely be back to the semblance of what they were before the pandemic, we have no choice but to step outside once in a while.<\/p>\n However, as listed above, there are so many things you can do to ensure your safety and of those around you in these trying times. Face the new normal with confidence by practicing healthy habits and maintaining your distance from other people when outside.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/tips-guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/main-science.jpg\")
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