Rasayana Chikitsa To Build Immunity

Ankara, July 1 (IANS) Turkey has ramped up its vaccination efforts against Covid-19 by expanding the mobile healthcare vaccination teams in hopes of realising herd immunity before autumn.Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that on-site vaccination spots began to cover train and bus stations across the country, Xinhua news agency.The on-site spots previously included shopping malls, municipalities, and business centres.To achieve at least a 75 per cent vaccination rate and gain herd immunity, Turkey has launched an "aggressive vaccination campaign" for the summer months, the Hurriyet daily reported on Wednesday.According to the report, health authorities have formed more mobile vaccination teams to inoculate rural workers, vacationers, and workers in tourist attraction areas in the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts."It is a very important step in terms of ensuring herd immunity by September," Bulent Ertugrul, an expert on infectious diseases and clinical microbiology in Reyap Hospital in Istanbul, told Xinhua.So far, the number of people who received two Covid-19 vaccine doses has exceeded 15 million, and those who took the first shot has reached 49.5 million, according to the Health Ministry.The total number of vaccine doses administered in the country currently stood at 42,613,378."One out of every four people has been fully vaccinated," Koca said.The Minister also warned that the COVID-19 cases of Delta variant are on the rise in the country as the number of the infected has now increased to 244 in 26 provinces from 138 in 16 provinces last week.Turkey has so far reported a total of 5,420,156 confirmed cases and 49,687 deaths.--IANSksk/

New York, June 29 (IANS) Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the first two jabs authorised for emergency use against Covid-19 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), produce immune responses that are both strong and potentially long-lasting, finds a study.While both vaccines performed well in clinical trials, and have been widely credited with reducing disease, concerns remained over how long immunity induced by the mRNA-based shots will last.The study, led by researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis showed that nearly four months after the first dose people who received the Pfizer vaccine still had so-called germinal centers in their lymph nodes churning out immune cells directed against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.The team found that even three weeks after the first dose, all 14 participants had formed germinal centers with B cells producing antibodies that target a key SARS-CoV-2 protein. The response expanded greatly after the booster shot and then stayed high. Even 15 weeks after the first dose, eight of 10 people still had detectable germinal centers containing B cells targeting the virus."Germinal centers are the key to a persistent, protective immune response," said Ali Ellebedy, Associate Professor of pathology and immunology, of medicine and of molecular microbiology."Germinal centers are where our immune memories are formed. And the longer we have a germinal center, the stronger and more durable our immunity will be because there's a fierce selection process happening there, and only the best immune cells survive," Ellebedy added.Moreover, vaccination led to high levels of neutralising antibodies effective against three variants of the virus, including the Beta variant from South Africa that has shown some resistance to vaccines.Vaccination also induced stronger antibody responses in people who had recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to those who had never been infected. Among people without prior exposure to the virus, antibody levels rose slowly after the first dose and peaked one week after the second.Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were created with mRNA technology. Unlike most vaccines, which provide bits of viral or bacterial proteins to trigger an immune response, mRNA-based vaccines provide instructions for the body to build and release foreign proteins, such as the spike protein in the case of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.--IANSrvt/ksk/

