Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian is a cardiologist and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University. Follow him on Twitter: @Dmozaffarian. Dan Glickman was the US Secretary of Agriculture from 1995 to 2001. Dr. Simin Nikbin Meydani is professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the authors; view more opinion articles on CNN.

(CNN) The Covid-19 coronavirus is disrupting almost every aspect of our lives in the US and across the world. As we face this daunting new challenge, it's important to assess and bring to bear every tool we have in our arsenal to reduce infections, deaths and suffering from this outbreak.

Social distancing, hand washing, and quarantine can "flatten the curve." But what role can food and nutrition play? We believe there are at least three important ways diet can help alleviate the public health crisis.

First, higher intakes of specific nutrients appear to boost the immune system , while low intakes lead to less effective immune responses and higher susceptibility to infection.

Stronger immune systems can help people fight the virus, and may help keep some patients out of the hospital, leaving room for those in most dire need. Nutrients that may help the immune response include micronutrients like zinc, selenium, iron, and vitamins A, C, D, E, B-6, and folate; with additional potentially promising effects of whole foods like goji berry, broccoli, green tea, and turmeric.

Some of these nutrients may help to reduce excess inflammation and tissue damage caused by the virus that can lead to severe lung injury and failure and even death.

Even a small decrease in risk from healthier eating could make a difference on a national scale.

With schools appropriately shutting down over the coronavirus pandemic, this critical lifeline of food is gone. At the time of writing, 124,000 US schools are closed or scheduled to close, affecting nearly 55.1 million American kids in public and private schools. Local school districts and charities are scrambling to find alternatives to get meals to kids, but the logistics are daunting. Food insecurity will be worsened by the tremendous loss of wages and jobs from shuttered businesses. We must find a way to keep those vulnerable to hunger fed for the duration of what could be a lengthy battle against this virus.

The coronavirus outbreak is a humbling reminder of the fragile state of the human condition in our world. No one solution will be enough. We will need to combine general public health strategies like hand washing, social distancing, staying home if ill or debilitated, and a national testing program available to anyone who needs it, together with effective medical care and drug treatments for those who fall ill.

But that won't be enough.

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