In Pakistan, we luckily have four seasons and each has its own peculiarity from the health point of view. All seasons come with their specific food and fruits to relish us and to combat allergic or any adverse effects of season.

At the moment we are almost done with winter. It is a season for drinking of orange and carrot juices, and enjoying warm clothes in the day time and cosy quilts in the night, with lots of dry fruits to munch on.

Winter also brings some discomfort, since it is also a season of common cold and flu, followed by allergic reactions. The common cold is a viral upper respiratory tract infection, caused by a number of different varieties of viruses. Parents may get cold two to three times in a year and children may be affected more than parents.

According to the Centre of Disease Control (CDC), USA, the flu season starts in October and reaches its peak in January and February. More than 200,000 people are hospitalised by seasonal flu viruses and respiratory related illnesses. As a result, children remain absent in schools and adults have to remain at home — absent from works. According to a study by Michigan University US$40 billion are spent annually in USA in the treatment of cold and flu related infections. In Pakistan, I don’t know any such studies that have ever been done.

For the last two years, both common cold and flu are in adjunctive mode with Covid-19, which is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus - 2 (SARS CoV-2). It would aggravate or amalgamate the three diseases at the same time. Both common cold and Covid–19 are caused and spread by social contact, handshaking and embracing, particularly with affected ones, and also not maintaining social distancing. If in a family of five or six members, any one is suffering from common cold or Covid-19, but not taking due precautions such as maintaining distance and not wearing face mask, can affect all the members of the family.

There are, I think, no permanent remedies invented so far to overcome these annual discomforts. Just as we take flu shots annually, it is likely that we will also be required to have Covid–19 shots annually, for the coronavirus has not come to go.

A lot of research and work is being done to understand the coronavirus and find its cure and improve its vaccine. But it will take time before we can reach that stage, so in the meantime we need to build up our immunity to fight off winter and seasonal ailments.

When a person is sick with cold and flu, one should drink a lot of water, hot soup, and green tea. Breathing in steam bath, with a pinch of balm added is a good source of comfort and relief from runny and stuffy nose. Some anti-allergic medication with vitamin C and social distances can provide relief and shorten the duration of discomfort.

Precaution goes a long way in taking care of your health and remaining safe from viruses that are spreading so fast these days. So take care and keep social distancing.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 12th, 2022