Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone, and with the emergence of new variants, it is more important than ever to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family. Eating the right foods can help you stay healthy and reduce your risk of contracting the new COVID variants. In this article, we will discuss the #1 way you can get the new COVID variant, according to doctors, and provide tips on what to eat and what to avoid. By following these simple guidelines, you can help protect yourself and your loved ones from the new variants.
This is the #1 Way You’ll Get New COVID Variant, According to Doctors — Eat This Not That
As the world continues to grapple with the novel coronavirus pandemic, doctors are warning that a new variant of the virus is on the rise. The new variant, known as B.1.1.7, is believed to be more contagious than the original strain, and is already spreading rapidly in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.
So, what can you do to protect yourself from this new variant? According to doctors, the best way to avoid getting infected is to practice good hygiene and follow social distancing guidelines. But there’s another way to reduce your risk of getting the new variant: eat this, not that.
A recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that people who ate a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains were less likely to be infected with the new variant. The researchers believe that these foods contain compounds that can help boost the immune system and make it more resistant to the virus.
So, if you want to reduce your risk of getting the new variant, make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. And, of course, don’t forget to practice good hygiene and follow social distancing guidelines.
Just as people are getting to grips with the “stealth” Omicron subvariant, two new variants have appeared on the horizon: BA.4 and BA.5. The new strains originated in South Africa, and appear to be even more transmissible than their predecessors. “It’s most likely got an advantage over BA.1 and BA.2, so BA.4 and BA.5 as well have got mutations which suggest it could evade immunity and that means previous infection and vaccines might not give that much protection against being reinfected,” says University of Otago virologist Dr Jemma Geoghegan. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
As with Omicron, vaccination and boosters will be key in fighting infection and transmission. “If you were vaccinated and had Omicron, your protection is decent, at least against severe disease,” says Alex Sigal, Ph.D, a professor at the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa. “If anybody is protected, it should be these people.”
“BA.4 and BA.5 are estimated to have originated in mid-December 2021 and early January 2022, respectively,” says Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI). “BA.4 and BA.5 are distinct from other Omicron lineages.”
Researchers at CERI have discovered that previous infection won’t prevent getting BA.4 and BA.5, but vaccination makes it less likely. “The low absolute neutralization levels for BA.4 and BA.5, particularly in the unvaccinated group, are unlikely to protect well against symptomatic infection,” CERI researchers say. “This may indicate that, based on neutralization escape, BA.4 and BA.5 have potential to result in a new infection wave.”
Experts say that so far, it doesn’t look like BA.4 and BA.5 are significantly different from previous variants. “The variant mix might change a little but there’s nothing to suggest at the moment that we’re going to get a really big new wave or even that these new variants being reported are really going to change the landscape,” says Covid-19 modeler David Welch. “Some of the variants that have been reported on recently like XE, also like BA.4 and BA.5, yes they are different, they might have slightly different behaviors, but they’re not going to be … the game changers that we’ve seen with Alpha, Delta or Omicron.”
So far, BA.4 and BA.5 are not displaying the more worrying signs of COVID-19, experts say. “I haven’t seen early symptoms of respiratory distress, the major COVID-specific symptom that makes this disease so dangerous,” says Dr. Sigal. “It doesn’t feel nice, but there’s less chance of dying. They’re not so different from what was there before. They’re not going to do a huge amount of damage even though they might do a lot of infection. When I see something completely different, that’s when it’s time to really get concerned.”
As with Omicron, vaccination and boosters will be key in fighting infection and transmission—and those unprotected are most at risk. “If you were vaccinated and had Omicron, your protection is decent, at least against severe disease,” says Alex Sigal, Ph.D, a professor at the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa. “If anybody is protected, it should be these people.”
Follow the public health fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you live—get vaccinated or boosted ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don’t travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.
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