If there’s one thing that probably won’t change in the new year during these pandemic times, it’s our desire for healthier practices such as getting more sleep or devoting more time to self-care.
Topping many people’s lists is something we’ve been trying to do a lot these past couple of years: Strengthening our immune system against COVID-19.
And most recently, against a globally growing phenomenon: Flurona, when you get infected with both the influenza virus and COVID-19 coronavirus, either simultaneously or back to back.
But first, what is the immune system about? The body’s natural defence doesn’t just consist of one organ that does all the work, according to Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases physician at Rophi Clinic, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital. It is, in fact, a complex network consisting of white blood cells, antibodies, spleen, bone marrow and thymus, he said.
Then, there are the complement system (which consists of proteins that enhance the attacking action of antibodies) and the lymphatic system (it traps microbes, reacts to bacteria and deals with cells that would otherwise result in disease), said Melanie Anthonysamy, the nutrition team lead at HealthifyMe.