COVID-19 cases all over have plunged the world into deep condolence of the demise of our loved ones. Every day we hear about the rise in cases and casualties. The importance of age-old Indian customs such as doing a “namaskar/namaste” (an archaic Indian practice of non-contact based greeting) instead of a handshake, maintaining distance, regular yoga, meditative practices, intake of Vitamin D, washing our hands and legs when coming from (Organization, 2020) outside, Ayurvedic and organic diet have gained importance.
Ezekiel Emanuel said that “Childhood vaccines are one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. Indeed, parents whose children are vaccinated no longer have to worry about their child’s death or disability from whooping cough, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis, or a host of other infections.” The earlier the vaccine is taken, the more relief the person can get. Various strategies and experiments are tested to find an immunity booster to fighting against the coronavirus.
This article tries to explain the Psychoneuro Immunity system in the body and the relationship between Covid-19 and the importance of vaccination. A new approach to curing and preventing health diseases in the human body from the brain to the immune system. We all have been taught that the nervous system coordinates behavior and transmits signals to different parts of the body, with the approach of the nervous system mediating the regulation of the immunity and the immune system-mediated regulation of nervous system function by producing various immune cells.
We have heard about HIV and AIDS, but most of us fail to understand the facts and consequences of these diseases. Research says that every human body has cancer cells. Still, the immune system fights against those and kills the cells, preventing them from growing and simulating the particular antibodies accordingly. Due to a lot of mental illness, stress, panic disorder, social anxiety, emotional disorder, depression, and overthinking, we imbalance our system, which will affect the nervous and immune system to function correctly.
With the symptoms of any antibodies detected in the human body, the virus would be detectable on an average of 0-4 days. Post that, the immune system produces the early antibodies (IgM) in an average of 4-5 days and tries to eliminate the virus. If not, the immune system also generates late antibodies (IgG). The immune response to any viral infections would lead to innate immune response cells to secrete interferons and other chemicals (cytokine) which interfere with virus replication. The infection can be stopped at this stage. If the infection is triggered again, the adaptive immune response to the specific infection will start after 6-8 days, involving two types of white blood cells (T-Cells & B -Cells).
More in terms of the second stage of secreting the T-cells (cellular response) & B cells (antibody response). The T-cells recognize cells infected with a specific virus and rapidly replicate the immune response. E.g. of SARS-Cov-2, the two different cells: T cells are responsible for the functions:
1. CD8 cells kill the ARS-Cov-2 infected cells, thereby killing the virus.
2. CD4 Cells stimulate the B cells. Further, the B-cells secrete the antibody (Abs) specific to the virus.
IgM antibodies are produced first and then disappear after a few weeks. IgG antibodies are produced a couple of days later and can remain for months and years. The effectiveness of the antibody response depends on the quality of the Abs to stop the virus from entering cells and multiplying, the amount of Abs being produced, the duration of Abs persisting in the body, and the antigen stability of the virus mutate over time. The viral proteins (antigens) to which the antibodies bind and may become unrecognizable.
“Vaccines save lives; fear endangers them.” It’s simple message parents keep on hearing, rightly said by Jeffrey Kluger. The current pandemic has changed people’s thinking process, way of action, and the importance of human values. We understand the importance of the Covid-19 vaccine to empower & enrich our immunity system and thereby diluting the virus in the body. The process may take time, may or may not function the same to all, but handling the situation without disturbing our nervous & immune system is very important.
The clinical manifestations linked to Covid-19 describe the most common symptoms with fever, dry cough, tiredness, and the lesser-known symptoms being headache, red or irritated eyes, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, aches, pains, and diarrhea. Approximately 1 in 5 people become very ill and develop severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, or loss of speech and movement.
Tips for positive mental health during COVID-19 are:
- Positive thinking
- Regular Exercise
- Balanced Diet
- Mindful Exercise
- Online Socialization
- Taking a minimalistic approach towards the routine
*This article was written under the mentorship of Dr. K. Jayasankara Reddy
Reference:
Organization, W. H. (2020, February). WHO. From https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/risk-comms-updates/update52_vaccines.pdf?sfvrsn=b11be994_4
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