Health Advisories

By Netnet Camomot

DO you now cringe each time someone nearby is coughing or sneezing? Perhaps the cougher or sneezer should wear a mask, otherwise, there’s kind of a parting of the Red Sea consisting of people avoiding him each time he passes by.

The sound of a cough or sneeze is now as scary as a tsunami threat which could give people the adrenaline rush to climb a mountain pronto. Try inviting non-mountaineers to a mountain climbing when there’s no tsunami alert, let’s see if any of them will climb that mountain with you.

Summer is almost here and the Pinoy vacationer has altered his vacation plan from a K-drama tour in South Korea to an island-hopping in El Nido, Palawan, preferably with family and close friends whose travel history he’s familiar with. It’s not the time to hobnob with anyone whose recent itinerary included China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran where the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has had the most number of cases contributing to the more than 100,000 cases and more than 3,000 deaths worldwide as of this writing.

With politicians and government officials touching their faces while warning people against touching their own faces, where does the world go from here? Only a vaccine can stop the spread of Covid-19 unless everyone learns how to wash their hands for 20 seconds and how to avoid touching their faces. And how to stay at home and wear a face mask once they’re coughing or sneezing—their boss will even thank them for being considerate enough to be absent, anyway.

It’s when you’re already touching your face that you remember not to touch your face. Plenty of “oops…I did it again” throughout the day, might as well dance and sing a la Britney Spears.

The Covid-19 has become a new cause for discrimination against Asians—that’s one more reason for them to stay in their home country and wait for brighter days before planning their trip to Antarctica. Why Antarctica? Because it’s the only continent with no Covid-19 cases yet. Puera buyag.

What to do in Antarctica? Hmmm. Let us calculate the ways. Well, it’s snowy island-hopping galore. If you want to frolic in the snow, go there.

A staycation at home is still the best vacation for now. Avoid unnecessary trips to the mall and other places. This is the time to adopt a boring sked. Ho-hum. Office/school, supermarket for groceries, house. Repeat. That’s already the usual routine of the bookworm and K-drama fan, so it’s the same old same old for her.

But for people who love to celebrate TGIF—Thank God It’s Friday—and all the days in between Fridays, staying home can be an obstacle course of having tequila shots while watching paint dry. That’s an obstacle course because tequila prefers dancing the night away. You can’t even stand up when you’re drunk with tequila. The obstacle starts while walking from the current position to the bathroom where all that tequila and pulutan will want to get outta your tummy pronto. Yikes. And there’s the tequila fan saying, Yeah, been there, done that.

So, tequila while watching paint dry is the worst TGIF ever—better have popcorn instead, much like what you do while watching Senate hearings. But if you’ve seen the movie “Contagion,” you won’t be sharing that popcorn with anyone. Imagine all those hands dipping into the same bowl filled with popcorn. Level that up to a boodle fight. Uh. Are buffet tables still safe? How about the food you’re ordering at a resto or cafe?

Isolation can be depressing but that seems to be the safest way to avoid Covid-19. To each his own.

Attending parties and events is a hard habit to break, though. I guess as long as people are consciously following health advisories, they will remain healthy and wise.

Here’s unsolicited advice for your healthy lifestyle journey: Sleep eight hours daily, exercise, eat fruits and veggies, avoid junk food and toxic people.

Make muni-muni on a mountain top. It’s Lent, it’s the perfect time to ponder on life and all that jazz. But once you hear someone coughing and sneezing there, will you rather brave through the tsunami downtown? Hmmm.

For the bookworm who still has two cabinets of unread books, staying home and reading have always been her weekend habits. That’s how she avoids toxicity.