Could disinfectant treat Covid, and will dieting protect me?

QPresident Trump suggested scientists were looking into whether using disinfectants inside the body could treat corona. Anything in it?

ADuring a truly bizarre press conference, Donald Trump appeared to first suggest we could use UV light and then disinfectant on patients with coronavirus.

One possible reason he said this is that disinfectant and UV have both been shown, in lab studies, to kill the virus.

This would be useful for surfaces, hospitals and disinfecting on a mass scale.

What this does not mean is that there is any evidence it would be safe, or effective for use, on or in the human body – both are dangerous.

Most household disinfectants in this country are bleach-based or contain other chemicals that, even at diluted levels, are poisonous, and possibly fatal if ingested, let alone injected.

Likewise UV light, although used in one very controlled way for psoriasis, damages cells and causes cancer.

There is no evidence of either ever having been used to treat a respiratory infection such as Covid-19.

The virus, once it infects the human body, lives inside cells so it is fairly improbable that shining light on the body would have an effect.

Trump also said the coming of summer would kill off the disease, because the virus is destroyed by heat.

In fact, the latest evidence suggests you have to heat this coronavirus to temperatures beyond 56C to do it any damage, which kind of puts the kibosh on that theory too.

Needless to say, any attempt to raise body temperature to anything approaching this kind of level would be fatal.

QI’ve read that being overweight can make corona worse. Should I go on a diet?

AIt seems to be true that among patients with severe Covid-19 in hospitals, there are a significant number who are overweight or obese.

But it is certainly not clear whether the obesity alone is the cause of more serious symptoms. We do know diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease lead to worse outcomes and these conditions are more likely in those who are overweight. But if you are overweight, and have no other conditions, are you more at risk? We just don’t know.

QWhat can I do to boost my immune system and better protect myself from the virus?

AThe honest answer to this is not very much. Our immune system is a whole catalogue of proteins, glands and organs within the body that all function together to defend us from viruses.

The entire system works well when we are in general good health. This is why eating well, sleeping well and exercising are all important.

The less we sleep, or exercise, and the worse our diet, the more likely we are to fall ill in general. I see it all the time: when my patients neglect one of these areas, they get more infections. If your diet does lack good range, and fruit and vegetables, it can be worth supplementing it with vitamins, particularly A, D and C, as well as the minerals iron and zinc.

Stress also appears to weaken our immune system. Mindfulness, exercise and regular conversations with supportive friends will help to reduce stress and maintain a good immune system.

QHow about Vitamin D supplements? Are they going to help protect me?

AVitamin D is actually a hormone produced by the skin, in response to sunlight.

It’s very difficult to get adequate amounts in the diet – as it’s found in such low concentrations in foods.

It plays all sorts of roles in the body, from supporting bone and muscle health to being used within the immune system.

All adults are advised in the UK to take supplements through the winter months as there is not enough sunshine to make the vitamin in our skin.

During lockdown, as we are all outside much less than normal, it would also be advisable – but now it’s spring, all you need is 20 minutes in a T-shirt outside to get a daily dose.

If you can’t get out, then a supplement might still be a good idea.

But there is no evidence to suggest that if you take

Vitamin D you are less likely to suffer from the infection.