A little girl đ§đŒ held her fatherâs hand while they waited for the Covid-19 results. âIâm Fully vaccinatedâ he said.
Negative (sigh of relief)
Health centers have makeshift testing areas
âWhat if the vaccine helps only a few? Which vaccine? What about blood clots?â These are the questions from a group of worried chronic health sufferers. Then there are those breakthrough cases. There is no full proof answer, because we simply DONâT KNOW enough. There, I said it.
âBeing forced to vaccinate violates my human rightsâ says an anti-vaccine midlife adult. And then there is the âselective populationâ vaccination⊠it almost sounds like a biblical reference.
The voice of denial has roots in fear âŠof the unknown
Being familiar with âtrustâ issues related to the Public Health Service (former name for CDC) this article resonated about the loss of a African American couple from Tuskegee, Alabama. Keep your masks đ· on in public, and keep your distance please! A third âbooster doseâ is on the way, much to our dismay.
Many people keep the distance in less crowded areas (unfortunately not everyone does!)
A recent BBC article about UK experimenting with air filtered schools included is the use of ultraviolet rays to kill airborne viruses (remember âheliotherapyâ?) đŠ Plus, if your child tests positive the general guidelines are found on CDC and other sites
The World đ Health Organization (WHO) has some great tips including the 3Csto avoid â 1. Crowded spaces, 2. Close contact settings where people have close conversations with each other; 3. Confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation
I also liked this simple video with infographics as itâs easy for teens through older adults to understand by MedVizz
How long does coronavirus last inside the body?
More importantly in this âRussian rouletteâ of disease symptomatology we need to always remember whatâs important !
I recently went to a âclosedâ Fall fashion show with a handful of people wearing our masks for a local fundraiser for poor families. It was also an opportunity for the designer to sell some of her work and for us in our way to support the art\design workers.
After our brief discussion, I realized how hard it is for both designers and fashion models to be making money during lockdowns and the whole coronavirus craziness ….. I can only imagine from what friends tell me and write about is happening in Milano, Italy and in New York City — complete tragedy for this industry .
Despite the fact of being sensitive to animal rights, by unneeded abuse, I can respect science and respect historical traditions that relate to the use of mink for keeping warm, particularly in those very cold northern climates. Notice â keep warm â because truth be told the use of artificial fur is even worse in terms of air toxins from production factories. What many people do not know is that the dander left over from this plastic stuff (really what fake fur is) can lead to allergies and more serious pulmonary conditions due to breathing in all that crap…does not make “faux fur” so great does it? But we love those animal prints as if an archetypal need for the “hunt” (fashionistas beware).
After a long discussion with the designer whose family history of using leather and mink, I respected what she said truly tried to listen, my own biases aside. Active and empathetic listening is a skill, while understanding peoples “needs” and how to work with them, is yet something else. She was saying that the newest designs gravitate towards more leather and less mink, but stated that even though the latter is on a downward spiral of popularity, mink coats are still considered a “status symbol.” Interesting. Personally, I wouldnât attack someone by throwing red paint on their coat or belittling them â done by animal activists. However, I would discuss with fur owners why they need so many different coats (often in every color)? đ§ Good leather wears better, and shows like Sex in the Citywhich aired their last episode in 2004 made Italian leather shoes ever so popular (and yes, there were fur coats). So why should everyone feel guilty about preferring leather shoes and bags over plastic or ‘vegetable’ shoes (completely uncomfortable and they fall apart easily so then you have to buy more shoes….. counter productive) â one’s excess âneedâ to buy so many yet another story. Some of us had grandparents and distant relatives who lived off the land, hunting game (mainly rabbits, ducks, deer) for food for their family. We need to respect that. How, and why? In essence all of the animal is used for both food and shelter, home furniture, and even fashion, since caveman days. Little seems changed there. However, the over-consumerism in our days, is another story.
