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 !
Hot beverages, home cooking, turning inward, online burnout, family matters. This is what many people described as key themes from this yearâs holidays. Perhaps a slowing down is what that âlittle buggerâ Covid intended, for sure we still have much to learn.
Many of us want to look ahead to a brighter year, thinking of New Yearâs resolutions…cook more, quality time with family and friends, reading, music, art, inner work…and yes more hot chocolate and the Eat, Pray, Love philosophy. And, a recent gifted book Iâm reading by Haemin Sunim, The Things You can See Only When you Slow Down (c) 2012. One thing is for sure itâs great to make comfort food. The leftover candy canes this year went into some fabulous chewy, coconut oil based brownies ! Yummy đ
All you can see and taste when you slow down …
We have responsibility to ourselves and our communities in slowing down the transmission of all communicable disease đŠ so we can give our health professionals and healthcare facilities a âbreak.â This WHO social marketing campaign makes it clear. Burnout and risk are also clear.
We are amidst a global pandemic. The latest stats show us that there is a big Pharma âwarâ for the most COVID vaccines as seen by this very interesting site called âVisual Capitalistâ (global maps vaccines ), and of course the gaming industry gains (much to the dismay of parents) , and the âTop 20 visuals from 2020â â missing some additional losses (actors Sean Connery [007] Kirk Douglas [Spartacus], David Prose [Darth Vader], Kelly Preston [Travoltaâs spouse] & Nick Cordero [A Bronx Tale] , soccer player Diego Maradona, basketball player Kobe Bryant, rockstar Eddie Van Halen, country singer Kenny Rogers and comedian-singer Little Richard, Maestro Ennio Morricone, to name a few in tribute.đđą some of whom had COVID related complications.
No, itâs not just âanother fluâ …itâs likely as complicated as HIV-AIDS once was. Itâs also fast forwarding us to what people call âfuturismâ and there is certainly a lot of mistrust in governments, the global ânetworkâ of economic and media gurus… full conspiracy theories. My friendâs card reminder should help all of us cognitively reshift …..
When life gives you lemons đ ….make lemonade! Indeed
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
The UK initially approached the CoVID-19 as a âherd mentalityâ the idea hat we will all get it and some will survive while others not… what do you think about that? Especially if your culture has a lot more intergenerational interactions â like the Mediterranean! Would you take the risk ? It turns out a large part of risk has to do with self-efficacy and the âcan I do something about it?â mentality to include âis it easy for me to do?â
There are 5 easy things we CAN do:
Wash hands, clean common areas and wipe off door handles, phones, light switches with alcohol.
Be careful of being around large groups of people (social distancing)
Follow classes, liturgy, talk to friends, e-banking on-line.
** Do EVERYTHING we can to boost our immune systems **
Stay Home as much as we can! Continue to help vulnerable populations â those older or with chronic health issues stay home đĄ! Our social marketing campaigns run often and seem to be working slowly for now. Harder but necessary to do with kids…especially common areas like beaches, parks.
Due to a recent case in the public news station ERT (ÎΥ΀) now the journalists are working either off line, at a distance physically, and even wearing gloves as we see here the journalist fixing his glasses. This particular news was focusing on reminding people to not go to church and certainly not take communion as those asymptomatic could easily affect others!
âOpenâ News with Pappadopoulos
About wearing gloves and a mask â it seems that the ones with the dust filter are best, but of course we need to wear it right . Iâve seen people cover their mouth only, NOT! There are the overpriced ones and of course panic as some may ânot haveâ one !
How about making masks? I loved this link from Deaconess Hospital đ„
One Greek newspaper actually gave a free mask to its readers while the article cover reads âbiological warfare: the Coronavirusâ…. worthy of 2⏠rather than paying 6+ euros in some pharmacies or the black market! Well the newspaper was nothing special but we now have an extra one since pharmacies do not!
Remember to wash hands before putting it on!
Biowarfare is not new concept, despite what weâve been told, and this possibility of âgetting in the wrong handsâ is no scenario from the movie Twelve Monkeys. Weâve known since 1999! It shouldnât shock us when the Bill Gates Foundation is giving money for a potential vaccine (no they didnât âcreateâ the đŠ virus !)
It is understood that we have a lot of people and governments interested in the idea of unethical or âdarkâ science? I mean we get this even from stories of dark magic â think Harry Potter and the âdark lordâ Voldemort, or the dark wizard.
Notable to viruses or diseases are similar words used even with the devil or Lucifer as it seems. We have archetypes and descriptors like the You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, etc. I wonder if one day we can all âjokeâ about this millennial plague ? Thus the cartoon festured here is priceless!
Letâs support our medical and public health personnel in all they do to keep everyone healthy and understand all the difficult circumstances. In Portugal and Greece we recently stood outside our balconies for 5 minutes at night to đ clap in thanks!
In closing, would you trust your politician if they took the chance? No thanks for that one Boris …. letâs take a look at our personal habits and keep talking prevention shall we?
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!
Build health literacy for life 