A way to help protect ourselves from viral infection...while we're waiting

the light of 9 Adar 5780...

Beautiful sunny day - I took this earlier today - HDG

*** My suggestions below are IN ADDITION to all other advice given elsewhere. ***

While we're waiting for measures to be brought to the public around the world for the cure of coronavirus (not to mention the annual flus and the common cold), it occurred to me (a little nudge from HaShem?) that there is a way to help us along just a little, by using available sunlight. I really didn't expect it to be new, but I hadn't heard it before. Healthline explains Flu Protection from the Sun.


Also, an excellent paper from the US National Institutes of Health regarding the benefits and risks of sunlight. Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health

Some of the things that are revealed here:

• the good and the bad about ultraviolet rays (UV) and the comparison of the total global burden of their effects compared to other causes in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)
• the essentials of Vitamin D production in the human body and how it's synthesized through the skin...from UVB radiation [the same portion of UV that does harm...]
• whether sun exposure causes or protects from cancer - or both
• how limiting sun exposure too much can do even more harm, in greater numbers, especially in the higher latitudes (north of 37 N and south of 37 S), particularly regarding internal cancers such as Hodgkin's lymphoma and breast, ovarian, colon, pancreatic, prostate and other cancers. And...surprise...melanoma.
• other diseases that are possibly linked to low levels of vitamin D.

...and much more.

The article goes on to say that it is still true that skin tone and vitamin D3 content in the blood count for a lot. And since premature aging of the skin is still a problem for many, sunscreen is still recommended for those who need it.

For a lot of people, including the modestly dressed and darker-toned people, D3 supplementation goes well with catching just enough solar rays not to harm you.

The technique

However, my focus for this post is not any of the above, but helping us keep safe from viral infection — particularly and especially the kind that we can carry for a month without even knowing it!

Here is the thought that occurred to me just yesterday concerning a way to get through outings with the least risk. I'm trying it out while the weather transitions.

I realized that, assuming that sunshine is the best disinfectant, if I exposed my hands (palm side first, then the backs of the hands) and face to the sun while outside, for very short periods of time, it might help disinfect them.

The reasoning behind this is that we often touch our faces, and we often touch surfaces with our hands that others have touched. How can we cope while waiting until we get to where we're going, or back home, to wash our hands???

On the other hand, considering how long the virus remains viable on surfaces, we just don't know if or when we touched something that screams "Tagged ya!" and we just didn't hear it, so to speak.

Don't expose your hands and face to the sun for too long. Not long enough to tan (but if you're close enough to the equator, that could happen now! - this was written before spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Today the high UV index rating in Yerushalayim was 6.3.). How long is long enough depends a lot on the color of your skin, how tanned or burned you are, how easily you tan or burn, and how you maintain your skin, including sunscreen and sun-blocking clothing, in addition to the UV index rating outside. We are talking about disinfecting skin that is frequently exposed to germs and viruses while being out and about — not even about getting vitamin D, although that would also help a lot of people.

Israelis come in all colors, so "one size does not fit all"! Head coverings of all sorts are popular around here, and modest clothing is the norm in religious areas, both for men and women.

You want maximum effect on your skin and head orifices. Remember that colds and other viruses can get in through your ears and eyes as well as your nose and mouth.
 
If you have sunshine at this time of year, take advantage of it! It is not a replacement for hand washing, but it should help keep the germs down. Still, have tissues with you so that you don't have to wipe your eyes or nose with your hand, G-d forbid.

I don't know whether there is research on this method; I'm just trying to use common sense and look ahead. 


Some more notes


One thing I've learned through my research is that when the UV index rating gets to be 3 or higher, sun protection is recommended.

 Regarding the spiritual aspect: Be careful to give the Creator credit for His creations.

-Thank you, Abba, for the sun You created for our world, and for all the other things we can do until Your healing instrument becomes available; even Mashiah can be revealed during a time like this.

Whether you happen to be in quarantine or not, sunshine through closed windows also disinfects. That is, if you have access to windows on sunny days.

Note to managers of quarantined areas: Don't keep the patients, whether potential or actual, away from sources of sunlight. It might help brighten their mood and save their lives!

*** My suggestions above are IN ADDITION to all other advice given elsewhere. ***

There. I hope I've given some room and time for people to be alone with HQB"H without panicking. Just a little more to go...and Purim approaches. Who knows how the "v'nahafoch hu" ונהפוך הוא phenomenon will be manifested this year?

Kindly let me know if you tried my technique, and how it worked out, would you? Or if you thought about this on your own, I'd like to know that too. Maybe you have an even better idea!

***

More reading from my colleagues

| Coronavirus [COVID-19] Important Facts | Do Not Speak Lashon haRa | Rabbi Kessin's Words on the Virus (includes link to the video) | Situation Update in the Jewish World | Every Day We Create Our Own Judgment | What about Pesach travel? | Chief Rabbi of Tehran Forbids Fasting on Taanis Esther due to CV | The #1 Way to Protect Yourself from Plague, Disease and Other Illnesses |