Covid-19 Series Part 5: Living The “New Normal” During The COVID-19 Pandemic

29th April 2020
By Dr Chia Boon Tat

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a wave of crisis and disruptions to the whole world. In a short span of time, it has changed the way we do things. According to many experts, this turbulent period is going to continue as the virus is here to stay [1]. As we adopt the “New Normal”, we face many challenges as we adjust to new ways of doing our daily chores.

In this article, I would like to address two specific challenges. The first is the way we manage chronic disorders and the second is the way we cope with the disruptions.

Our well being in the COVID-19 era

The COVID-19 pandemic has cruelly exposed the vulnerabilities of the elderly and patients with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure and obesity, as these are the people who have the highest risk profiles for fatalities caused by the virus. Studies are now emerging explaining how COVID-19 rampages and kills by attacking vulnerabilities in the lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys and intestine [2, 3, 4]. One key lesson is that age and chronic disorders have weakened the immune system and body organs, and death may be caused by over-reaction of an abnormal immune system destroying the weakened organs.

Even patients who are currently keeping their chronic conditions under control with medication are not spared. Although the symptoms are managed, their immune system nevertheless remains weakened and their bodies are less able to fight the infection.

For this group of people, in the “New Normal”, medication alone is not enough. They need to be vigilant and take practical and more natural steps to manage their chronic conditions and maintain a healthy immune system. The checklist of things to do is presented in the section “Surviving the New Normal” further below.

Dealing with anxieties arising in the COVID-19 era

I am sure many of us want this difficult period to go away as quickly as possible, and crave life to return to what it was before the pandemic. Unfortunately, this is not going to happen. Instead, in the “New Normal”, we are inundated with challenges which seem insurmountable: fear of falling sick, loss of income, depressing news, etc. We are anxious and working under severe stress. It is no coincidence that during this period, the number of people seeking help with mental health has increased [5]. So has the number of cases of domestic violence [6].

As we hunker down and work from home, we should not let ourselves be drowned in pessimism. Instead, think positive, manage stress, focus on solving the problems and seek help if needed. The faster we accept and embrace the “New Normal”, the better we will be able to deal with the situation on hand.

Surviving the New Normal

Here are some practical tips to make life better in the “New Normal”:

Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is a major cause of a weakened immune system [7].
Exercise. If you are not careful, staying home during the circuit breaker period may lead to prolonged inactivity which in turn adversely affects the immune system and aggravates chronic conditions.
Eat healthily. Home confinement may lead to overeating and excessive weight gain with detrimental effects on the immune system and chronic conditions. Always eat balanced meals with variety and in moderation.
Take supplements. Choose supplements to maintain the immune system and support the management of chronic conditions.
Follow the advice from our health authorities to maintain basic hygiene practices such as washing hands regularly with soap, wearing masks, practising safe distancing, staying home and avoiding crowded places.

Take heart, do the right thing and we can make it through together.

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Covid-19 Series Part 5: Living The “New Normal” During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Our well being in the COVID-19 era

Dealing with anxieties arising in the COVID-19 era

Surviving the New Normal

ProVie G and Living Logic+

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