The long term lockdown of countries has left us homebound. While it is straining for both mental and physical health, it is equally important to realise why we need it in the first place. Currently, it’s the only solution to protect ourselves from the killer Coronavirus. It is easier said than being done though, to cope-up with the guidelines of maintaining social distancing and restriction of stepping out of homes, many people have started taking help from alcohol to either pass their time or to calm their anxiety due to the ongoing stressful situation. Amidst the situation, series of fake and parody news have also seen surfacing that claims alcohol to be the cure of the contagious COVID-19. However, a recent study conducted by experts suggests that you must quit excessively drinking alcohol to protect your immune system from getting weak and more prone to the coronavirus.
The findings of the study confirm that consumption of alcohol can lead to a reduction of white blood cells in our blood, which are responsible to fight off foreign infections from our body. It further marked an increase in proteins that can potentially reduce the effectiveness of an individual’s immune system.
“People drink because it mellows them. Well, alcohol has a similar effect on the immune system, making it slow and lethargic,” said Dr. Shannon Sovndal, an ER doctor and author to the Fox News. He also explained that even consuming one drink on a daily basis, no matter how light or strong the alcohol can be, can affect the health at the same rate.
According to the global health experts, it is crucial to have a strong immune system to reduce the chances of developing the infection of COVID-19 and having said that, people will low immunity levels are more susceptible to this virus. Any activity act home, such as indulging heavily in drinking alcohol during self-quarantine can degrade your health and make you more vulnerable to the disease than any good. Not to forget, drinking alcohol also affects mental health which is also important during these difficult times.
The Mayo Clinic suggests that over-consumption of these happy juices can create havoc in our body by degrading the body’s defense system against any foreign infection, flu, influenza, and even pneumonia. All these are now a common condition that might be seen among corona positive people having severe symptoms.
It is advisable to quit drinking to keep yourself safe and healthy.
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