The Uganda Meteorology Authority recently confirmed what most people are feeling. It is the dry season, and the sun will be up in the sky bright and early, almost every day. It is also the season when the air will be thin and most likely to be polluted with dust, owing mostly to the condition of our roads.
This all comes after the country won its fight against the Ebola outbreak, which required many to maintain social distancing and extreme hygiene.
The Ministry of Health has encouraged schools to apply the standard operating procedures as a way of preventing infections for this hemorrhagic fever, which has caused untold havoc in neighboring countries.
In addition to this, the prevailing weather situation could also lead to an explosion of a recurring ailment – influenza or flu and cough, which can be disruptive to a learner’s life.
Several learners are asking to return home to rest and recover, while others may also be hospitalized.
Those on treatment are juggling numerous remedies, from various syrups to tablets and intravenous fluids; most do not avail. Others, desperate for a break, have resorted to unconventional treatments, including concoctions.
Many parents are wondering whether this ailment is immune to the various conventional remedies. They are anxious to hear from health professionals, who they hope can avoid turning this into a money-spinning exercise, instead of finding a viable cure.
In a situation where everyone who is coughing is suffering from a viral infection that is spread through antibiotics that seem to mask the source of the bacteria, there is increased anxiety when the remedy is not curing the ailment.
So, what is being done to avoid illness altogether appears radical as teachers and parents are once again emphasizing the use of face masks among the school community to avoid infections.
Apart from this, schools and parents, where possible, should encourage learners to consume honey as a preventive remedy in the case of a cough.
Recommended by health workers and nutritionists, lemon and ginger can be provided in warm drinks, particularly for those who do not usually suffer from ulcers.