Thriving In Uncertain Times
Let me start by quoting Fr Jerry Orbos of Moments who said – “Let this COVID-19 outbreak cleanse, purify, and transfigute us all. How fragile life is, and how things can just change in an instant! How little are our achievements, possessions and plans. Perhaps we all can become less proud, less selfish, and les materialistic in our thoughts, words and actions .
It’s been a crazy few days here in Nigeria, though we have been hearing and listening to the the move of the pandemic in China and all the other countries who gradually became infected through contact. It took us time before we became realistic about the pandemic. (this is a transcript of a live chat I held on Saturday, 21st March, 2020)
I have heard so many things and read so many posts on whatsapp, facebook etc., and one thing that comes through is FEAR – which has brought forth anxiety and worry – even though people try to hide it through words like “we are Nigerians – we conquered Ebola and will conquer this.” “It doesn’t thrive in hot weather and so cannot come to Nigeria”. Then came the first index case of the Italian on the 28th of February, 2020.
Despite that, it took a while for a lot of processes to be put in place and then a gentle escalation happened. I must doff my cap to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control that has been giving us day by day information on what to do, and all that Lagos State officials are putting in place. I believe we should encourage all the medical staff on the front line – it is not easy at all.
Aside from China – Italy got hit very bad – We should continually keep all the families in prayer.
Governor Sanwoolu has been very proactive and we on our part MUST adhere to ALL the instructions given. We must put aside our lax attitude to serious issues and our tendency to trivialize serious things. This is REAL – a pandemic that has no respect for anything or anyone. But people are being defiant – wanting to still hold parties, wanting to go out to shops etc., The government can only do so much if WE don’t obey.
I went shopping on Thursday and was motified at the laxity on-going at some of the supermarkets – the staff did not have any face masks – and whilst some had gloves on, it was being used over and over again – touching the products which will in turn be handled by the customer later. This is a way to transfer the virus, if at all. It is no joke at all.
People are worried about what exactly would happen in extreme situations. In some countries, they have brought the military out to forestall a breakdown of law and order – where food will be in shortage and looting may begin.
Due to all this, I felt a need to come online for this chat to try to bring you tips on how to successfully weather the ‘corona virus storm’ we currently find ourselves. These tips comprise various ways that I have read from different sources – and try to bring it all under this chat.
To help you and myself get the best possible outcome; to make sure you’re doing okay despite everything that’s going on right now.
I am sure a lot of people are feeling overwhelmed or panicked… if you’re concerned about your health or the health of your loved ones… worried of not having enough food supply, worried about the isolation which could bring about the emotions of loneliness – worried about your job and the economy. … I want to encourage you that it will ‘pass over’’ but in the meantime let us be realistic. You need to …
- Stay calm & focus on positive issues
- Transform your fears into hope and optimism
- Boost your immune system to protect against the disease
- Make the most out of your self-isolation
One thing for sure is this – life as we know it has been disrupted. You can’t control what is going on in the world but you can control how you RESPOND to the DISRUPTION. If you REACT then you will get yourself into a rut that comes with fear, anxiety and worry – which could lead to health issues
The power to create anything you want is in your hands – I always say this. You can CHOOSE to THRIVE in any given situation or choose to survive where you are – and it could be a negative choice.
You can’t deny what is happening all over the place. To do so is to walk in denial and that can be a costly action. How you react in the coming days, weeks, and months can have far-reaching, life-altering impact!
I must state that there is a difference between RESPONDING and REACTING to a situation. If you allow what’s in the news, and what is being posted and reposted to control you, you will be consumed by FEAR and PANIC. That can be as damaging as the virus itself.
To be on top of everything that is happening, I will tell you clearly that it is important that you LISTEN and READ what the authorities and health officials are saying and do all you have been told to do. Which is to…
– wash your hands as often as possible – keep your distance in crowded situations – if you have to sneeze do so into the curve of your elbow – if you have the symptoms: cold, fever, throaty cough – then self isolate urgently, speak with your Doctor or call: 08000CORONA. If you are coming from the UK or other high-risk countries, then you should self-isolate immediately. We hope that the borders – land and air will be closed shortly.
As you have heard Covid-19 does not have a Vaccine or injection to deal with it but there are things you can do to stop it from attacking you. It is said to be high contagious and airborne, which means it is no longer relegated to things you even touch. It is in the air – and most will likely come in contact with it. So let us look at some remedies that can be effective in keeping you from being attacked by the virus in the first place…
1. Drink lots of hot liquids – hot soups, coffee, teas and warm water.
One of the reason why the virus proves fatal is because it first sits and grows around the sinus area, then the throat, before it descends into the lungs. From research bacteria and virus have temperature variations… certain virus and bacteria cannot live in certain temperature.
Covid-19 and SARS – is a virus that grows in cool places. The nasal passage is where this virus enters and it inclubates in there, ready for the travel down into the lungs. It takes 2 weeks for it to incubate in your sinus area…and will bring on a sore throat, which is one of the symptoms. The pain felt will inform you that there is an infection and at this point you don’t want it to spread to your lungs where it can prove fatal.
Take a sip of warm water every 20 minutes because this keeps your mouth moist and washes any of the virus that may have entered your mouth, into your stomach where the gastric juices will neutralize it before it can get to the lungs.
You can make a drink using ginger, garlic, lemon, and turmeric. Bring the ginger, garlic, and turmeric to a boil. Then add Lemon and honey. It is a most satisfying drink, whilst doing wonders to your immune system.
