“BOOSTING our immune system and stay healthy in time of COVID-19 pandemic,” thus said city council’s trade and commerce chair George Goking on Friday.

He even urged businessmen in the city to support barangays health centers by giving vitamins and medicines to "support immunity" or otherwise boost the health of individual's immune system.

“This is in a bid to boost the someone’s immunity in light of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Goking.

He explained that by taking vitamins is one of the precautionary measures to increase immune system particularly the seniors against the virus.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that has long been promoted as a key player in healthy immune function, according to Goking.

Health experts said the cases for vitamin D and melatonin differ. While there is also evidence that vitamin D and melatonin may have positive effects on immune function.

However, Goking said the specific antiviral effect remains unproven.

But he said, another international analysis evaluated eight studies from five countries about children and COVID-19. 

The analysis found that 45.9 percent of children who had suffered from the severe form of Covid-19 had Vitamin D deficiency. 

It also found that children with Vitamin D deficiency were 5.5 times more susceptible to severe Covid and were thus more likely to either be admitted to the ICU or lose their lives to the pandemic.

Goking said since the Covid-19 pandemic started two years ago, over 10,000 individuals particularly frontliners in the Armed Forces, the Philippine National Police and hospitals have been benefited of free vitamins.

“From my own pocket, providing dietary supplements and vitamins helped these frontliners'  immune health increased after the emergence of COVID-19,” said Goking.

He said many people hoped that these products might provide some protection from the virus infection.

“Vitamins are needed and these are very important to maintain a strong immune system to prevent possible illness,” said Goking adding that, prevention is better than cure.

“I am calling on businessmen to help support barangay health centers by providing  medicines and vitamins as part of their social responsibility,” said Goking.

He said it is necessary for health centers, especially those in hinterland barangays, to have enough supply of medicines and vitamins as they are far from pharmacies and drugstores.

Health centers are nearest to the poor constituents, he said.

It can be recalled that problems on the supply of paracetamol were reported in the past weeks.

He said this need should be addressed with the help of businessmen. (Ben Balce)