Back to those cute little furry ferret-family minks. The recent coronavirus outbreak đ· story in the Netherlands forcing 100 Dutch farms to shut down, as the government is killing (culling) millions — because the workers didnât wear protective gear (?!) and now those cute little fur balls have our illness …. humans destroy again! However this issue of the “Killing of the mink industry” has been happening since last June (see story) since due to lock-downs most people no longer buy this ‘luxury’ item. Perhaps mink farms in Northern Greece will follow suit, as positive Covid cases and fear of more keep spreading. Those poor things now suffer from pulmonary problems due to coronavirus…. so they say? Would it be an opportunity to try those new vaccines? Mink news and ethics? Hmmm.
Rabbit vs. mink or not at all? Some people eat the meat and simply use the leather and fur you know?
Some of us had grandparents and distant relatives who lived off the land, hunting game (mainly rabbits, ducks, deer) for food for their family. We need to respect that. How, and why? In essence all of the animal is used for both food and shelter, home furniture, and even fashion, since caveman days. Little seems changed there. However, the over-consumerism in our days, is another story.
Create out of boredom — Lockdown may not be the âintrovertâs paradiseâ as once thought according to a recent MIT technology review. Since librarians tend to be more introverted, they actually took the time to put all these books in order … wow, thatâs crazy !
Transform our lives â Some think itâs crazy to âliveâ more from our internet connections than be “in touch” with the real world. A lot can be said about this… it seems the Matrix is becoming a closer reality. Scary. Several articles are written about how things will be “different” and how we need to transform our thinking (see April VOXarticle featured in Apple News). Though I did like the idea of change in the context of young people building resilience by building educational partners, presented by Harvard Professor Gil Noam who represents the PEAR Institute.
Dreams â It was just a dream. I thought I was losing my mind when I was holding and reading an upside down newspaper written in hieroglyphics, while all these cars were leaving a parking lot quicker than I could count to ten. It is as if Walmart or Public were having a sell-out. I woke up realizing that this was a lucid dream and it is not unlike what people have been reporting they experience due to Covid19 (see National Geographicarticle)
Health illiteracy â I realize how much people follow their leader but to the point of over 100 people calling in a hotline in Maryland (US) asking for the medicine that Trump prescribed? That is absolutely nuts, …see article in Business Insider. Definitely shows how health illiterate and outright dangerous people can be. Guess what people ? Theyâve cut the chloroquine studies short due to safety concerns so please don’t go there!
Funny dances in home. I mimicked something from this Fortnite character called “Deadpool”. Well at least Fortnite is trying to promote physical activity! or how about doing a line dance or better yet a “line” dance as you are on hold for those 30 minutes waiting to get your order in… the experience can be exhausting and then when it arrives the quality is questionable….
Business and socializing â two sides of the coin. It turns out that constant online work is exhausting . However if you space things right youâll be less crazy and more happy as itâs a âcopingâ tool. I had TWO online friend meetings in one day. Coffee âïž by day and Champagne đŸ by night! Hey it might be one of my only Friday eves I actually âfoundâ time. Yes we know our brain is tired from those little screens …. use Zoom to your benefit! We had a friendâs meeting with champagne or wine in our favorite crystal glasses. Time zone difference did not matter. One friend was baking her awesome cookies while another celebrated her teen sonâs birthday (mind you he was having another party with his friends on-line Iâm the room next door). Then there are those ZOOM parties and how to host them…..
ZOOM Trivia, crazy stuff!
Like tulips in the Springtime…. FLOWERBAR in Alimos
Caution Caution no health literacy alert! Be careful what you drink….
No Trump Cocktail for me …thank you
âOh weâre never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy â… lyrics of SEAL âCrazyâ hit me every day as we are almost at almost 2 months of lockdown. Some crazy đ tips to help your days …like we did and still more to come . Oh yeah my fish âTikoâ has a new bodyguard in the form of a nutty bird …
In all seriousness now. It is almost two months later in Lockdown. We are doing our best despite the long-term economic âslapsâ we have been given, especially by the EU! This latest Bloombergarticle talks about the âhumbled Greeksâ teaching the world about lockdown and Covid19. OR is it a bit of âlearned helplessnessâ? Despite constant âpunchesâ resilience building dictates that for us to survive we need to have health literacy!
