Self-help is the best help

 

Self-help is the best help

Prime Minister Narendra Modi must be a happy man, at least in one respect. In the initial days when Coronavirus had just started to poke its spikes in our country, he advised the countrymen to become atmanirbhar (self-reliant) and see, how the whole nation has obeyed him.

                                        Needless to announce, I am a fan of the Sarabhais!  

The credit, however, should unselfishly be shared with the ‘corona’, which incidentally means crown, among the viruses. The first thing it taught us was to look beyond geographical boundaries and understand that bold unifying factors do not care for lines drawn on paper by human beings. It spread over continents, regions, countries, states, cities and villages crossing mountains and oceans, roads and airways. It has ruled over most part of the world in 2020 and turned to garbage the claims of those who had boasted of their military and nuclear powers. But we haven’t yet heard goodbye from the virus.

Then, it showed us how to take care of ourselves in times of need and distress.

People learned to cook, clean, wash and even cut their hair without depending on outside help.

They learned to interact with families, friends sometimes neighbours and support staff too, for whom they could not take out more than thin slices of their time earlier.

They learned to forget how to dress up and yet work for a living from home.

The human being in most of them woke up from long slumber and they made their twopenny effort to help those in need.

People learned to keep themselves busy, entertained, occupied, and connected.

They learned a lot, and so many things which they never had the time or inclination to care for since they had appeared on earth screaming for air. 

And believe it or not, all that in just less than a year! We became our own service providers in every sense- chefs, maids, chauffeurs, babysitters, hairstylists, tailors, gardeners and what not.

                                                         Coronacut

After this more than 300-word preface let me come to the point. See, the stupefying fact is that we became self-reliant in another field too. We became our own almost-doctors.

Covid -19 put us all into three categories –paranoid, reckless and guarded.

                                                            Ravana during Covid times

The reckless ones are not worth wasting time on, the guarded ones went about their lives almost normally, not inviting trouble, following the three rules of wearing a mask, staying socially distanced and washing their hands but not going overboard when it comes to keeping the virus at bay. The paranoid ones found an occupation when everything in the world had come to a stop- do anything under the sun to keep the infection at bay.

Yet in reality the virus has been an unbiased ruler and taken its share from all the three categories, but haven’t we learned to take care of ourselves?

Most people had asymptomatic or mild infection and merely needed self-isolation for a week and a half, but the fear of going to the hospital and the ‘if’ attached to coming out, made us scared. (Besides, the hospitals demanded a Covid negative report before admitting any patients with other complaints, so it became a vicious cycle. What if you get it in the hospital?)

We formulated action plans for home quarantine and isolation times which went far beyond stocking up on groceries. We asked for and checked, advised or suggested helpful hints to avoid the disease or manage the symptoms till recovery.

It started with eating garlic, even though the Italians, known for their use of garlic, were among the first victims of the virus. We Indians, known for our emphasis on aahaar (food) on physical and mental health, turned towards our kitchens boiling from cloves, cinnamon, licorice, carom seeds, black pepper, turmeric, ginger, to several other things in various proportions in water. The concoction of spices, with a claim for anti-inflammatory/ soothing effects/antioxidants, needed large amounts of honey which is also said to soothe the throat.

We continued with our botanic  experiments and turned to tulsi (holy basil), giloi (Tinaspora Cordifolia), lemons and limes.  

From the kitchen to the bathroom: The bathroom shelves overflowing with tissues, napkins, wipes, gloves, disinfectants, detergents and bleach solutions gave us a sense of security. We rinsed our mouths and gargled with salt water to wash away the possibility of entry of the virus as far inside our bodies as we could safely reach. Even those who scream at the mention of drinking, used more alcohol to wash their hands than the amount an alcoholic feeds his gut with.

And the amount of water we drank might cause water scarcity in the future. Please count juice, coconut water, herbal teas, too. “This could help decrease nasal irritation when coughing, sneezing, and even just breathing. Moisture also helps heal broken membranes so additional bacteria don’t get into the body.”  (https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-to-treat-yourself-at-home-if-you-have-a-mild-case-of-coronavirus)

To support our precautionary steps we also took the help of chemistry. Forget the prescription medicines that were bought in bulk to last several months; every plastic/paper/foil/glass packing that came without a prescription, of antipyretics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anti-allergics,  antitussives or expectorants, disappeared from the pharmacists’ shelves. 

