Hazardous Air In Karachi With The Dangers of COVID-19!
The air we breathe has a quality. But with Karachi’s Air Quality, it is becoming dangerous as the days pass by.
AQI values at or below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is unhealthy: at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher. The AQI is divided into six categories. Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for sensitive groups, Unhealthy, Very healthy, and Hazardous!
For a week now, Karachi’s air quality has significantly become hazardous. And with COVID-19 second wave, the dangers have increased!
The ground-level ozone is disturbed due to massive smoke production with particle pollution also known as particulate matter, including PM2.5 and PM10.
Carbon monoxide, Sulfur dioxide, and Nitrogen dioxide present in the air makes it difficult to breathe for a normal person with a healthy set of lungs. The catastrophy is bigger for COVID-19 patients.
The current target oxygen saturation range for patients with COVID-19 recommended by the National Institutes of Health is 92–96%. And with the Hazardous air quality in Karachi the breath ratio comes down to a dangerous 15%.
How to Protect?
To protect yourself from the hazards, you can do the following,
-Wear a mask outside to avoid excessive contamination
-Run an Air Purifier
-Close windows and doors
-Avoid outdoor exercises.
Be safe, be protected!
A Helpful Guideline on How to Become a Morning Person
Who doesn’t like 5 more minutes of sleep? Everyone enjoys snoozing the alarm again and again. But is it true that we are snoozing and losing? Let’s find out and give you a helpful guideline on how to become a morning person.
It’s not easy being a night owl. Well like it or not, most of our world operates on an early bird’s ridiculously-eager schedule. Because our society tends to reward the people with prompt attendances!
What is a Chronotype?
Your natural tendency to be more of a morning person or night person is sometimes called your chronotype. Unfortunately, we can’t pick our chronotypes. Whether you are eager to get up at dawn or you peak in the wee small hours is highly dependent on your genetics as well. But it is possible to change your sleeping and waking cycles.
How to become a morning person?
You can change your routine by altering your sleep and wake cycles and help to trick yourself to become a morning person.
1. Gradually change your bedtime for becoming a morning person
A goodnight’s sleep is important! Doctors and sleep experts recommend that you shift your sleep time 20 minutes earlier every night, for a week. This will help you in your sleep cycle. So you will eventually have some energy to spare in the morning before the alarm goes off. You will be up by then.
2. Let the light in
Whether it’s natural or artificial, let the light in! It is significant because it tells the brain that the day has begun and it shuts the process of making melatonin in your body.
3. Eat more protein
Protein instigates dopamine levels, and dopamine regulates motivation. Having heavy proteins in the morning causing individuals to initiate and persevere.
4. Move your alarm clock
Hitting snooze is tempting, so remove that option! You can try putting your alarm clock across the room, so you have to get up to turn it off. When you eventually stand up, your body will wake up. But do not stand way too quickly and rush for it. Give it 15 to 30 seconds and then move.
5. Be consistent
Don’t be a slave to your schedule. You can have a party on a Friday night and that is OK! But try to be consistent with your sleep routine. Giving a new schedule to your body every day can mess up your cycle and make you even more lethargic in the morning!
You can adapt these healthy habits in your lifestyle and witness yourself spreading some good and active morning vibes!
READ MORE: CLIMATE CHANGE IS INCREASING HEALTH DAMAGE DURING PANDEMIC
Climate Change is Damaging Health During Pandemic
“Climate change is making people sick and leading to premature death,” says a pair of influential reports on the connections between global warming and health.
Effects of Climate Change and Health Damage During Pandemic
Scientists from the World Meteorological Organization released an initial report on the global climate which shows that the last decade was the warmest on record and that millions of people were affected by wildfires, floods, and extreme heat this year on top of the global pandemic. Also how air pollution from agriculture, vehicles, and power plants contributes to asthma and other diseases that make severe cases of COVID-19 more likely.
An analysis published on Wednesday by the Lancet Medical Journal that focuses on public health data from 2019 found that heatwaves, air, pollution, and extreme weather is damaging human health increasingly.
Threat to health infrastructures
Both reports make an explicit connection between death, disease, and burning fossil fuels. The Journal also wrote that climate change is a threat to public health infrastructures such as hospitals, primary care facilities, and emergency services.
“Many carbon-intensive practices and policies lead to poor air quality, poor food quality, and poor housing quality, which disproportionately harm the health of disadvantaged populations,” The Lancet quotes.
Nature’s war
In a speech about climate change on Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on world leaders to dramatically reduce fossil fuel production. “Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal,” he said. “Every country, city, financial institution and company should adopt plans for transitioning to net zero [greenhouse gas] emissions by 2050.”
The latest global emissions data suggest that widespread lockdowns in 2020 did virtually nothing to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association states that “It’s preventable, we don’t have to live this way.”
READ MORE: HAZARDOUS AIR IN KARACHI WITH THE DANGERS OF COVID-19!