The countryâs HLS-EU data dictates that half of the people are considered health literate though there are declines in the over 50 years old groups and those less educated groups (no surprise). Thus why reading about aging and caretaking can take it’s toll….. check out the book chapter in the International Handbook of Health Literacy!
AntigoneD with “Cousteau”… her hair even matches with the flowers đș, crazy!
LOVE THOSE PETS, The flowers, the hair! I am in with the creative genius Antigone D… thinking of some good stuff to share with you in the near future…
One month in quarantine. There is light at the end of the tunnel with the Covid19 insanity and seemingly as some experts say there are some medications in the works (see Voxpost). There are many side effects with some people, and individual differences with treatment (I do not want to talk vaccine as the nature of this disease transforming into subtypes is very concerning), and confusion of symptoms see blog post by Paleohacks.
Until then itâs important to keep up with keeping healthy in these seemingly âdarkâ hours, remember to follow the rainbow after the storm. Keep building immunity, walk daily at least 20 minutes in your home (loved this 15 minute video), on sunlit days at a distance, in your neighborhood away from that screen! With or without your pet or kids. Slow or fast, just keep it up!
You can see, learn, and run into amazing nature! Even people you know !
I am running-walking more despite the fact I have more online work staying up later, as we all lose our patience, gaining a few pounds /kilos! As each year we picked our chamomile â that wonder herb that can be even used as an antiseptic eye compress (see Spring pickings). This time closer to home as all are cleaner due to less traffic! Itâs amazing to see how nature should be. We all need to do immunity building and social (physical) distancing.
A Poppy for your thoughts…
Sunlight makes our world function as it is important for plant photosynthesis, it increases our melatonin (the brain hormone Serotonin goes up and is important for mood and sleep), increasing doses of vitamin D for better health! Those of us who suffer from seasonal affective disorder understand this well. Some who do get enough light may need special lamps in darker winter months. And as experts recommend itâs the âblue lightâ that matters in light therapy.
Do you also know that sunlight disinfects? It is a Greek term called heliotherapy so itâs a good idea to hang out your clothes (even your shoes sole side up), sleep blankets, comforters, and pillows for a natural âbug killerâ. My good ER doctor friend in the frontlines (đwe pray for her!) and also has her own site healthyselfhealthyworld, uses it for her gear as we know those are sometimes scarce and it can be a risk.
I find myself doing leg exercises as Iâm on hold for a half hour or more for calls or online purchases â it doesnât work people, and no I cannot wait for one week for supermarket orders ! So take the risk with your âgearâ (mask and gloves, antiseptic!) …. in the evening listen to immune building music đ” as it seems to work for many and that light from your candle can be a great source of inner peace and a âheavenly placeâ to pray or meditate.
Find your inner peace
These two weeks millions around the globe celebrate(d) Easter (Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox one week apart). As Jesus once said âI am the Light of the Worldâ at no other time have we needed our faith â regardless of oneâs religion â as prayer and meditation are beneficial to the brain and the development of neural synapses and emotional stability and expression.
Absolutely loved my friend Isabelleâs photo inside her apartment in Austria for Easter! It reminds me how city living especially needs strategic placement of real or artificial light.
One blogger talked about her experience in quarantine with a view of the NYC Empire building lit up red to symbolize the heartbeat đ of the city and keep people going in this Covid19 pandemic (BeautybeyondbonesEaster post for 2020 on NYCâs Beating Heart).
Keep writing my friends to spread that light to the world.
Who would have thought the post about the outbreak of Coronavirus last January would have quickly lead to our social distancing and obsessive cleaning, and toilet paper hoarding. Our sense of trying to make sense of economic disaster, among other conspiracy theories, are all seemingly science fiction now come to life and talk of an Orwellian â1984â. All because of microscopic Coronavirus CoVID-19. And this my friends is NO JOKE.
