Although influenza virus is known to have shorter median incubation period (the time from infection to appearance of symptoms) and a shorter serial interval (the time between successive cases), COVID-19 seems to be deadlier.
The popular practice of consuming a glass of hot milk with turmeric or a cup of spiced-tea with ginger and black pepper has long been proclaimed to be effective against the seasonal influenza virus, which, in certain ways is similar to the deadly coronavirus.īoth these viruses have similar presentations and are transmitted by contact, droplets or fomites. Indians have used a variety of herbs and spices in their daily diet that are now proclaimed to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. Natural products that are consumed daily as spices and food, therefore, can be a better choice. There is also an urgent need to focus on alternative sources that are easily available. Thus, identification of low-cost anti-inflammatory agents should be fast-tracked to dampen the cytokine storm. Mortality is often reasoned due to extreme systemic inflammation and release of cytokine storm. Immuno-compromised people with poor nutritional status or pre-existing non-communicable diseases, cardiovascular disease and diabetes are more prone to COVID-19. Combating SARS-CoV-2 by the development of a vaccine poses additional burden, especially for a poor country like India that has a huge population of over 1,300 million people. Perhaps, there is a hope to control the pandemic with our high genetic diversity, broad-based immunity and most importantly, food habits. India is supremely diverse in terms of geography, climate, ethnicity and food habits as well. Second, most Indians have broad-based immunity due to extensive vaccination against the prevalent tropical diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, etc. Thus, Indians usually possess a high diversity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, a group of related proteins responsible for regulating the immune system, and their novel alleles due to the high microbial load encountered and which results in viral fitness. Thus, polymorphism within this gene complex can be attained during the lifetime of an individual while being exposed to an array of different pathogen loads. T-cells, the soldiers that fight the invading viruses, cannot get biologically active unless presented to the pathogen along with the Human Leukocyte Antigen genes (comprises the major histocompatibility complex). Reduced T-cell activity in the peripheral blood is linked to increased progression of diseased condition, while a good response helps in speedy recovery from the virus. Studies on clinical COVID-19 patients have stressed on the importance of rapid T-cell response to keep the disease at bay. The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 continues to upend lives across the world, but its severity seems to be much less in India, where the recovery rate seems to be better than that of other countries.