Coronavirus: how to stay healthy and happy during virus outbreak and flu season, from the vitamins you need to exercise like yoga

Boost your immune system with vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc, one expert says, to decrease the risk of catching the flu

Avoid feeling overwhelmed by acknowledging feelings of anxiety, another says, and you will feel more emotionally stable

Reading Time:5 minutes

Staying healthy and happy in Hong Kong involves getting enough sleep and vitamins, and keeping your stress levels in check. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:30am, 3 Feb 2020Updated: 3:22pm, 9 Apr 2020

Apart from wearing a mask in crowded places, washing your hands and using hand sanitiser, what can we do to stay healthy – and calm – during the flu season, especially in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak?

We asked health and wellness practitioners in Hong Kong for their advice. All underlined the need for a healthy diet, maintaining personal hygiene and getting good rest to boost your immune system. These are their top tips.

Jabs, annual checks pay healthy dividends

It’s not too late to get the flu vaccine, says Dr Joyce Lai, a general practitioner at a clinic in Hong Kong’s Central business district, and this is especially important for the young, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. The key is to get it when you are healthy. While it will not prevent coronavirus, it will defend against the more common seasonal influenzas during this winter peak season.

Exercise may help people build bodies that are stronger and better able to fight a virus. Photo: Shutterstock

Have an annual health check-up, Lai stresses, particularly if you have ongoing health conditions.

“If you have a condition like diabetes and it’s poorly controlled, and have asthma, then when you get the flu it’s more likely to develop into pneumonia or have complications, and recovery will be slower. So, make sure everything is in good working order.”

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