Covid-19: Do Patients Recover Without Drugs or Vaccines? -By Ibrahim Abdulwasiu (ibwas)

Coronavirus disease 2019, shortened as COVID-19, is an illness caused by a novel coronavirus. The virus is also called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; formerly called 2019-nCoV).

The highly infectious virus comes from Coronaviridae family and is single-stranded RNA, with crown-like shape; thus, its name.

However, the recovery of patients from the pandemic becomes unclear to many as no specific drug or vaccine is available against the virus. There comes the question “Do Covid-19 patients recover without drug nor vaccine?”

Yes there is neither drug nor vaccine to cure the pandemic but recovery is possible in two ways. In medicine, the statement “no cure”, applies that there is no drug that can act/attack to inhibit or kill the microorganism directly. Therefore, it is left for the host immune system to fight the foreign organism.

According to immunologists, there are two types of immune system, which are: Innate and adaptive immune system. The innate have been found to fight numerous infections without us knowing due to the fact that it is the first line of defense against pathogenic substance. This is the main reason why our immune system needs to be maintained by abstaining from free radical generating substances and other likes.

Adaptive immune system: as it names reflects is adapted when the capacity of the pathogenic substance overcome that of the innate system.

Recovering from Covid-19:
A patient is positive when the covid-19 virus is present in his system. At that point, his body immune system starts fighting the virus and if such patient has a strong immunity and no underlying ailments “such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and others” that can become complicated during the infection, his immune system may overpower the virus just as it had been doing with many diseases without us even knowing.

If his immune system overcome the infection, the virus will be rendered harmless and finally flushed out of the body. At this point, if test is conducted, it will read negative because the viral particles cannot be seen in the body.

Thus no known cure but your natural defense system (immunity) have defeated the enemy (covid-19).

The drugs in use now are not curative directly, but help minimize the replication (multiplication) of the virus in the body. Thus the body immune system have fewer viral particles to fight.

Chloroquine inhibits the entrance of the virus into the cell in the body, while Zinc helps in stopping the replication of the virus already inside the cell. Once the virus cannot replicates, no newer viruses to attack healthy body cells. That is the rationale behind the use of drugs currently.

Other drugs in use are antiviral drugs, Antibiotics for any bacteria infection that might come up during the covid-19 infection. High dose Vitamin C to boast immunity Etc.

How can we improve our immune system?

Don’t smoke.
Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
Exercise regularly.
Maintain a healthy weight.
If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
Get adequate sleep.
Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
Try to minimize stress

Finally stay at home and safe until the pandemic pass away or vaccines are developed or the spread is broken.

Observe good personal hygiene, obey all the advice given by World Health Organization, Nigeria Centre For Disease and Control.

Ask questions and get clarification from a health personnel you trust.

Stay safe and pray for your health workers.