Lifestyle, Immunity and COVID-19: An Amalgamation of Modern Science and A _yurvedic Perspective

Abstract

Since 2019 the entire world is facing a crisis named as Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19). Within a short amount of time this disease which started from a small place in China has transformed into a pandemic and claimed millions of lives worldwide. India has witnessed the first and second wave of this infection with numerous variants of COVID-19, and an upsurge in infectivity rates and mortality rates. COVID-19 is a pernicious infection caused by a recent variant of Coronavirus. There are several research studies that have been carried out to understand it’s aetiology, pathophysiology, prevention and treatment strategies. As per the ancient Indian wisdom- “Prevention is better than Cure.” Any kind of infection can be prevented by taking necessary precautions and preventive measures against exposure to suspected environment and pathogen. A strengthened immune system further is able to fight and curb the disease even if there is exposure to the virus or any other pathogen. Significant data is available to support the need and importance of lifestyle modifications, particularly as mentioned in _ Ayurvedic and Yogic scriptures for immunity boosting in all age groups. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive, holistic and easy understanding of practical lifestyle modifications that can boost an individual’s immunity and help mitigate infectious diseases like COVID-19.