What NOT to Do During Quarantine

With the cases of coronavirus increasing, words like quarantine and social distancing are on everyone’s lips these days.

I hope you’re taking these warnings seriously and are planning on avoiding public places for as long as necessary.

But most people I know make one key mistake when self-quarantining—and it could put you at an increased risk of getting sick.

Here’s what you need to know to stay safe.

Being quarantined does not mean staying indoors.

In fact, locking yourself inside all day is one of the worst things you can do for your health.

You see, sunlight is a key part of having a strong, healthy, activated immune system.

That’s because exposing your skin and eyes to the sun causes your body to produce vitamin D, which your body needs in order to activate T cells.

T cells are specialized immune system cells that seek out and destroy foreign pathogens like bacteria and viruses.

But in order to do that, they need to be activated—and you cannot activate your T cells unless you have plenty of vitamin D.

That’s why the vitamin D you get from direct sunlight has been shown to help reduce the likelihood of getting the flu—and can also decrease your risk of developing major conditions like heart disease and multiple sclerosis.

The bottom line is that vitamin D is a key component a strong, healthy immune system. And ultimately, a strong immune system is your best defense against all illnesses—coronavirus included.

So over the next few weeks, as you stay away from public places, make sure you’re spending plenty of time outside.