The battle is not over
BEFORE the Covid pandemic changed our lives and gave us a new normal, many of us didn’t give a second thought to the ordinary cough, cold or even a slightly elevated temperature.
In fact, we hardly knew what our body temperature was. That was something the nurse would tell us at the clinic if we had to see a doctor.
Unless we had ailing loved ones in our care whose health needed to be monitored, few of us actually kept a thermometer at home.
People used to go to public places like malls, functions and places of worship despite the sniffles and “low grade” fever.
We carried on like normal. Some even refused to take medical leave and would show up for work.
There were those who believed that it was a better idea to exercise at the gym or the park to sweat it out. We’d sniffle and cough, and some nearby person might even say “bless you” as you sneezed away.
NEW NORMAL
Things are different now. Many of us still can’t go to the office even if we wanted to, good health notwithstanding.
The Movement Control Order (MCO) has made work-from-home a new normal.
It’s been a year since the first lockdown started. While there are those who have slowly returned to work or gone to school, there are still those who can’t.
We’re now told to stay home to stay safe. This is to decrease our chances and exposure to the dreaded Covid-19 virus.
We’re told to observe the standard operating procedures (SOP) of wearing a mask, keeping a social distance in public places and regularly washing hands with soap and water.
Using hand sanitiser with at least 60 per cent alcohol content when soap and water are not easily available is now a normal practice.
Most of us would carry a little bottle of that wherever we go.
Our body temperature would be taken at entry points of all buildings, restaurants and shops. If your temperature happened to be above normal, you’d be refused entry.
People who don’t have a mask are also refused entry, or asked to purchase one before being allowed in. Some buildings have vending machines that sell packs of mask and hand sanitisers to solve this problem.
Prevention is always better than cure because the most frightening part of being infected by this coronavirus is that there’s no cure.
All we can do is to mitigate the circumstances and do damage control. For certain groups of people, getting the flu can be a death sentence, no matter the type and definitely if it were Covid-19.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES
While most flu can be managed at home, those infected with Covid-19 will be hospitalised and get a different treatment.
However, if you’ve got the flu that’s not Covid-19, you should take care of yourself or the loved one in your care.
Make rest a priority. Close one eye to heavy housework, if possible. Keep yourself or your loved one away from others to keep from spreading the flu around. Cancel all plans and just stay home.
If it’s just the common cold, you can take some over-the-counter medication to ease the discomfort.
However, if you have all the flu symptoms of fever, chills, achy bones, fatigue and high fever, get in touch with your doctor as soon as possible.
The doctor may be able to give you an antiviral medication that can ease your symptoms and shorten your illness.
Don’t bug your doctor for antibiotics to make you feel better. Antibiotics only kill bacteria. Flu is caused by viruses. So taking antibiotics for flu is unnecessary unless there’s a secondary infection to your upper respiratory tract.
By taking antibiotics when it’s not indicated, you raise your chances to antibiotic resistance. This means that the antibiotics will no longer work for you in the future when you really need it because the bacteria in your body have gotten used to that drug.
When you have the flu, keep your fluids intake up even when it’s really difficult to swallow because your throat is swollen.
Small sips of water, broth and anything nourishing will help ease the symptoms and give you energy. It’d also help to dilute the phlegm, making it easier to clear the lungs and nasal passages.
Keep an eye on children and the elderly who refuse to drink. This can cause dehydration. You may need to take them to the doctor.
While you rest and let your body fight the germs, do yourself a big favour by managing your stress level.
Stay calm because stress can exacerbate your symptoms by increasing inflammation and clogging up your stuffy nose.
Whatever you do, stay away from smoking, secondary smoke and any form of vape.
Focus on getting better and you may bounce back to good health sooner.
The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.