March was national month in the U.S. for Colorectal Cancer, Kidney Disease, Nutrition, and Tuberculosis, and on the mental health side, awareness for self-harm. In the U.K. this was the month for Ovarian and Prostate Cancer. And internationally, March was Red Cross Month… a critical need at this point in time. Around the world we are seeing short-staffed, overworked healthcare workers, hospitals, and we wonder what about us? Can we follow the rainbow, as we continue to build on building health literacy about disease, pandemics, and help people reduce complications to disease through health education such as continued ‘smoke free’ efforts?
Starting last March to the beginning of this year I was working with a past dental student to educate 5th and 6th graders about not starting to smoke, becoming smoke-free communities, appropriately talking about health benefits including healthy teeth (April is Oral Health month). This year it will be very different, as we will offer a similar lecture via e-learning.
On the bright side, it has given me the opportunity to tie-in the COVID-19 issue with people quitting now, for healthier outcomes. I am giving a lecture “Are you Ready to Quit?” to a group of over 50 participants, and I could not possibly find so many participants to ‘make time’ under normal living situations…sad but true. That little critter ‘corona’ virus has made us slow down….. so much so that we will all be at least 3 kilos overweight this summer for lack of exercise (even walking)!
Last March 2019 in a grammar school
So now for my opportunity to educate you about increasing your Omega-3s with some good fish (not just vitamins) as that Nordic favorite, Bacalao. Love that vowel-filled word “bakalao” (Bakaliaro – ÎŒÏαÎșαλÎčÎŹÏÎż in Greek) a salt-preserved fish. Now that we are all on lock-down, we are going in for those freezer reserves.. we pulled our salted friend from the freezer and de-salted it by emerging it into water overnight, just in time for the traditional meal for Independence Day in Greece March 25th. Baked in a “plaki” style dish [Recipe sample] or fried with a milky type dough [Argyro’s recipe], are great for Bacalao… but of course be mindful of any food allergies you have.
This year we added some extra spices in preparation including cayenne pepper, paprika, wild oregano (antiseptic qualities fight disease!)
Last year we were free of disease, and posted about free-floating flags and community health as signs of âallegianceâ which is good and needed to survive in times of crisis. Living it now with COVID-19, a semi-unknown âenemyâ. Little Coronavirus or COVID-19 caused a âbutterfly effectâ where we are forced to STOP and take a good look at ourselves, and for some of us plunge into our fundamental Maslow-type need for basic necessities. An article on what would Freud say about our hoarding of toilet paper in The New Yorker is priceless.
Two sides of a coin?
Sure we are all losing money, but think, some are making money (OK you can start on the conspiracy theories and the pharmaceutical industry!).
Too much screen time and kids in the house gaming all day. Also an opportunity to try something new, even something old like play cards or checkers, keep your distance.
Be vigilant about cleaning and leaving our shoes at the door. But also an opportunity to âgather withinâ and DO your Spring cleaning or go a bit beyond Spring cleaning….
Worries about having enough, but what about Less is more ? You can finally clean out all the food from your cabinets and freezers to make space for more. And if a neighbor doesnât have spaghetti how about lending a hand? oh yes. And learning a new recipe online !
âI have nothing to doâ, really ? All this off- or online stuff just makes for a brief adjustment. Maybe we all NEED to slow down. Busy streets are silent and we can actually hear the birds and see more fish đ in non-murky waters now.
Take care of your plants. Try talking to your plants, walking up and down your balcony or a quick jog around the house …. note: if your plants talk back to you, then it is time to call in that mental health hotline!
Those poor pets are exhausted during lockdown…. dear Sylvie here had her daily fill of walking, sheâs not even my dog! All animals teach us that they love unconditionally. She does not care if we pet her WITH or without our gloves …and yes it is important during this time to at least walk in open spaces at least 2 meters away (about 6.5 feet) for 30 minutes at least 4 times a week on good days (for many of us living in lockdown, SMS is required).
You will always be free, a temporary situation will not take that away. Most people get angry because they are inconvenienced or stuck in old patterns of thinking. They are impatient. Maybe itâs time to LEARN to adjust to change. Try Participating in Zoom or TEAMS e-platforms. On the other hand, get away from the screen and read some poetry about those little things that matter.
