World Health Day 2020 – Help Them Help Us

Every year, April 7th is celebrated as World Health Day around the world. It marks the foundation of the World Health Organisation in 1948 and is celebrated to raise awareness on why public health should be a priority.

This year, the WHO has decided to celebrate nurses and midwives on World Health Day, to emphasize the critical role they play in keeping this world healthy.  The organisation seeks to remind the world that this world wouldn’t be able to sustain themselves without such men and women who dedicate their lives to the noble service of aiding others.

Now more than ever, this day holds much significance. Now more than ever, the world needs to remember and celebrate the ones who are fighting in the frontlines for us all. The world is in the middle of a pandemic and we get to hide away and sit at home. But thousands of medical staff are putting their lives at risk on the daily and no honour will be sufficient to thank their sacrifices.

But we as a community can come together and work to lessen their burdens and ensure they have all it takes to take care of us. The strain the virus outbreak is causing on the health infrastructure is not small. Ensuring our own health, and taking responsibility for oneself is the only way we can help the doctors and nurses.

Here is how you can keep yourself safe and others as well!

Stay in quarantine

So far, the best weapon we have to combat COVID-19 is social distancing. Do not go out of your house, unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. By going out, you are endangering not just yourself but others as well. You might be young and able to make a full recovery, but you are in the danger of being a carrier who will give it to the elderly who might not be able to survive the pandemic. In addition to this, while you can sit at home, there are a number of people providing essential services that are still functioning, such as banks, police etc. By going out into the street you are putting them at risk and making their jobs more difficult as well.

Listen to the medical officials 

As this is a new virus, there is very little information available on it. Research is still underway to find a vaccine. In this time, keep aside your superstitions and beliefs in local and homemade medicines. Instead, put your trust in those who have the correct information and let them guide you.

Do not create and spread panic

While the situations are dire, do not go around creating panic in those around you. In the past few days, there were many reports of fake news becoming viral on various social media platforms. This creates frenzy and anxiety among the general public. Do not partake in such activities and if you find anyone else doing such things, make sure to stop them or report them if needed.

Maintain good personal hygiene

Take a bath every day. In addition to this, make sure to wash your hands frequently. Make sure your surroundings are clean and frequently disinfected. Make sure to not sneeze or cough into your hands. Also, make sure to not touch the hands of other people. In addition to this try not to touch your mouth or nose with your hands as well.

Drink plenty of water

The summer is almost upon us. So make sure to keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water. One should drink at least 4 litres of water a day to keep themselves healthy.

Eat healthy

To maintain a healthy body it is essential to eat healthy. With the lack of provisions, it is easy to succumb to laziness and just survive on instant noodles or cereals. But this will not be sufficient for your body’s needs. So make sure to eat green leafy vegetables and a lot of fruits.

Do not hoard

The pandemic has instilled a fear in us that there will be a scarcity of essentials. Do not give in to this fear and mass purchase items as there are people who are in need just as much as you. 

Use masks, when necessary

Use a mask while you are outside or if you are sick. Do not hoard masks unnecessarily. There are hospitals with doctors and patients who need it more than you do while sitting inside your home.

Be compassionate

There have been a number of instances where people were rude to the doctors and nurses as they are ones who have come in contact with the COVID-19. They are treated with disrespect and are even evicted from their hostels and apartments. They are risking their lives in your service and for you to act in such a manner only discourages and demotivates them.

Keep yourself fit

There are chances of weight gain during quarantine as your body finds itself not doing the vigorous activities it was performing regularly. In order to prevent this, make sure to exercise regularly. Not only does it help your body, but it also helps your mind as well. 

Keep your mind relaxed

Being alone for prolonged periods of time will certainly impact the human mind negatively. In order to prevent this, make sure to keep your mind engaged and active. It can be anything from reading to cooking or even painting. In addition to this, doing yoga and meditation will also help you maintain good mental health.

Maintain a daily routine

Chances for your daily routines to get messed up while in quarantine are quite high. You no longer have to rush in the early hours to catch a ride to work, nor do you have the pressing deadlines or chores. But still, try not to deviate from your daily routine and not fall into a pit of laziness.

 Make sure to have proper sleep

As a result of being stuck indoors all day, you might tend to forget the distinction between day and night itself. Often enough you might sit up all night and instead sleep away the mornings. Ensure that your sleep schedule does not get messed up with quarantine. Sleep at a regular hour and make sure your body gets the eight hours of sleep that it requires.

Taking care of your health and hygiene is one of the simplest as well as the most effective ways of helping society at large. If each of us come forward and takes responsibility for yourself, the burden on the shoulders of the health staff will ease a bit.

So far, thousands of doctors, nurses and other health workers have sacrificed their lives to save those of many others in this midst of this COVID-19 outbreak. We owe it to their memories to ensure that what they died fighting for does not become in vain. To overcome the current challenge before us, let us all stay inside and do our part in breaking the chain and flattening the curve.