Alcohol and covid19

THE EDITOR: Counsel from health enthusiasts during this pandemic is that nationals should avoid processed foods and that among their daily dietary intake should be an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked and uncooked. Christmas, a festival when alcohol consumption usually peaks, is being celebrated in 2020 in the heart of a global pandemic and the general consensus is that a strong immune system is key to ward off the killer virus.

Exhortation to put Christ in Christmas 2020 comes from Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh. He may have been suggesting that the population should be mindful of its alcohol consumption and its general conduct having regard to the pandemic that is still with us, claiming lives of both young and old.

People categorised as alcoholics form a relatively large percentage of our population, therefore during this covid19/Christmas season those afflicted with this illness should be the recipient of sympathetic and patient monitoring from their friends and relatives.

Many years ago there was this guy who was in the habit of getting home fully intoxicated whenever he collected his pay packet. His young children had to find the cutlass and hide it away as he would often chase his wife with the sharpened blade using threats. She would often hide and sometimes sleep at neighbours’ homes.

One rainy day he showed up unexpectedly and fully intoxicated. He drew the weapon and dealt his wife several chops from which she bled and died. The police were called and he was taken into custody.

The following day when he was then quite sober and realised he was in a police station cell, he spoke to the sergeant, telling him he had a few drinks last night and the fact that he’s now in custody clearly indicated the he’d broken the law in some way. He then gave the sergeant his wife’s phone number asking that the sergeant call her to arrange bail for him.

The sergeant’s response was, “Bail is not granted for murder.” The next question was, “Who did I kill?” The sergeant then told him that according to the station diary report he dealt several chops to his wife, Mary Lewis (not her real name) and she died from the injuries. He wept uncontrollably. Such is the mental/emotional trauma which results from alcohol consumption.

Many nationals advance convincing arguments that alcohol boasts and stimulates immunity and provides adequate resistance against viruses such as covid19. Research however reveals opposing factors, contending that in addition to weakening the mental faculties, alcohol has diverse adverse effects throughout the body as it impairs immune cells in key organs and should be avoided altogether.

There is irrefutable evidence that alcohol consumption contributes to a host of health challenges including cirrhosis of the liver, “a condition which renders the liver incapable of filtering toxins out of the body, leading to jaundice and other illnesses.”

In view of the fact that human life is at stake during this global pandemic there is enormous expectation and desire for the population to be especially concerned about their immune health.

During this unique festive season nationals should be wary of their alcohol intake so as to prevent the occurrences of unfortunate alcohol-related incidents among good friends and family structures. We have been exhorted to “look not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth as a serpent and stingeth like an adder.”

Physical distancing, the wearing of face masks, the washing of hands, etc are all measures taken to combat the deadly virus but total and complete avoidance of alcohol should be ranked No. 1 in the vicious battle against covid19.

DAVID C O’NEAL

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