Your loved ones will make it through and better care for themselves during this time. So, you wonât be in perfect shape this summer or maybe you will with strengthening exercises like yoga and meditation. Self-care is vital and this includes getting support!
Take care of our personal health, as our governments try to adjust to constantly changing data, and the unknown. Enjoy that wine or beer in moderation (Mind the Cup!). Why not have it be a Corona a great Mexican beer as we donât want them losing business! Do we?
At no other time have we needed to âbear the stormâ to take a good look at ourselves and see the tragedy of the Global connectedness of the COVID-19 and the possibilities for a new way of thinking. It even came out in my cards (Qcards that is).
Somewhere over the rainbow as sung by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz is timeless ….a dreamer is always that. At a cognitive level having a strong imagination makes for a healthy mind if one keeps it âsharp enoughâ.
Thus why we need to exercise our body and mind. In times of stress we all need to find creative outlets to keep us far away from negativity of âdarknessesâ whether these are bad eating habits, bad relationships, or bad community energy. Especially now! I enjoy this video and audio from Riya Sokol who âthanksâ the Coronavirus (See link).
We need humor and support, meditation and prayer for mental health, need to eat all the colors of the nutritional rainbow (or take great quality supplements like vitamin C, D, E, or Omega -3 like Nutrilitebrand) if we want to stay healthy.
Many crave sweets đ and some of this is emotional eating …. the latest CNN news brief got into what to do about craving carbs? Remember the power of those chestnuts đ° or those little kumquats? Itâs fine to eat some chocolate or ice cream but we need to keep to the balance with available healthy foods or even vitamins. As a matter of fact building up our immune system is vital in preventing flu or other communicable disease. Especially in times of stress!
Before the âstay homeâ times on a cloudy rainy day a rainbow đ popped up…and stayed there for a good 15 minutes. Even when I encountered the negative messages or red graffiti writing of âhateâ ÎŒÎŻÏÎżÏ (misos) in Greek. It is time to reflect and to change both personally and globally. To take personal and community responsibility. Itâs easy to get lost in all the negative energy but you need to be a transformer. You can learn to take action against the negative energy and take on some positive cause and be like the beautiful rose of winter. Yes we have a lot to do and we MUST support our medical and public health infrastructure. I see this as an opportunity to:
Be creative â Play music for your neighbors or sing đ¶. All those great old songs by the Italians on their balconies are such a gift of strength and inspiration. Try to learn a new recipe and look at the food supply you already have as itâs not so easy to rush out to the supermarket! Draw in one of those destress books. New games with the kids â we started board games again! Learn about your family history. Sew again, make some masks for the health workers (see Forbes article) knit that sweater…. on your balcony for some extra sun and vitamin D! Understand social distancing â it does not mean isolation. Itâs been reported that introverts are being more active by necessity via e-platforms and extroverts are learning to focus more within. Stars are helping spread the stay home đĄ motto thank you!
Increase health literacy â for your skills building for nutrition, self-care, home cleaning (see SELF article, and Spring cleaning and Kondoâs method), and community health. We already have with videos on Coronavirus especially on how disease spreads and to not overburden the public infrastructure. I especially like this one Coronavirus explained.
Be less selfish â at the supermarket (do you really need more than 3 sets of toilet paper? why not use less to begin with ?!). Do we really need to pollute so much ? The noise reduction and emissions from cars and trucks have gone down so much people are seeing clear skies, fish đ, hearing the birds singing! Folks the earth đ CAN survive without us but can you survive without her?
As Dolly Parton in her southern belle matter-of-fact voice once said
These are tough weeks worldwide with COVID-19 rising death tolls as all market sectors are affected. An unlucky Friday the 13th as several Forbes articles are predicting a range of problems from technology to delays in college applications.
Health messages can be very powerful if they come from well-known sports figures, local and international movie stars. We need this on a daily basis if we are to motivate change in stopping the transmission of viruses like the Coronavirus, also known as CoVID-19. ife Rita Wilson who have contracted social stigma (reminds many of the first years of HIV in the 80s and 90s).
Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas did a brilliant for public service announcement for the Hellenic (Greek) Ministry of Health with the directive to âsing Happy Birthday to Youâ 2 times as you wash your hands! Besides being an Orlando Bloom look-alike, talented sportsman, he has a great career as a public health communicator! Go Stefanos! Many efforts are made to increase awareness of how the disease can affect all sectors and e-learning may help curb the issue at least from school – college.
Recent cartoons help âspreadâ the word
Local stars in Greece like Sakis Rouvas who are promoting the âStay Homeâ for 2 weeks movement. We say that as long as stars âpractice what they preachâ they can reach millions much more than any politician …though the current Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is doing a very good job with communicating risk. In times of critical incidents how political figures and governments âhandleâ situations either builds or breaks trust. Mr. Mitsotakis youâre doing a good job with tough historical issues â one side the migrant crisis and hybrid war and on the other the virus đŠ and the economic recovery, Bravo đ!
Speaking of inspiration and stars âïž here is an open-air âcafeâ moment, before the âlock-downâ, with my friend Antigone D. who creates amazing Electronica music ranging from epic classics to 80s 90s with the magic of her keyboardâŠ. Check out her single âElectro Infinityâ from the album Next Generation on YouTube.
Best to keep our distance and no excess show of affection like kisses đ and handshakes đ€ which were a historical âgivenâ in almost all Mediterranean cultures. But as a more recent Guardian article seems to suggest, we are evolving our social etiquette from handshakes, to using elbows and footshakes, during this critical time.
Hands off we say with Antigone D.!
âItâs over now the music of the night…â đ¶ as is sung by the Phantom in one of my favorite plays The Phantom of the Opera ….or is it!? Yes, bars and restaurants will close for 2 weeks to promote the âStay Homeâ đ Movement for prevention. But we can still be smart and enjoy shows via video and livestream to eventually close the chapter of another Deadly vires.
Be smart and be patient friends, social distancing is âinâ!
Get the facts stored in your head right! These days of constant misinformation you need to get trusted sources. Iâm calling this the âurnâ of health literacy ….look at past history, collective knowledge and speak up for your health! Itâs critical in periods of pandemic diseases like the CoVID19 (Coronavirus) we get the right info like this from the Toronto Doctor Peter Lin (video âGet the Factsâ)
âTo be or not to be an urnâ, a vessel used as storage in the ancient world to decor in our days…exquisite craftsmanship. A source of beauty by day or night. But the âurnâ as a metaphor is your storage for health information and increasing your health literacy !
On the island of Corfu (or âKerkyraâ as we say in Greek) there is a tradition of throwing various ceramic vessels out of oneâs window or balcony to celebrate Easter commemorative of Jesusâ overcoming death via the resurrection. I know Iâm all about âsafety firstâ with this one ….staying out of the way of its fall.
How functional they are and practical in nature? This artisan on the isle of Naxos turn pieces of clay into works of art.
But this time we cannot afford another crack…raise your health literacy today and help others too!
Lovinâ is in the air, likely âErosâ the god of love or that little Cupid is creating so much confusion …. even at the world level the Coronavirus has been renamed COVID-19 by the World Health Organization that apparently is a âbit chaoticâ as the virus causes the disease but nomenclature creates communication problems (see Science MagazineFeb. 2020 article).
In our attempts to keep healthy by preventing disease or flu we need to keep the immune system healthy. So letâs see if a vitamin C packed little squirt with an exotic name can do the trick? The little orange âKumquatâ gives us a powerful punch that we LOVE đ
Kumquat in winter can be enjoyed all season long whether in raw, sweet, baked or liquor form. From Europe to the Americas itâs quite popular among food circles and traditions. The first time I encountered those little odd-shaped orange fellas I was in Florida and still recall that bittersweet taste. Years later I would travel to the island of Corfu (or Kerkyra), where kumquat is âqueenâ as one of the favored liqueurs is traditionally made and trees can be found everywhere.
