Benefits Of Spending Time In the Sun! and Does it Help Against Viral Infections such as COVID-19?

“Sunshine, on my shoulder, makes me happy” Right you are John Denver!

There are so many benefits to spending time in the sun, year round. During this pandemic humanity is experiencing, we are all putting in extra efforts to keep as safe and healthy as we can. Can the sunshine improve health? What effect might the sunlight have on Coronavirus and the new disease it has caused - COVID-19 - if any? How will the increasing temperature affect this infectious disease? Vitamin D deficiency has become extremely common, does the sunshine actually improve this? Read on to gain helpful knowledge, information and to answer these questions regarding sunshine and the role it plays in our health during this especially health conscious time.

When a person’s skin is exposed to the sun, it makes vitamin D. The sun’s ultraviolet B, or UVB, rays hit the cholesterol that is in skin cells, providing the energy necessary for vitamin D synthesis to occur.

Vitamin D plays various roles in the body and is essential for optimal health.

Vitamin D has an influence on the innate(natural) and adaptive(learned) immune responses. Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with an increased susceptibility to infection. (COVID-19 is an infectious disease).

Cell culture experiments support the idea that vitamin D indeed has antiviral effects, specifically against enveloped bacteria, such as COVID-19.

Separate from vitamin D production, the sun energizes the body’s T cells (key immune cells), activating them by increasing their movement. Therefore, improving immune system function.

How will the humidity and rising temperature affect COVID-19 and opportunity to spend time in the sun?

COVID-19 is still very new to scientists and researchers. The effect of warmer weather on it won’t be certain until the weather has actually been warm for long enough to observe this virus’ response. However, viruses in general tend to slow down when the temperature increases. This is because ..... quick FYI insert, viral infections are spread from person to person especially infected droplets that leave a person during a cough or sneeze and land either directly on another person or onto a surface that another person will come into contact with ..... droplets are better at staying afloat (in the air) when the air is dry and cold. Whereas when the air is humid and warm, droplets fall to the ground more quickly making transmission more difficult.

Warmer weather makes it tempting and much easier to get out in the sunshine. As far as available information provided, warm weather will only make it simpler and safer to get out and expose oneself to the sunshine, Wearing sun protective gear will help you stay longer hours in the sun ensuring adequate intake of vitamin D while staying safe against the sun UVA and UVB radiation.

To begin with a song and to end with a song, “The sun’ll come out tomorrow so ya gotta hang on til tomorrow, come what may tomorrow, tomorrow! I love ya tomorrow!” Annie is as right as John Denver was. Whatever storms we face today, the sun will come out tomorrow. So rest, soak up the sunlight, stay safe, healthy, positive & shine bright!

https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_H...

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC33086...