30 January 2022
Concerning myself as I do daily on the transmission of Covid-19 in the Solomon Islands, although I understand the specific Covid variant is still to be identified in a laboratory, I realize many that may have been tested positive for the virus have been told to self-isolate at home to assist their recovery and not to put too much a burden on the local hospital services.
It can’t be easy to follow the instruction to isolate at home because there are generally several family members having to share one residence, but I want to give some information that should be followed when self-isolating, if at all possible in the context of living arrangements in the Solomon Islands, as well as several health hints that are standard practice to help in not passing on the virus to another person.
Here is a list of advisory points.
If you possibly can stay in one room as much as possible and keep the door closed.
Avoid using shared spaces (such as the kitchen) at the same time as other people – eat your meals in your room
use a separate bathroom, if you have one - otherwise, use the bathroom after everyone else and clean it each time you use it, for example, by wiping the surfaces you've touched
Do
· wash your hands with soap and water often, for at least 20 seconds
· use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
· cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
· put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
· clean objects and surfaces you touch often (such as door handles, kettles and phones) using your regular cleaning products
· consider wearing a face covering when in shared spaces
· keep windows open in the room you're staying in and shared spaces as much as possible
Don’t
Don’t
· do not share towels, including hand towels and tea towels
Treating a high temperature
If you have a high temperature, it can help to:
- get lots of rest
- drink plenty of fluids (water is best) to avoid dehydration
- take paracetamol if you feel uncomfortable
Treating a cough
If you have a cough, it's best to avoid lying on your back. Lie on your side or sit upright instead.
To help ease a cough, try having a teaspoon of honey. But do not give honey to babies under 12 months.
If this does not help, you could contact a pharmacist for advice about cough treatments.
Things to try if you're feeling breathless
If you're feeling breathless, it can help to keep your room cool.
Try opening a window. Do not use a fan as it may spread the virus.
You could also try:
- breathing slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth, with your lips together like you're gently blowing out a candle
- sitting upright in a chair
- relaxing your shoulders, so you're not hunched
- leaning forward slightly – support yourself by putting your hands on your knees or on something stable like a chair
I read that the Minister of Health has told people not to panic and said, “We are all in this together.”
I believe the government has increased the numbers of testing and vaccination centres and more citizens have been coming forward to get themselves vaccinated against Covid.
The MHMS is giving regular briefings on the unfolding Covid situation and the Prime Minister has personally taken it upon himself to address the nation on the Covid situation, dealing with the numbers of cases, highlighting the Covid hotspots, explaining the vaccination roll out programme, the continuing need for vaccinations and stressing the rules to be followed in terms of the security and safe health practices to be followed
I do not see the situation calls for finger pointing, or any form of blame game, for all are indeed in it together and the pathway to health recovery is clearly laid down.
I would just like to end, however, by saying since the start of the pandemic, the bulk of messaging about Covid has been rather fear-based. We’ve read scary headline after scary headline as we have kept tabs on record-high case counts, death rates and hospitalization rates regionally.
As a result, many might have become exceedingly fearful about navigating life in the pandemic. And for a valid reason: This has been a scary 22 months. The coronavirus is new and ubiquitous, and, for a long time, we didn’t have ways to effectively mitigate the risk
If think we should develop a more rational and less fear-based approach to the Covid situation by looking at the risk assessments in a more nuanced, evidence-based way, coupled with continuing guidance from the MHMS on the safe health practice of a kind I have listed, but updated as circumstances and situations change.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
