AMMAN — The coronavirus pandemic has
devastated the world, reverberating across different sectors. But it has had
one unexpected upside: the health measures implemented have also led to a
decline in influenza (
flu) rates.
اضافة اعلان
"People nowadays, because of their
concerns regarding the pandemic, have learnt to follow a healthy lifestyle,”
said Isaac Tawil, a general practitioner, in an interview with Jordan News.
“They wash their hands regularly and sanitize. The majority have a sanitizer in
their bags too. These are some good habits that contributed to limiting the
number of people getting infected with influenza."
"Such healthy habits, and in addition
to wearing a mask constantly, have the ability to protect us from different
diseases other than coronavirus,” Tawil added. “Imagine that these habits
protect us from COVID-19, and it is a serious disease, do you not think it can
protect us from minor illnesses?”
"It is our role here to call on people
to always follow a healthy and safe lifestyle even when the pandemic ends. Let
us get used to such good habits always because our health must always be a
priority for everyone."
Director of the Princess Haya Center for
Biotechnology, Dr Saeed Jaradat, told Jordan News that "I am 100 percent
sure that there are huge decreases in the number of infections in Influenza, not
only in Jordan but also in all countries."
Jaradat added that "this is because of
the social distancing, and other health measures people are taking nowadays
because of their concerns of the pandemic. I can tell you that the percentage
has decreased by almost 90-95 percent, which is a significant parentage no
doubt."
Jordan normally faces seasonal flu. In
2017, the Ministry of Health projected that 15 to 35 percent of the total
population would have influenza at some point that year. The disease can be deadly,
especially for the elderly and vulnerable.
Mohammad Saif Eddin, another doctor, told Jordan
News that "unfortunately, some people assume that the illness is a
fate from God and therefore they decide not to take care of their health.”
“This is totally wrong because even
religions urge people to take good care of their health,” he said. “I can say
here that our bodies are our biggest gift from God and it is our responsibility
to care about them."
“As a doctor, I always tell my patients to
take good care of their bodies,” Saif Eddin added. “Whether they are kids or
adults, they must eat healthy, do sports, and sanitize. These habits should be
there always — before and after the pandemic."
"Beside long-term disease, I can tell
that most of the people nowadays are protected from minor illnesses," Saif
Eddin said. "I am talking here about people who follow a healthy and safe
lifestyle, and are committed to wearing their masks and sanitizing constantly —
they are not protecting themselves from coronavirus only but also from viral
infections like influenza too."
He admitted that "some people, and
they are a few, might have a chance of getting infected with the flu; those are
the people who still do not have a big concern for sanitizing and wearing their
masks and still follow bad habits."
The doctor also described the influenza
vaccine or “flu shot” as a “good step”, but pointed out that “it will never
protect them from COVID-19. It is my role in this regard to advise people, in
addition to the healthy lifestyle they should follow, to also take the vaccines
which are specifically made for
COVID-19."
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