The kumquat tree in a home garden
Kumquat Liqueur
It is such an impressive bittersweet taste one can eat them whole or slice them up in salads , candied, or with meat dishes the Chefs choices are exquisitely delicious and nutritious. Check these facts out:
high in fiber and good for diabetics or those with pre-diabetes especially in winter months when everyone needs to add more fruit and vegetables in their diets!
as citrus naturally high in vitamin C, with small amounts of vitamin B and E, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc. And since one can eat their small seeds whole kumquats provide a small amount of omega-3 fats
their essential oil can be used in household cleaning products as the aroma can help freshen a stale room and create a positive atmosphere (check out the plant therapy site).
My dear readers sending you hugs and love đ for this month and always, being grateful to friends who sent cards and wishes from near and far. Keep healthy and be lovinâ those kumquats!
Iâve heard and read all kind of stupidity related to the latest deadly virus like âdonât drink Corona beerâ or âthe flu that kills those of royaltyâ since the word âCoronaâ means crown in Greek. A lot of misinformation from untrustworthy sources.
But itâs no joke, itâs deadly, and we donât know much about how it can be treated. And yes, itâs a good idea to drink fluids, wash your hands (at least 20 seconds), cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing with a tissue, according to CDC prevention (if you tend to rub your eyes and nose you may need a face mask đ·) â do not panic, yet.
Apparently this virus has been around mainly in animals showing up in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia) back in the 60s and 70s, so itâs not just Asia (China, Japan, all have had death tolls). Remember SARS? Well apparently itâs a variation…. and then there is still the H1N1 as referred to Bird Flu. So be prepared for airport checks when you travel and understand that public safety takes precedence.
If my great grandma were alive sheâd sit on her stool saying «ÎșÎżÏÏÎœÎč ÎŒÎżÏ Â» meaning âmy crownâ [a term of endearment used by older people from Mani – Laconia in respect to the past King Constantine I of Greece (1913 – 1917) whom they respected as he fought in military frontlines] ….eat plenty of onions and garlic, wear your winter wool and keep your feet warm .
….and build some immune strength so here it is : Echinacea, Vitamin C (mandarins, clementines, oranges all good), garlic and onions, teas with antiseptic properties like chamomile and thyme and related immune building tea with honey (and lemon), winter apples with cinnamon, and consider a great âfast foodâ from Ancient Greece called âtrahanaâ (ÏÏαÏÎ±ÎœÎŹ) … I remember how the older folks made it during the summer season on low wooden tables from fermented milk and grain laid on cotton cloths, left to dry for days . The pungent smell lasting for weeks.
This is seasonal food. I prefer the sour (than the sweet) version which we lightly brown with some butter and oil, boiled in water and Presto! A yummy hot breakfast food for the entire family. Perfect for winter.
If you are sick, remember to stay home and rest as sleep is the best medicine, you are âcontagiousâ the first few days when (if) you have fever, please use tissues to wipe that runny nose and throw them away! At tail end of illness youâll have a lot of mucus to âget rid ofâ itâs perfectly normal (disgusting yes) so keep taking those cough syrups, hot tea, and honey (darker heavier ones especially from chestnut and pine trees are best for winter) are most helpful in this âreleaseâ process â they are called mucolytics as they can dissolves thick mucus and are usually used to help relieve respiratory difficulties.
Be healthy and wise and as always followup with a doctor if symptoms are severe or get worse after 3-4 days. Keep up with the news on whatâs next with this ânewâ virus and do your best to raise your awareness and health literacy. Thus please get your proper source of health information from trustworthy sites like that of the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and your health department.
They say God created the earth đ and living creatures in seven days, emphasis on âlifeâ here. Building hospitals over six days in Wuhan, China is not a joke ….they know that epidemics must be contained! Be smart and stay healthy ….through early Spring when flu season is over! đ€đŠ đ„ș
I remember how the older folks made it during the summer season on low wooden tables from fermented milk and grain laid on cotton cloths, left to dry for days . The pungent smell lasting for weeks.
Build health literacy for life 