THE HEALTH | MARCH-APRIL , 2022
| Column |
DIFFERENT STROKES
BY ADI SATRIA
WITH THE Omicron variant spreading more rigorously than the Delta virus , we have seen a spike in Europe , the US , South Africa ( where it was first discovered ), and Malaysia and neighboring countries .
However , as was predicted by relevant scientists before , the good news is the number of cases in Stages 4 and 5 where you require oxygen has not increased or dropped in relation to the increase in infections for patients in Stages 1 and 2 . The death rate has also declined .
The international health authorities have agreed that this variant is not as severe as the Delta virus , which affects the lungs . European countries , particularly Denmark and Sweden , have declared the end of the pandemic . Britain and the EU countries have also cancelled the mandatory vaccination . And mind you they are in the cold countries where the flu virus spreads faster than in tropical countries like ours .
Endemic is becoming the new buzzword as countries continue to open up their economic activities and lift many restrictions . Soon the borders will be open for international tourism .
The Malaysian Prime Minister has already started to visit neighbouring ASEAN countries to prepare the SOPs for this . However , the term endemic is also sadly misused and misunderstood , which can be dangerous as people become complacent .
To an epidemiologist , an endemic infection is one where overall rates are static - not rising and not falling . It means the proportion of sick people balances out the ‘ basic reproduction number ’ of the virus , the number of persons an infected person would infect .
For example , common colds , malaria and polio are endemic . And smallpox was endemic until vaccines wiped it out .
So disease can be endemic , yet it can be widespread and deadly . People still die of malaria and tuberculosis . So during an endemic , precautions must still be taken and SOPs drafted by the authorities followed .
New thinking needed
The situation will not return to normal as we understood it before the pandemic broke out . So it is up to all of us to accept this situation and continue practising social distancing and wearing masks .
The situation now is to adopt new thinking and new healthcare methods , especially tackling post-Covid issues among patients in a long Covid state . This new thinking must also extend
Covid and integrative healthcare
There is a need to look at healthcare practices that had existed before western medication became the dominant practice
Ayurvedic massage .
Acupuncture .
to those who have survived cancer , stroke , and heart attacks , as there is a need to ‘ rehabilitate ’ them to continue to improve .
This aspect is currently being undertaken by healthcare staff , but it may not be the best or at an optimum level . Rehabilitation has often been misunderstood and misrepresented . It only focuses on doing things that you can ’ t after a certain illness .
For example , after an accident you go through a recovery process which sometimes is very difficult . There is a correlation between the root cause , the rehabilitation process , the healing
Cupping .
process , the prevention part and lifestyle changes .
As one grows older , many will seek treatment and the attitude most people take when they visit the doctor is to ‘ take medicine ’. They continue to treat the symptoms while ignoring the root cause of the disease . They seem to think that pills are the only answer to their ills .
Hence , more often than not , their pills intake will continue to increase . After a while , they will accept all this as an inevitable part of ageing .
Healthcare professionals need to embark on changing people ’ s lifestyles through education , be it on a personal level during a consultation or in general . We are all too familiar with the fact that people accept the doctor ’ s prescription without questioning why . And that is also the root cause of their problem .
Understanding the root cause of sickness
A new concept in healing needs to be introduced , which is described as ‘ holistic healing ’. It starts with understanding the root cause .
From here , there must be lifestyle changes . Together with physical rehab , preventive measures are then introduced by utilising human expertise and state of the art technology and equipment .
To achieve optimum health free of disease without depending on the medication , one has to learn to acquire the art of listening to the signals sent out by the body . This includes pain , growth , itchiness , abnormally high blood pressure and sugar levels which tells one that something is wrong . Learn to understand its cause and treat it by adopting lifestyle modification of diet , exercise , sleep , and not just by suppressing the symptoms .
This initiative is already being undertaken by some private healthcare organisations , which will be a gamechanger in the industry . There is a need to look at all the healthcare practices that had existed before western medication became the dominant practice in many countries .
These include Traditional Chinese Medicine ( TCM ), acupuncture , ayurvedic treatment , homeopathy and even ' bekam ' ( cupping ), and natural medications such as hemps , medical marijuana , and ketum .
While the West has already started using this new approach for many years now , Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise its use for medical purposes . This issue is now in the Malaysian Parliament via a Parliamentary caucus . We hope it will be debated in Parliament .
Some healthcare professionals can organise this service via what they call ‘ integrative healthcare ’ where all this can be offered under one roof .
This will be beneficial for post-Covid , post-stroke , and post-heart attack patients , among other diseases , ensuring they enjoy a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle .
Science and research have begun to discover healing using traditional and natural herbs as practised by our ancestors before . — The Health
Adi Satria , a veteran in marketing communications , has constantly challenged himself to look at natural healing methods backed by research and science to ensure their efficacy . Practising a balanced diet and exercise of mind and body will ensure sustainable health during this pandemic and , in particular , the forthcoming endemic stage .