Under Corona .. What does medicine say to the fasting person?

Atef Douglas-Nablus

Intensive efforts worldwide to prevent the outbreak of the new Corona virus (COFED-19), and in our Arab and Islamic world, these efforts are continuing, especially when we are at the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan.

Doctors and specialists in public health and food that Al Jazeera Net spoke to them conclude that the most prominent challenges to the Corona virus lie in reducing communication and friction between citizens, in addition to strengthening the immune system with water and food in its forms and types.

Diaa Hajijah, director of Preventive Medicine and Public Health in the Palestinian Ministry of Health, believes that "the greatest challenge lies in the body's need for fluids that will reduce the presence of the virus in the throat and its disposal to the digestive system, and prevent it from reaching the lungs, where the danger zone."

And based on the fact that the body’s immunity is the most important factor in confronting the virus, and that fasting may pose a risk to those who suffer from low immunity, and those who suffer from chronic diseases, and that lose them immunity; Hajjah says, “Those who are more vulnerable to infection with the virus can spend their fasts later after leaving this pandemic ".

Hajija recommends that you stick to healthy, varied and useful food, drink plenty of fluids between breakfast and constipation, and avoid salts and sweets.

In addition to food, it is advised to avoid overcrowding and maintain personal and general hygiene, which are the best means of defending the body during the day.

Nutrition specialist Razan Hijjawi agrees with what Hajjah recommends, especially with regard to food and drink "diverse and nutritious together and to a reasonable extent at the same time".

Razan Hijjawi says that the most important food contains protein from red or white meat, as well as vegetables, especially leafy lettuce and watercress, in addition to fresh juices that do not contain sugar.

Diversity
is required. A "salad bowl" is a variety of vegetables necessary on the table on a daily basis, and it meets good nutrition, while lentil and freekeh soup are a major source of protein and an alternative to meat.

What can be prepared from food is better and more beneficial grilling than frying, says Razan, and it is preferable for the fasting person to drink fluids heavily, but regularly between breakfast and constipation, and to increase the number of hot drinks "and warm or lukewarm water is better than cold."

Razan Hijawi does not drop from the fasting person’s agenda his need for sugar, and calls for taking it from the natural elements, especially natural juices, and she says, “Ramadan sweets can be eaten provided they are varied and without increasing the amount.

Ice water is the biggest enemy of the throat, especially at breakfast time, because it needs what moisturizes it, not what causes it to shrink and narrow the airway, and it is not recommended to drink a large amount of water before a little constipation or a lot of caffeine drinks, which "increases diuresis and causes high dryness, helps in Creating a virus-friendly environment. "

The stone is a safeguard
The young man, Mukhlis Samara, says that Ramadan will be an opportunity for him to lose weight, which the home stone has contributed to increasing, and will maintain a saturated and unhealthy diet.

He adds to Al-Jazeera Net that the most important health challenges in Ramadan lie in avoiding gatherings and not contacting others "even at the family level."

On the other hand, Ghassan Kattout excludes any health challenges for Corona with fasting, and says that some may arise from people staying for long periods of time in their homes in light of the reduced opportunities to leave the house.

It is intended that the biggest challenge is to move away from overcrowding and crowding, and for this will depend on social media to check on the relatives and share with them the joy of Ramadan and even carry out social duties from the ties of the womb and others.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health is trying to limit the spread of corona disease through its continuous procedures with daily and comprehensive checks by searching for suspected cases and examining contacts.

And more helps to do so - according to public health experts - that the Palestinian community is not incubated by the virus, and that the infections were caused by cases coming from abroad or from "Israeli workers", and were in contact with them, "and the transmission of the virus between one citizen and another has not been proven."