Cannabidiol in Marijuana Does Not Impair Driving
A new Dutch study proves that CBD Cannabidiol in Marijuana does not impair your driving. In fact, small doses of CBD appear to have no significant impact on driving, according to first-of-its-kind research published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Cannabidiol in Marijuana
Marijuana, also called weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa. Some people smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints; in pipes, water pipes (sometimes called bongs), or in blunts (marijuana rolled in cigar wraps). Marijuana can also be used to brew tea and, particularly when it is sold or consumed for medicinal purposes, is frequently mixed into foods (edibles) such as brownies, cookies, or candies. Vaporizers are also increasingly used to consume marijuana. Stronger forms of marijuana include sinsemilla (from specially tended female plants) and concentrated resins containing high doses of marijuana’s active ingredients, including honeylike hash oil, waxy budder, and hard amberlike shatter. These resins are increasingly popular among those who use them both recreationally and medically.
“Strains rich with THC, the chemical that produces marijuana high,’ cause driving impairment up to 4 hours after vaping, but strains that contain CBD (cannabidiol) and no THC do not,” says researcher Johannes Ramaekers, Ph.D., professor of psychopharmacology and behavioral toxicology at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.
“The implication for the general public is that the cannabis-induced driving impairment should be acknowledged as a public health risk, while taking into account that impairment may differ between cannabis strains and depends on time [elapsed] after use,” he says.
To measure the effects of the cannabinoids on drivers, researchers made participants vaporize one of four cannabis blends mainly THC and CBD. Subjects then got into cars and took to the road for a specific time limit with an instructor.
Read More: https://www.merafm.com/health/pfizer-and-biontech-vaccine-for-covid19-approved-in-uk-for-use
Researchers measured driving impairment by tracking drifts in the lanes as well as fluctuations in speed. Participants also got their blood cannabinoid concentrations, heart rate and blood pressure tested. Consuming CBD alone seemed to have little impact on performance.
“There were no significant differences between CBD-dominant cannabis and placebo,” the study says. “SDLP in the placebo and CBD conditions did not differ, indicating that CBD…did not impair driving.”
“These findings indicate for the first time that CBD, when given without THC, does not affect a subject’s ability to drive,” said Thomas Arkell, the study’s lead author.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was small with just 26 people.
World Disability Day: The undiscovered gems of Pakistan
On World Disability Day, over 1 billion people worldwide are estimated to have a form of disability that is 15% of the world population. Disability is extremely diverse and between 110 million (2.2%) & 190 million (3.8%) adults have significant difficulties functioning.
Despite all, we have individuals in Pakistan who did not let a barrier cast in front of their weaknesses or disabilities. RJ Sulmeen Ansari shares some of the magnificent gems of Pakistan, who made everything possible even with their disabilities and set benchmarks for everyone. As Sulmeen says, “On World Disability Day these people, they are not disabled, they are differently abled.”
Let us celebrate being different and watch the video below to reveal the gems of Pakistan:
READ MORE: CLIMATE CHANGE IS INCREASING HEALTH DAMAGE DURING PANDEMIC
Pfizer and BioNTech Vaccine For COVID19 Approved In UK For Use!
The UK has finally become the very first country in the world to get the approval for the COVID-19 vaccine usage produced by Pfizer/BioNTech.
British regulator, the MHRA, says that the vaccine which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe for rollout next week. Also read: EXPERTS ISSUED WARNINGS RELATED TO DENGUE AND CORONAVIRUS
This vaccine has become the fastest ever vaccine to go from concept to reality, within 10 months to follow the same developmental steps that normally span a decade. The vaccine is a new type called an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity.
NHS Chief Executive, Sir Simon Stevens, said the health service was preparing for “the largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history.”
Royal Liverpool University Hospital trust is one of the sites that will be rolling out the vaccine in the coming weeks.
Ending HIV AIDS through Resilience and Impact During COVID-19 Pandemic!
December 1st is observed worldwide as “World’s AIDS Day.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s World AIDS Day holds extra significance.
Around 32.7 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses in the last 40 years; so far COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 1.4 million people. The highly infectious Coronavirus has swept across the globe, devastating health systems and laying waste to economies as governments introduced drastic measures to contain the spread. Not since the HIV/AIDS pandemic of the 1990s has countries faced such a common health threat.
These types of diseases take incredible expertise and dedication from all levels of society to understand, treat and prevent them.
On an initial level the awareness should be created that the two infections are different. HIV crashes immunity in patients, so does COVID; hence such patients need to be extra careful.
COVID is not merely a respiratory infection; rather it affects the body’s defense mechanism. It affects blood vessels which aggravate the disease a person is already suffering from and also creates the risk of other diseases, an HIV infected patient needs to follow precautions like social distancing, maintaining distance, avoid unncessary meetings, always wearing a mask, and consuming healthy food, and taking medications timely. Immediately report to the doctor if any minor change occurs.
The World AIDS Day theme reminds us that the HIV community has always been resilient, overcoming obstacles and challenges and constantly adapting new approaches for life-saving impact. And with COVID-19 the fight has become different, but not difficult.
Can Taking Antibiotics For Covid-19 Kill You?
Dr. Misbah Zaidi began with how proper usage and dispensing of Antibiotics is important for any healthy body.
He discussed that antibiotics are made for bacterial infections mainly, and they help a human body to get recovered from it. During his talk, he revealed that with self prescription people take medicines by themselves especially antibiotics, which on the longer run becomes extremely dangerous.
