Which is more dangerous...

...the virus or the conditions which give it more power over your body? Keep this question in mind.

Even if you haven't been following the news you know that the focus has been on COVID-19, the virus behind this coronavirus pandemic. Underlying conditions has been a recurring theme. It seems to have faded into the background. Focus has been turned to the numbers. Underlying conditions are medical conditions or states of dis-ease in the body which cause people who have them to be even more vulnerable to the havoc that COVID-19  wreaks on their bodies. The list of underlying conditions is rather lengthy, so I'll only mention a few including:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Autoimmune diseases
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 

I would add stress to this list because it affects how your body responds to all of the above. The first three are rampant among people of color. Fortunately, the first three of these conditions can be controlled. Type 2 diabetes specifically is known as a lifestyle disease. In other words, it can be prevented and in some cases even reversed. Strangely enough, its occurrence in the body opens the door for the conditions listed below it.

Researchers may not yet know everything about the virus, but they do know how to fight some of the underlying conditions. It has been well documented over the years, but we humans like to take the path of least resistance. Sadly, the masses have turned to social media rumors as their source of health information. Do I blame them? Not really. It's the path of least resistance. I too started off on the path of least resistance. Already armed with the information to put myself in a better position, I initially requested to bet given a pill.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for me to change my mind. Now, decades later I am reaping the benefits of my decision. Some of those benefits include healthy blood sugar levels, low cholesterol and blood pressure within normal limits. It's not too late for most of us who still have life. The power is in your hands.

I have so much more to tell you, but I'll save it for another time. The virus is a big deal and yes, it is important. But one way you can give yourself a head start is to lower -and in some cases negate your vulnerability to underlying conditions.

So again I ask...
...Which is more dangerous -the virus or the underlying conditions?