‘Adequate use of Vitamin C, Zinc can aid in fighting COVID-19’ – Dr. Carpen reiterates

Cardiologist and member of the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Task Force for COVID-19, Dr. Mahendra Carpen is reminding the public that increasing your intake of Vitamin C and food rich in Vitamin C, can help to boost the immune system in the fight against the virus.

During a recent COVID-19 update with the Department of Public Information, the medical practitioner advises that “If you do not have Vitamin C tablets, then lots of local fruits have Vitamin C; oranges, lemon, limes, cherries.”

Dr. Carpen said, ‘The next thing to do is to load up on zinc. If you do not have the tablets then lots of food have zinc in them, such as meat, fish, legumes.”

However, the medical practitioner warns that, if one begins to develop symptoms including; fever, cough, shortness of breath and body aches, “it is important to seek immediate medical attention, because these are the early stages and can lead to real catastrophe if not taken seriously.”

Dr. Carpen is also advised the public to always be on the alert and to practice the COVID-19 prevention measures to safeguard their lives and those of their loved ones.

He explained that when someone gets infected, while the viral particle is present in their body, they will experience no symptoms for the first seven days.  Symptoms start after Day Seven, rises and peaks around Day 14 and then drops and disappears at Day 28.

“So in the first seven days people do not know they have an infection and if you test here with the Rapid Antibody test, you will not find anything positive and you will go away with a sense of false security that you are negative and nothing is wrong but you would have already had a viral particle that can affect your friends and family, which is why it is difficult to control this,” Dr. Carpen explained.