2. Wet Heat Therapy
When you have a bad cold and your trachea gets clogged with mucus and you can’t breathe properly and can’t cough it out, it works wonders to have a wet heat treatment of putting boiling water into a bowl, mix in a vapour rub, put a towel over your head and inhale the hot fumes. When my daughters were babies and they had a cold and can’t blow or cough out, I fill a bowl with HOT water and put in either Eucalyptus or Olbas Oil or Vicks or Mentholatum. Then comes the exciting part of holding on to the baby very tightly – because the essence is to have the child breath in the heat and medicinal fumes with their head over the bowl and covered with a towel. Once they begin to breathe in the heat, the struggle to get free begins – and I can tell you that babies have such formidable power. Gosh! As the heat goes in, it dislodges the mucus….I do it myself. You will feel better and more relieved and be on the road to recovery from the cold or flu.
If you think you may have had contact with anyone who may have CV-19 or exposed to an environment you are not sure, get home and do this. You can also boil the peel of oranges, put in sea salt, garlic or onions, pepper, and and inhale the steam coming out.
3. Gargle with an antiseptic in warm water at least once a day – you can also use vinegar or salt or lemon.
4. Take Lemon in hot water everyday –
This enables you to boost your immune system. I take a cup of this alkaline water every morning, normally. Now I drink it throughout the say. Elderly people are told to be very careful due to a probable low immune system, and also those that have underlying medical issues like high blood pressure heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions – they are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19. You can also take Vitamin C tablets of about 25mg each day. Confirm with your Doctor or the Pharmacist in your area.
5. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to boost your zinc level
We have all kinds of spinach, Shoko, Tetteh, Bitterleaf, Ugwu, Waterleaf etc – we are blessed with different varieties. Eating these will enable you to booast up your zinc level which is as important as boosting your vitamin C level. You can make them into a smoothie. Take pineapples, avocado, pawpaw etc.,
6. The virus attaches itself to hair and clothes.
Any detergent or soap kills it but you must also take a bath or shower when you get in from the street. Avoid sitting down anywhere before going straight to have a shower. If you cannot wash your clothes daily, hang them in direct sunlight which also neutralizes the virus. Or you can put into your dryer if you have one. It may be advisable to take off those weaves.
7. Keep the house clean.
It is said that the virus can live up to 5 – 9 days on metallic surfaces. The actually time is not really known but this is a safe guess. So wash metallic surfaces very carefully. Be careful about touching handrails and door handles. Make sure you are keeping your house clean and wiping down regularly.
8. Managing Visitors
If possible keep visitors away for the period of ‘lock down’. As mentioned above, the virus can attach itself to the clothes and could be transfered to your Settee. When they leave, make sure you sanitize the settee area. You can rub down with disinfectant wipes or spray. But really, try to keep people away. You can video call or chat.
9. Wash your hands constantly
Do this every 20 minutes using any soap that foams. Do this for about 20 seconds. Wash inbetween your fingers, tips of fingers and palms. The hand sanitizers are quite adequate but wash your hands all the same. Frequent washing will dry out your hands – so have a moisturizer close by. You don’t want your hands to become leathery.
10. Keep yourself warm with the changing weather conditions.
The weather has been quite unpredictable and quite a few people have contacted a cold or flu from about end of 2019, which can compromise your immune system. So you need to avoid catching a cold or common flu which weakens the system. Try to avoid drinking and eating cold things.
11. If possible use face masks – it is not a protection per se but will prevent you from touching your face.
I was watching CNN today and doctors and front line medical and health workers are running out of medical supplies etc., I sure hope we can learn from those who are going through the situation right now.
12. The God-Factor.
In all of this have faith and trust that God will see you through. Make Psalm 91 and 46 a constant meditation point or any other scriptures that you know. Stay connected because God is aware of what is happening and He is still in the business of saving His creations. You and me.
13. Try to give up smoking and alcohol.
These can actually compromise your immune system which you need to be strong. And by the way for those who have dogs – they can’t transmit this virus. It is a person-to-person transference.
14. Conclusion
Live a healthy life style. Eat a balanced diet, get plenty of exercise, rest and avoid any form of stress. This is where being emotionally intelligent comes to play. If you find it difficult to handle your emotions I will be available to assist you transcend these most difficult times. You can ask me questions that may be worrisome to you – due to being ‘locked down’ or isolated, issues may rise up in your relationships, your business and other areas.
So, you can send me an email at: connectwithlaila@gmail.com or send a message to: +234-803-395-1460.
Symptoms:
According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever (a high temperature), tiredness and a dry cough (continuous repeated cough). some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or small. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment.
If you feel any discomfort in your throat or a sore throat coming on ATTACK it immediately using the HEAT TREATMENT and drinking lots of HOT liquid. Get bitter kola – and chew on it intermittently. This is how the virus could give notice that it is lucking and will be there for about 3 – 4 days gradually growing in painful intensity before passing into the lungs.
In the meantime – stay safe by obeying all the instructions that your Country and Officials give. It will be tough but your life is more important than being inconvenienced. In part two, I talk about how to keep occupied when you self-isolate. If you have any other remedies, do let me know below and share your own experiences during this time. It will not be shared unless with your permission.
with much love and to your good health………Laila St. Matthew-Daniel
P.S. You can check the website: ncdc.gov.ng for more information in Nigeria – Telephone: 08000CORONA. Also, 080-2316-9485, 080-3356-5529, 080-5281-7243. In other parts check with your local authorities for latest advice on seeking medical assistance or more information on Covid-19.
