Nutrition and COVID-19
In July 2020, the report “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” was published. The number of people suffering from hunger has increased by 60 million to 690 million since 2015. COVID-19 is estimated to add another 132 million people. COVID-19 reinforces the economic downturn that was already there. People cannot work, lose income and access to markets, and worldwide farmers cannot sell their crops.
This makes the COVID-19 crisis not only a medical and economic crisis, but also a food crisis. Insufficient intake of sufficient and the right nutrients has a direct effect on health. Especially children who have not received enough nutrients until the age of 2 years, can stay behind throughout their lives, physically, mentally and economically. Moreover, malnutrition or a shortage of certain nutrients makes you more vulnerable to a serious viral infection.