Caved in Covid: Health is Wealth Beyond Covid’s Belt

BY CHRIST BRENSAN Z. QUIDET Secondary School Teacher II Ozamiz City National High School Ozamiz City

Trapped in homes and limited in reach, humans have evolved into cavemen for over 3 pained years under this cave called Covid-19. For years we were narrowed to the thinking that our remaining strength is solely for battling against this unseen enemy that we forget there are other diseases that we must be careful of, mobilizing ‘health is wealth’ among many aspects.

As the government has started lifting restrictions, we have been constantly lowering our guards. We were trapped into the idea that we are finally free, however, even the slightest cold can still lead to a bigger problem. Even eating unhealthy foods can damage your health.

Leave the Cave

The capabilities of Covid-19 narrowing and suffocating our health, safety and freedom is never an excuse for decreasing our alarm from other factors.

Although figures have continuously rose as of February 15, 2023 with 637 million cases in count and 6.85 million confirmed deaths since the start of the outbreak based on the World Health Organization’s report, government officials and frontliners are continuous in gearing up against it.

The pandemic is an unstable virus that changes rapidly and limits our ability to predict what will become of it next which leaves us to not give up or neglect precautions at this crucial juncture.

“Living with Covid is far from passive helplessness,” said Dr. Rajendra Yadav of WHO. It is about staying alert and getting ready. To leave the cave, it is about adopting and acquiring a risk-based approach, deciding wisely and comprehensively calibrating our tools and measures to keep surges at bay.

The Outside World All we know Covid-19 is the only present disease in the world denying that there’s more in the outside reality that what meets our eyes — like dengue.

During epidemiological week 51 of 2022, a total of 327 cases were reported by WHO on dengue. Despite the fact that it is 44 percent lower than the same period in 2021, we are still not entirely safe against its sudden rise especially now, in a rainy season.

Even simple colds led to 123, 210 flu-like cases in 2022 noted by the Department of Health, majority from Davao Region with 25, 212 followed by Northern Mindanao with 18, 174 and Central Visayas, 12, 524.

Health experts have warned the public to be way of illnesses that commonly affect people during the holiday season such as influenza, whose symptoms include fever, chills, dry cough, loss of appetite, body aches, nausea, and sneezing.

Basics for Surviving

According to Fisher-Titus Medical Center, it is essential to keep our immunity up by drinking plenty of water to stave off infection. Staying hydrated helps the body to naturally eliminate toxins and other bacteria that may cause illness.

Even though we have developed practices of wearing face masks and proper social distancing to avoid Covid, this is not enough to fight off other diseases. We are to establish our first line of defense through eating healthy foods.

Recommended, citrus fruits are good to boost our immune system to fight off any sickness. According to Healthline, leafy green vegetables are important to human diet. These vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals but low in calories offering numerous health benefits.

Not only should we be alert of Covid but also become wary in the outside world of the cave. Beyond the pandemic, there are other threats which are continuously lurking. Sustaining resiliency and measures against health threats in general can be a guarantee for us to beat these unseen enemies hand-in-hand.