COVID-19 influenzaization: Maintaining “Immune Homeostasis” is the key to protection!
COVID-19 is hitting the world! Consumers around the world are preparing for coronavirus influenzaization, driving up the demand for boosting immunity!
Covid-19 has been ravaging the world since 2019, with more than 300 million confirmed cases and over 5.5 million recorded deaths worldwide. Needless to say, everyone was in search of pandemic immunity. Despite various research, the formulation of vaccines, and orders to evacuate overseas Chinese, ban flights, and close borders, it remains difficult to completely curtail the disease. There continue to be outbreaks in various parts of the world, leaving everyone worried about the surrounding sources and risks of infection if adequate caution isn’t taken. COVID-19 is not only a threat to human health but also a deterrent to economic growth. It has affected countless industries, with tens of thousands of people being laid off or forced to take unpaid leave. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasted that economic losses would exceed $22 trillion between 2020 and 2025.[1]
[1] https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-global-gdp-to-sink-by-22-trillion-over-covid-says-imf/a-56349323
The most severe outbreak of an endemic in modern history was the Spanish Flu in 1918. There were no vaccines or effective drugs back then, and the only way to reduce its impact was through various isolation measures as well as immune-enhancing nutrition.[1] However, the Spanish Flu was not completely eradicated, but seasonal Flu became common, and eventually, people were forced to learn to live with the virus. Compared with the environmental background in 1918, today’s population is denser, and the convenience of transportation allows frequent cross-border population movements, resulting in the rapid spread of viruses.
Additionally, the fast speed of mutation is a hot potato. Although every country has strived to increase vaccine coverage over the past year since the occurrence of Alpha and Delta variants in 2020, Omicron variants emerged in late 2021. It seems to be a fresh “COVID-19 become flu” situation. According to a study in Nature, the British academic journal, Omicron is twice as infectious as Delta. Although it lacks the ability to bind the TMPRSS2 protein and has relatively mild symptoms, it can spread rapidly across continents in just a few days[2], causing a great impact on people’s lives, health care, and economies if not taken seriously. Do the mild symptoms and the increase in infectivity of Omicron describe the eventual influenzaization of COVID-19?
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-876f42ae-5e44-41c0-ba2d-d6fd537aadfe
The top graph shows the global death toll of the Spanish Flu in 1918, and the bottom graph shows the global death toll of COVID-19 in 2020. They both had significant epidemic peaks, but the pandemic period of COVID-19 is longer and it still continues today.
The public has been looking for more countermeasures in the face of the changing COVID-19. Some studies have indicated that adequate and balanced functional nutrients can help defend the human body against COVID-19[1], so consumers hold a more positive attitude toward immune-enhancing nutrition in the hope that it will offer them pandemic immunity. People now embrace nutrition supplementation to strengthen their immune systems. According to a study published in the academic journal Current Developments in Nutrition, there will be a considerable increase in the proportion of demand for healthy foods in Asia, the United States, and Europe in 2020[2] (as shown in the table). Grand View Research, an American market research company, has pointed out that the overall market has increased by 16% and is expected to grow steadily until 2028, with Asia-Pacific expected to become the largest market for nutritional supplements.[3]
[1] https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202008.0611/v1
[2] https://academic.oup.com/cdn/article/5/Supplement_2/207/6293090
[3] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/dietary-supplements-market
The market for health foods has been expanding significantly, with the immune booster category being highly valued by consumers. According to a survey by Fortune Business Insight, the market size of immune health products grew by 11.6% in 2020 (about $18.22 billion).[1] New Hope Network also reported that more than half of people said they consumed these products to boost their immunity. Besides, the rise of these immune-enhancing products is even greater than that of the most popular CBD (Cannabidiol) and ketogenic products in the past few years.[2] The rage of these products among consumers shows that people are preparing for long-term pandemic prevention and are employing immune-enhancing nutrition for self-protection from COVID. However, stronger immunity is not necessarily better, and most consumers don’t actually know how to improve their immune systems.
[1] https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/immune-health-supplements-market-103319
[2] https://www.newhope.com/market-data-and-analysis/market-overview-2020-supplement-sales-shift-changing-trends-and-refocused
Fighting against COVID-19 is not just about boosting immunity! The key to defense is to have a balanced diet to achieve “Immune Homeostasis”.
The human body is very complex; not only the immune system, but the neurotransmitters and the endocrine system, also refered to as hormonal system, play vital roles. The three change with the conditions, and when they reach a relatively stable condition, the system is said to be in “immune homeostasis”. Only being immune homeostatic can consolidate immunity against the outside world. There is a saying that goes, “extremes meet.” Blindly promoting immunity may lead to an overactive immune system, triggering allergies and other problems. Similarly, when our neurotransmitters are out of balance or when we are under long-term stress, it may cause homeostatic imbalance and discomfort due to excessive secretion of adrenaline, the stress hormone. At a time when the pandemic is still unpredictable, consumers should not only look to the government and medical technology but also pay more attention to their health and consult with professionals who have the relevant knowledge to provide the necessary nutrients for different symptoms. That way, the immune system, neurotransmitters, and endocrine system can function normally and achieve “immune homeostasis” for better protection.
Yet, modern people live busy lives, and the tendency to eat out is high. Furthermore, they often eat casually, making it difficult to balance nutrition in the body, so many will choose health food as a means of supplementation. Unfortunately, most people are not professionals and cannot recognize and identify their physical conditions and nutritional deficiencies at first, so they blindly buy unsuitable health foods. In addition, most of the products still remain in the traditional dosage forms such as capsules and tablets, which will inevitably give one the feeling of swallowing pills and may cause one to tire and give up supplementation. Accurate nutritional supplements and food-like dosage forms that are based on the body’s condition are the best choices for the above problem.
Wel-Bloom Biotech launches various dosage forms such as drinks, pastes, and jellies, which are convenient for consumers to eat immediately. They are also designed to help the elderly and children with poor swallowing abilities absorb nutrition easily. That way, everyone meets their nutritional requirements with ease. In addition, we’ll work with professional staff to distinguish the users’ condition from all aspects, not only to enhance the immune system but also to help consumers reach dynamic immune homeostasis and build the foundation of pandemic prevention to cope with the changing situation of COVID-19.
Recommended supplement market trends article:
COVID-19 influenzaization: Maintaining “Immune Homeostasis” is the key to protection!- Part 2.
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Wel-Bloom Bio-Tech, experts in dietary supplement foods research and development in Taiwan