THE journey regarding precautionary measures in protecting one’s self from the novel coronavirus began since the advent of the pandemic back in 2019 .

Since then, the world has been adhering to guidelines issued by the medical experts in their various countries to either reduce the spread of the virus or eliminate it.

The Pepperpot Magazine spoke with Isha Urlin, President of the Physiotherapist Association, in a recent interview regarding how we as a Guyanese nation should continue to maintain our health in light of this global pandemic.

According to Urlin, people must ensure that they keep their personal hygiene in check and follow the safety protocols as much as possible. It is imperative also that persons keep themselves active with physical exercises, eat healthily and ensure that they keep hydrated, have adequate periods of sleep and rest time, and make sure that they follow the COVID safety guidelines.

Meanwhile, a family physician Dr Tamica Daniels Williamson, spoke to the issue of self-care during this pandemic.

“The first thing we would advise patients is self-care and under self-care, it involves things like having a balanced diet, positive coping strategies and finding other healthy ways of dealing with stress. There are different relaxation techniques. These include deep-breathing exercises, mind-fullness exercises, journalling, sleep hygiene, avoiding things such as caffeine and alcohol at night, making sure the bedroom is climatic for bedroom activities and all of this is under self-care,” Williamson told the Pepperpot Magazine.

The family physician noted that another area of concern is seeking help when needed, reducing the stigma associated with mental health.
“Persons need to seek care if they need help, and that is available at health centres, where doctors and non-specialists are trained to deal with that,” she noted

She also noted that depression is one of the leading causes of suicide and as such, the issue needs to be addressed promptly.
The Guyana Physiotherapy Association had earlier last year observed as their theme, “Long COVID and Rehabilitation.” This primarily dealt with persons who are suffering from the virus, and highlighted the significant role of physiotherapists in the rehabilitation of persons who were infected with COVID-19, not only during the period of infection, but after, since there are lots of residual physical effects to the functioning of major systems and organs associated. For example, the respiratory system and the lungs, the cardiovascular system and the heart, etc.

Just recently, the Pepperpot Magazine spoke with a fitness expert, Emmerson Campbell, to get a clear perspective regarding mental health readiness to deal with the pandemic.

“There is not much excuse that one may have right now that one may have as it relates to the care of your health, in that if you don’t take care of your health, you cannot live long and have a happy life. Health should be placed as a premium for anyone of any age, sex or gender, but a lot of persons do not have the time. Nevertheless, all it takes is one hour, three or four times a week, and that is a good start,” Campbell noted during that interview .