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Fear, anxiousness, panic and being hopeless are just some of the emotions people feel due to the outbreak of the coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19. Because of the stressful effects brought about by this pandemic worldwide, it is inevitable to feel such negative emotions since each person reacts differently to undesirable situations. Some factors such as the community you live in, the people that surrounds you, your health and financial state are some considerations on how you will respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Some people are more vulnerable than others to the psychosocial effects of the pandemic. These are the people who are at heightened risk such as the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions or weaker immune system, people who live in crowded areas and even the health care providers because of their risk of exposure to the virus. With these, ensuring the stability of your mental health is important to maintain a quality of life that everyone deserves. Here are recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) to help you cope up with the stress and worrying effects due to this pandemic:
Read more: Manage your mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak
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Coronavirus disease or COVID-19 is an infectious viral disease that causes respiratory illness with symptoms such as fever, tiredness, dry cough and difficulty in breathing. This disease affects people of all ages, but recent data of COVID-19 cases show that adults with the age of 60 years old and older are more vulnerable to acquire the virus especially those with pre-existing serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer or lungs diseases.
As the number of COVID-19 cases arises worldwide, it is alarming to know that more of the senior population are being affected. This is because when a person gets older, the immune system weakens and the body may develop age-related diseases. If you are caring for an elder loved one, you may be worried on how to protect them against the threat of the virus. Here are some precautions that you and other members of your household need to do to protect the elderly in your family:
Read more: Ways to protect the elderly against the threat of COVID-19
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Autism is a complex developmental disability and signs usually show during early childhood which affects the person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. To ensure that all autistic individuals are able to achieve the highest quality of life possible, yearly the month of April is observed as World Autism Awareness Month. This effort is led by the Autism Society yearly to spread awareness on autism.
Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during childhood and is characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and non-verbal communication. Usually, there is nothing dissimilar with how people with ASD look from other people, but a person with ASD often communicate, interact, behave and learn in ways differently. There is no known specific cause of autism but the early diagnosis of ADS can help the person receive the support and services they need to live a quality life with equal opportunities like others. According to Autism Society (https://www.autism-society.org/what-is/), here are some signs to help the early detection of autism:
Read more: 2020 World Autism Awareness Month: Accept the differences
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Amidst the outbreak of the coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19, the national government issued the Proclamation No. 922 declaring a state of public health emergency throughout the Philippines. In line with this, various Local Government Units (LGUs) imposed the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to their respective LGUs to control the spread of the virus. To secure the nutrition of the public even during this pandemic, the National Nutrition Cluster issued the Nutrition Cluster Advisory No. 01 to serve as guidelines in providing nutrition services to the community. First on these guidelines is the continued promotion of good nutrition by emphasizing the importance of consuming variety of nutritious foods following the 10 Kumainments to help strengthen the body’s immune system against COVID-19.
The 10 Kumainments is the popular version of the revised Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) that consists of shorter and simpler messages for better recall and understanding. Eating healthy and nutritious foods is one of the best way to ensure that your body has greater possibility in preventing the acquisition of the virus. Below are the Kumainment numbers 1-8 that will serve as your guide to healthy eating even during the period of quarantine:
Read more: Kumainments 1-8: Your Guide to Healthy Eating during Quarantine!
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Classes are suspended, non-essential businesses and enterprises are temporarily closed, checkpoints are set up at every entry and exit points, and people are encouraged to stay at home. These are the things that people need to adjust to because of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine by the national government and LGUs to prevent the spread of Coronavirus or COVID-19. Everyone’s actions are limited; for some people, they are forced to stay at home because the operation of their line of work is suspended. Take PUV drivers for example; the money they earn for the day is what they use to buy food. Evidently, LGUs must step in to provide food packs or relief goods to their respective constituents. The food packs usually contain rice, instant noodles, biscuits, sardines or other canned food. Fortunately, some LGUs in Region 9 such as Zamboanga City, Isabela City and the Municipality of Kabasalan in Zamboanga Sibugay promote good nutrition by including fresh vegetables in their initiatives.
Hon. Katrina Cainglet-Balladares and Luvly Grace Cainglet-Valdez, the Mayor and Vice-Mayor respectively of the Municipality of Kabasalan in Zamboanga Sibugay, included additional fresh vegetables and fish to the food packs distributed in their locality. Moreover, the LGU of Kabasalan buys local farmers’ produce like vegetables and fish. This strategy aims to help their local farmers to have income and ensure that every member of the household who are given food packs will have a healthy and nutritious food in the table to eat during this home quarantine.
Read more: Local Government Units of Region 9 promote good nutrition amidst COVID-19 pandemic
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Livestock and poultry products play an important part in the economic and socio-economic well-being in each household. They contribute to the food supply, livelihood, family income, soil fertility and sustainable agricultural production. To recognize the importance of the production of livestock and poultry in the nation, by virtue of Proclamation No. 658, series of 1970, yearly the 2nd week of April is declared as Livestock and Poultry Production Week.
One major important role of livestock and poultry products is its contribution to nutrition because it is one of the main sources of protein in the body. Protein is a type of macronutrient that is made up of many building blocks called amino acids. People need protein in the body because it helps build muscle mass and repair body tissues and they make up the structural component of the cells, tissues, enzymes and hormones. It is needed in relatively large amount in the body along with Carbohydrates and Fats and is continually being repaired and replaced throughout the human’s life; this means that people need to eat dietary protein to keep with the body’s protein demands.
Read more: Livestock and poultry products as your source of protein
