Navigate the third wave responsibly
AS SOUTH Africa’s Covid-19 infections continue to rise in the midst of the third wave, it is important not to be complacent and reinforce self-responsibility in fighting the spread of the virus.
Dr Lashika Athmaram, a general medical practitioner with special interests in travel medicine and diabetic care, said looking at how cases have spiked over the past week, South Africans needed to take the Covid preventative measures seriously.
Cover the basics, don’t travel
“Wearing of our masks, and wearing these correctly, must be emphasised. Masks must cover your nose and your mouth. Sanitising and, of course, social distancing are still your best preventative measures. Even though we are allowed a certain amount of freedom of movement on the current lockdown levels, one has to ask oneself, do we really have to attend certain events or family functions?”
Athmaram said, at this point, South Africa was climbing the peak of the third wave.
“We should try to avoid family gatherings or events that are unnecessary such as birthday parties, for example. If you are compelled to attend an event, look at the event venue: is it an outdoor venue?
“Is the venue well ventilated? Are the people you will be socialising with likely to comply with the regulations, or will they behave in a manner that will endanger your well-being? You need to ask yourself these questions seriously before you attend any events.”
She said although we were free to travel to some extent within the country at this point, interprovincial travel should be discouraged.
“Given the distribution of cases, you definitely don’t want to be moving in and out of an area that has a high density of cases. So stay at home. Stay in your province. There’s always things to do, places to visit that you have not visited before.”
Colds and flu
With South Africa also being in the peak of winter and having experienced a bout of cold spells recently, coughs and sniffles have been doing the rounds.
Athmaram said when it comes to symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection at this time of the year, it could be confusing because there was a lot of the common cold and a bit of flu going around. These, she said, have similar symptoms to Covid-19.
“But, especially now with us being in the peak of the third wave, I think all symptoms need to be taken seriously. If you experience even minor symptoms, you should isolate immediately. Wear a mask, even if you are indoors at home and amongst your family. Confine yourself to your room until you are certain it is not Covid.
“And here you will get guidance from your doctor, who will be able to tell you whether you should go immediately for a test or whether you can wait a few days.”
She said important symptoms to look out for were extreme fatigue and body pain, loss of taste, loss of smell, and a bad sore throat.
“These are some of the common presenting symptoms, but a lot of my colleagues will tell you that Covid is unpredictable, so even minor symptoms should not be ignored.”
Athmaram said it was also time to get the basics right with eating healthily and exercising regularly.
Eat right and exercise
“Eating right and exercise is always important, apart from supplementing with pharmaceutical vitamins and immune boosters. It is still important to maintain a healthy diet. Have your fair share of fresh fruit and vegetables. These are still your best sources of vitamins. Make sure you are not eating too much processed foods. Eat healthily and try to maintain your weight within a healthy BMI.
“Exercise is important. Take regular walks or power walks if it’s safe to do so in your neighbourhood, or take a walk on the beach or improvise at home. If you have stairs or if you have a large enough yard, there are plenty of ways in which you can exercise at home. There are also a lot of online classes and workouts that you could follow.”
Work and school routines
With some children still at school until Friday and many employees also navigating workspaces or juggling remote working with time at the office, Athmaram said it was important to have routines in place for both away from home and when we get back to our houses at the end of the day.
“Companies already have Covid-19 protocols in place. Where possible, work at your own workstation and social distance at the office.
“A lot of people are working remotely, so that helps, but if you are forced to be in the office, especially at this time, make sure that your mask is on at all times, sanitise between contact with clients and keep your workspace clean and sanitised.
Athmaram said at home there should
be a routine by now.
“Everybody should have a routine set, that when you arrive, there is a sanitising station at the entrance.
“Sanitise first, take your shoes off and head straight to the bathroom. Wash your hands, take off your clothes and put them into the laundry. Shower and then start your movements around the house. Those are the basic things that we can do at this time.”
Vaccines
Athmaram encouraged people to register for the Covid-19 vaccines when their respective turn arises.
“Everyone is encouraged to register and to take it. This is the other powerful tool that we have to prevent morbidity from this disease.