We bought and stocked Crocin, Paracetamol, aspirin, Ibuprofen, Cetrizine, Benadryl, Cheston, Halls and Vicks cough drops, Tiger and Zhandu balm. This is only a part of the list.

We swallowed Vitamin C and D tablets in dozens. We consumed so much Zinc that I suspect if somebody has an accident in the post-Covid era, he would have to be taken to a mechanic and not an orthopeadic.

(“Zinc has become one of the most popular suggestions for reducing symptoms of Coronavirus,” Dr Morton Tavel, clinical professor emeritus of medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, has told Healthline.

“Although there is no direct evidence at this time to suggest that using zinc lozenges can prevent or treat COVID-19 in people, zinc does have antiviral properties and was shown in a laboratory study to inhibit the replication of coronaviruses in cells,” he said.)

In spite of the uncertainty over Hydroxychloroquine’s efficacy, it found its ultimate destination into several hundreds of bodies.

Not only that, Ivermectin, so far known as ‘a medication used to treat many types of parasite infestations which include head lice, scabies, giant roundworm, whipworm’ etc. became the wonder drug as a precautionary measure every time you accidentally trespassed into the aura of a Covidian. I am sure by now several species of parasites have gone extinct.  Despite countless reminders that it is a virus and not bacterial infection, most people took antibiotics to quell the fear of getting any secondary infections. The amount of erythromycin people have consumed must have had a plague-like effect on the friendly bacteria population in human bodies.

We gulped all these down without bothering too much about side-effects, contra-indications, drug reactions or drug-interactions.

We punctured our skin with needles to take influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.

Believers also piled up little plastic bottles of homeopathic pills to put on their tongue at intervals during their waking hours.

Then comes the list of appliances and machines! People already had devices to check blood pressure and sugar levels. The thermometers were taken out of their hiding places and their batteries changed and inhalers checked in case of blocked noses or cold. We added humidifiers, and vaporizers. Soon oximeter was added. Then came oxygen concentrator and those with those with co-morbidities (learnt that word too) or elderly people at home even bought oxygen cylinders.

From 2019 when our vocabulary of tests was more or less limited to blood profile, X-ray, CT Scan, now we can pronounce  IL-6, RT-PCR, D’dimer, HRCT-thorax without fumbling.

Whether we had no, mild or severe infection, we have all earned our certificate courses in Covid-19 by now.  So as a certificate holder, I can recommend some selected advice:

·       Open windows to keep air circulating.

·        Avoid too much COVID-19 news.

·       Rest and focus on enjoyable activities, such as reading, watching movies or playing online games.

A  As you take care of a loved one who is ill with COVID-19, you might feel stressed too. You might worry about your health and the health of the sick person. This can affect your ability to eat, sleep and concentrate, as well as worsen chronic health problems. It may also increase your use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.

 (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/treating-covid-19-at-home/art-20483273)

Though I am not sure about

https://www.umms.org/coronavirus/what-to-know/treat-covid-at-home saying

·        Centre for Disease Control recommends keeping your distance from pets until more is known about the virus.  

·        Eat a frozen treat. The coldness may help numb the pain and soothe your throat if it is sore from coughing.

·        Try turning the heating down or opening a window. Do not use a fan as it may spread the virus.

And the nugget :

The filling in the tooth of a cousin’s husband came out about three months ago. A retired army officer, he tried the Command Hospital for succour, where the doctors categorically told him they were not attending to dental patients. Existing on a semi-liquid diet indefinitely was not working, so he tried reasoning with the doctor over the next few weeks. Finally, a helpful  doctor prescribed a temporary sealant which could remain in the tooth for about a week. The brother-in law bought the sealant online. Now he is enjoying being his own dentist. Do you think he can make it a lifelong dental exercise?

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