Amid various social media posts claiming superfoods like riceberry, broccoli and green tea can counter the 2019 nCoV, health practitioners in the UAE cautioned the public that no specific group of food has been been found to cure the new strain of coronavirus.
While superfoods may help boost the immune system of a person, no studies yet can prove that it can provide cure.
Nonetheless, UAE-based clinical nutritionist Jana Hazim told The Filipino Times that boosting immunity could be an effective way to prevent catching the dreaded virus.
Aside from this, the nutritionist reminded that washing hands regularly is another way to prevent contracting any kind of infection, including 2019-nCoV, which now has infected more than 17,000 people in China, specifically in the city of Wuhan, the ground zero of the outbreak.
“First and foremost, keep your hands clean at all times. Wash them frequently with water and soap or use hand sanitizers,” she said.
Hazim also recommends to follow the four-way step below:
1 Clean: Always wash fruits and vegetables, counters, and utensils.
2 Separate: Keep raw food separately as germs can spread from one food to another.
3 Cook: Cook food with appropriate length of time and temperature to kill pathogens. Never eat raw or undercooked meats.
4 Chill: Put fresh food in the fridge right away and make sure to only use safe and clean water and raw materials.
With the colder weather conditions in the UAE during this time, it’s also called the flu season as in many parts of the world.
When asked about how a person suffering from cold-like symptoms differentiate a regular cold or flu to 2019-nCoV, Dr. Hany Fat’hy Ahmed, Specialist Emergency Medicine at a hospital in Sharjah explained that a common cold or flu should not cause panic to anyone.
“Some people are unreasonably worried because I am being asked about this many times.
“To go straight to the point, people without any travel history to Wuhan or other places with reported cases of 2019-nCoV, or close contact with suspected cases of coronavirus should not be wary,” Dr. Ahmed stressed.