New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) Yoga has long been known as a holistic medium to achieve health and wellbeing. The Covid-19 pandemic has further put the spotlight on the myriad benefits of yoga. On the occasion of International Day of Yoga on Monday, experts said that practising yoga can boost respiratory health and immunity post Covid. It has been observed that nearly 10 per cent of people diagnosed with Covid-19 experience prolonged symptoms, including breathing trouble, headaches, blood clots, nausea, fatigue and muscle pain which may last for weeks, months, possibly years even after recovery. Apart from a healthy diet, yoga can play an important role in the recovery process post Covid, experts said. "Yoga can help support, balance and boost the immune system and can help fight oxidative stress that poses a risk to the healthy cells. While the novel coronavirus especially attacks the respiratory system, breathing exercise or 'pranayam' can help a lot in strengthening the system if done in a correct way and under good guidance," Ismit Tyagi, Consultant Physiotherapist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurugram, told IANS. Patients who have recovered from Covid-19 can do some easy yoga movements to increase the body's capacity. "Movements like Tadasana, Chakrasana, Trikonasana, Bhujangasana and Pawanmuktasana will not only help in increasing the capacity of the lungs, but will also increase the amount of oxygenated blood in the body and transfer direct blood to the brain, due to which the body feels strong and young. Yoga also helps to maintain proper alignment of our body besides enhancing our immunity," said Chitra Kataria, Head-Rehabilitation, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi. Besides physical health, the pandemic has taken a severe toll on the mental health of people -- dealing with the deaths of loved ones, loss of jobs, being cooped up at home and uncertainty of the future. All these can result in feelings of anxiety and despair. "Yoga could be useful during the pandemic in three ways -- helping to cope with the stress by alleviating depression and anxiety, improving the respiratory system which is mainly damaged by the virus, and boosting immunity. Yoga is a great tool to help improve respiratory health and immunity, both of which are involved in the prevention and healing from Covid-19," said Tilak Suvarna, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai. While yoga and meditation are known to be beneficial for holistic health, there is no proof that they help the human body to fight coronavirus. However, studies on yoga in managing flu symptoms during an influenza season have shown promising results, the experts noted. Regular yoga practice can also help people of all ages prevent and control noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes -- a major risk factor for developing severe Covid-19 symptoms, said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. NCDs kill 41 million people globally every year, more than a third of them prematurely. "People living with NCDs are at higher risk of developing severe Covid-19 symptoms. They must continue to be provided uninterrupted access to NCD services and encouraged and enabled to take preventive action, for which yoga at home can prove beneficial and safe," Singh said. "Yoga is a powerful way for people of all ages and incomes, whatever their gender or ethnicity, to prevent and control NCDs, increase overall physical and mental health, and reduce individual and public health expenditure," she added.

Yoga not only increases range of motion, overall mobility, and boost bone health but also increases immunity in men. Here are some yoga asanas that may help. The world is going through a strange phase. A pandemic has been raging for two years, with no end in sight. Millions of people around the world are suffering from the dreaded COVID-19 virus, with many losing their battle against the disease. Social interactions have become limited as more and more people isolate themselves with the hopes of leading a safer, illness-free life. However, living in isolation does not guarantee a disease free life. Apart from COVID-19 a number of illnesses may strike an individual. At such times it is best to boost one's immune system by eating healthy, exercising and practising yogasanas. Also, Read► Yoga Poses That Can Help You Reduce Belly Fat And Get Super Sculpted Abs Dietary and lifestyle changes may help strengthen one's natural defenses and help them fight harmful pathogens, or disease-causing organisms. Yoga poses can increase range of motion, overall mobility, and boost bone health as well. According to a study by John Hopkins Medicine, yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages. Furthermore, yoga helps people who are going through an illness, recovering from surgery, or living with chronic conditions faster. Here’s looking at yoga asanas that can help men boost their immunity: Salamba Bhujangasana Wonderful for the nervous system and for combatting anxiety and depression, one has to begin by lying flat on the stomach and lifting the shoulders. Once in position, they have to extend the hands forward, bending at the elbows, and relaxing the glutes while lifting the neck. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Dhanurasana Make sure you perform this asana 4-5 hours after having your main meal. It is best to do it in the early morning. Lie on your stomach, with feet apart and in line with hips. Fold your knees, take the hands backwards and hold your ankles. Breathe in, lift your chest off the ground and pull your legs up and towards the back. Stay in position while taking deep breaths for 15-20 seconds. Shalabasana Lie flat on your stomach and stretch out your arms. Keep your knees straight and feet together. Inhale and lift your legs and arms up together. Lift your head up raising your chest off the floor as much as possible and hold for 10-15 seconds. Bakasana A bit more difficult to master, the Crow Pose will see you begin on all fours with your palms and knees on the ground. Place your elbows down aligned shoulder distance and spread your fingers and bring your knees to your triceps. Lean forward while shifting your body weight onto your triceps. Slowly lift both your feet off the ground and balance. Focus and hold position. Read More► Can major health issues be managed and cured with Yoga?