Behaviour forced by Covid banished flu
For the first time in well more than 30 years, one has gone through winter without any flu. And that’s the case with many others. I am not a medical expert but I put it down to a number of probable reasons: Covid-19 prevention measures.
No doubt, these have contributed in disrupting the spread of the flu virus too. Basic hygiene such as regularly washing our hands, wearing masks and practicing social distance have had benefits beyond mitigating the coronavirus.
In SA, as in most southern hemisphere countries, there has been no flu epidemic this winter and this has been confirmed by health authorities. Many people are steaming. A lot of people, I suspect, have resorted to using essential oils and/or other ingredients for steaming in a bid to reduce the activity of the coronavirus. I am one of them.
The other day I went to three pharmacies around my neighbourhood, Hartbeespoort, looking for eucalyptus oil, and all were out of stock! I personally have been steaming at least once a week. This might have helped reduce the activity of one or many types of the flu virus. Increased consumption of ginger and lemon
I stay not far from a farm stall and I visit it weekly. Prying, I have carefully watched people’s trolleys this past winter. Two common items I’ve seen are ginger and lemons - and these are known for their anti-flu effects. I had to bring my mom a sack full of lemons the other day because they’ve become somewhat pricey.
I suspect one popular drink this past winter was the ginger-honey-lemon tonic. I had it at least twice a week, adding a shot of fire water on days when I felt more adventurous. Alternative or herbal medication
I’m smart enough to know that prior to Africa’s cataclysmic encounter with the West, my forebears had a civilization and a way of healing or curing themselves. Yes, my own grandma used to administer umhlonyane and guava leaves to us when we were growing up. So, this past winter I had lots of umhlonyane, avocado leaves tea and some concoction of guava leaves.
MedLemon isn’t “holier” than these, it’s just better packaged and marketed. So, Christians who take MedLemon but will frown upon me taking herbs must chill.
I went through winter without flu! The lockdown forced me to relook at my diet. I can’t speak for everyone but the one thing the lockdown did for me (apart from improving my cooking skills) is that it forced me to shake off some bad diet habits. Fast foods and fizzy drinks are now extremely poor cousins to my monthly expenditure!
They have been replaced by oranges, grapefruit, naartjies, carrots, green apples, ginger, celery, tomatoes, kale, strawberries, lettuce and so on. All these have no doubt kept my immune system strong. My kitchen blender and proximity to a farm stall have come in handy too.
The daily rat race can be stressful and make us prone to flu. Stress suppresses the immune system, which makes it easier for us to get sick and harder to fight off bugs. Common cold or cold sores can pop up because the immune system can’t suppress the virus. Working from home has saved one from traffic stress and flu viruses floating around in office buildings. My conclusion is that the winter season and how we in the south nearly banished the flu virus should teach us something about behavioural change and disease control. In many instances, it is indeed in our hands.