He stressed on the fact that people should get themselves checked, even if they suspect any infection in their bodies. He reiterated that if you are not able to reach out to a doctor instantly, get an OTC (over the counter) medicine with milder intensity to curb the pain.
He also said as COVID-19 is a new entry in the medical world, if someone gets in contact with an asymptomatic COVID patient. Get the PCR done and go into isolation. Do not start taking medication, especially antibiotics, as without any prescription it can be life threatening.
Listen to the whole video session down below
RJ Alina Memon hosts Mere Shehar Ka Samaa, every Monday – Saturday 11:00am to 1:00pm
Also read: VACCINE FOR COVID19
Depression – IT’S NOT IN YOUR HEAD!
Have you ever had a depressive phase that it consumed you? So big that it made you crawl into bed with heartache, rejection, disappointment, and frustration. When you’d been disregarded and dismissed on many occasions. When you needed assistance the most and you heard people say, “hey relax, it’s all in your head.” The trajectory of your life sure gets changed with these words and goes back to square one.
The Numb Feeling
We often hear people say, “Depression houta kya hai akhir, aese thori har baat per depression houjata hai!” (“What is depression really, how can people even get depressed on every minor inconvenience!”) Depressed people don’t all shuffle around with long faces, or cry at any provocation. It really defines as losing interest in important parts of life. When you feel numb and empty all the time. And these aren’t just all in your head.
With the thought lingering in my mind along with my robotic 9 to 5 routine, as a breather I got the chance to sit down with Wajeeha Ghani. A Professional Psychologist and Addiction Therapist with an intention to find out more about Depression.
Depression with Judgment!
I broke the silence with a thought-provoking question about depression being a condition which is in your head. To which she said, “It is definitely a judgemental statement. Depression is a disease, a disorder. People are suffering from it on an everyday basis now. Saying it a thing which is in your head is completely wrong.”
A chronological fact about depression is how one can detect and reject the thought of having it over and over again. I became sad to know that people in general don’t understand that depression is one of the deadliest forms of any illness. Wajiha further added that, “Mental health is also a part of your whole health, this needs to be spread around.”
The Physical Affects of Depression
When I asked her about the physical changes a human body gets with depression. She focused her shift on how past traumas affect the brain and deteriorate physical wellbeing. “A mentally ill mind can’t be physically fit. No one can move on from their past traumas without help. Physical changes are evident if someone is dealing with them. Imagine a simple headache or an upset stomach can be an undetected symptom of depression.”
Her method of therapy is what intrigued me the most throughout my conversation with her. She said, “Both past and present are on the table when I start my therapy session with a patient.” She sighed and continued, “And it is not easy. It is very hard for people to open up in general. And people are made of their past experiences and it can’t be eliminated during therapy.”
She navigated me through how a depressive person comes to me with two extremes.”Either they feel super hungry or they don’t have any appetite at all. Either they would be underweight or be overweight. And in most cases, they would be lethargic or over-energetic. These two extremes can be difficult for them to diagnose because for them this is normal.”
She reiterated, “And these symptoms are not in someone’s head. I see these signs of depression affecting their physical wellbeing, they mask them.”
I wondered as she spoke that even I see a lot of people who mask their feelings under the impression that they are happy but still struggling.
The Declination of Self Care
Wajiha let me in on another concern, “Self-care hits the lowest in depression and anxiety, and it’s not just related to chronically depressed patients, but people with borderline depression as well.”
Are any funds provided by the government ever sufficient? Including any patronages from International Organizations I asked.”Here comes the good part. Some of the local and international organizations do aid the people financially who are in need of clinical support. And this is not only limited to people dealing with depression or anxiety, drug addicts and street kids are also getting rehabilitated by many governmental organizations.”
She concluded with. “It is important to detect early signs for your depression, if you feel the symptoms, always reach out to the people who are close to you. It can be anyone, either friends or family. Mental health professionals help in a very professional way, the early signs can be detected when you agree to help yourself.”
She also stressed lifestyle changes. “Challenging negative thoughts and changing your lifestyle on an initial level can be a life-changing aspect.”
The concept of depression, anxiety and mental health should be formally introduced in our higher level academics, since this will facilitate a whole generation of youngsters to detect and understand their own symptoms at early stages or discuss with a friend or a family member.
Wajeeha Ghani currently works at Aas Trust’s Executive and Recovery Centre, Karachi. Her method of treatment specializes in drug addicts and street children.
Morning Rituals to Adopt And Avoid with RJ Aisha Malik!
Did you know an important hormone Cortisol gets suppressed and kicked back in if you consume caffeine immediately after waking up? Or how not looking at the phone first thing in the morning can be the wisest option?
Rj Aisha Malik gives a quick guideline on how some things you should and should not do in the morning to have a nice and active day.
Watch the full video and find out!!
We all know how satisfying it is to snooze your alarm in the morning, but after this video “DON’T,” and give a fresh and productive start to your day!
Also Read: TAJJALI LOUNGE AIMING TO TAKE QAWWALI TO NEW HEIGHTS