Precarious living
Source : Google photo of black mould that can release mycotoxins
Synopsis : The world we live in brings us closer and brings with it problems like virus that can jump from people to people. But if we take simple precautions that the blog looks at then we can avoid most of the problems.
A female passenger flying somewhere declared that she had just come from China and the whole plane was emptied because the passengers were so scared. She sat alone in the plane bemoaning the fact that we now live so precariously in today's connected world where a disaster in one part affects directly the other part quickly.
Source Google photo of Corona virus 1 and 2
Take the case of the Corona virus that started in Wuhan in China and now has spread to many countries killing numerous people who came in contact with an infected person. All countries are now worried and have put in strict measures to contain the virus by keeping the travelers in quarantine for 2 weeks to see if they develop the symptoms. The ships coming from China have been restricted off shores in many countries and the passengers or the crew are kept on the ships because of the fear that they may have the virus and may spread it among the unsuspecting people.
The scientists and medical people are working feverishly to find a vaccine to fight this latest menace while the bozos are claiming a cure by drinking cow urine or some such outlandish remedies as if it was that easy. I will not be surprised if some enterprising crooks are already selling the cow urine as a surefire cure at a premium price because panicked people will do anything.
It reminds me of the plague that broke out in London that killed 100000 people in just a few months. The Great Plague, lasting from 1665 to 1666, was the last major epidemic of the bubonic plague to occur in England. ... The Great Plague killed an estimated 100,000 people—almost a quarter of London's population—in 18 months. ( wikipedia)
Approximately 4 100 000 patients are estimated to acquire a healthcare-associated infection in the EU each year. The number of deaths occurring as a direct consequence of these infections is estimated to be at least 37 000 and these infections are thought to contribute to an additional 110 000 deaths each year. ( wikipedia)
Our body has a built in mechanism to fight infection if we are healthy so we may not even know what bacteria, virus or other harm causing things enter our nostrils everyday because our immune system quickly overpowers them and destroys them but the immune system works when we are healthy. When we are not healthy then a simple infection can cause major problems. Germs of all kinds are emanated by very sick people specially if they have tuberculosis or other infectious diseases so coming in contact with such people can land you in big trouble.
Although our nose is not as sensitive as that of a dog, we can smell a wide array of noxious things in the air. I can tell just by entering a house if someone is sick there because of the smell of sickness pervading the air. If the house is damp and not well ventilated or aired, it becomes a breeding ground for germs of all sorts specially the deadly ones like tuberculosis. Moulds grow on walls in such houses that can be extremely toxic to breathe in. You will notice that people who keep dogs and cats and play with them all the time may develop severe forms of asthma because these animals constantly shed hair making the house very dirty.
The Chinese Feng Shui people are often laughed at and not taken seriously but they will tell you all sorts of things that are wrong in your house if you invite them. They will tell you that your house is wrongly oriented meaning it does not let natural sunshine and air enter your house or that your main door is placed in the wrong place meaning it blocks the natural flow of energy through your house etc. You may not believe in all they say but somethings do make sense.
Sunshine is a natural bacteria and mould killer as any doctor will tell you. So keeping your house well aerated, ventilated and dry is a major step to ward off infectious germs that are always in the air or brought by someone who is sick. Keeping your house spotlessly clean and washing drapes, sheets and covers regularly will make your home a healthy place to live in but I have seen how people suffer in Africa from malaria when it is so easy to prevent it. Walking bare feet on dirt like they do can land you in big trouble in Africa.
Source : Our round house in a village in Mali, West Africa
We lived in a village in Mali where I designed a 5 room round house interconnected to each other through covered passageways the villagers built for us. The round rooms were well ventilated through well placed windows and we screened the doors and all the windows to keep the mosquitoes and flies out. We lived in a malaria endemic area but we never had any problem because we took such precautions. Our kids were given Nivaquine as a prophylactic measure and we always filtered our water. But the Africans in our village suffered from Malaria because their huts had open windows .
It is now known that coating our floors with cow dung paste once a week not only gave it a good hard dust free finish, it also killed germs. That is the power of cow dung that most people do not know anything about. A farmer in India has built a house in his village only using local materials found on his farm and coating his mud brick walls with cow dung that keeps his house cool in summer and warm in winter. His dung coated walls kill all germs that enter his house. I would like you to watch this video here that shows his award winning house that is so beautiful that it will take your breath away. It is in Hindi but you will understand how the farmer used only local materials in such an artistic way that won him numerous awards that the Prime Minister Modi himself praises.
Source U Tube video of a beautiful , clean and hygienic farm house in India.
It says the use of cow dung, urine and natural materials that were used to make this house in a village in India makes you feel like paradise.
We all know that germs and virus spread through contact that may not be physical but just being near an infected person can infect you because the air he breathes out is full of virus that you may breathe in. It can happen in a closely packed train or metro or a bus or where there is a huge crowd milling around and spreading infectious germs and deadly virus. In such cases you must protect yourself with a face mask and avoid shaking hands with people you know or meet.
When people died in London in the bubonic plague outbreak there in 1665, people did not know that rats were the culprits. London in those days was a very dirty city giving rise to a huge rat population that carried the plague carrying tiny insect. But now the medical science has evolved to the point when the diseases and their source can be readily identified by thermal scanners in airports or other ports of entry.
It is a very unsettling fact that now a person carrying an infection of sorts caused by a deadly virus can travel to other parts in just a few hours and spread the disease there. That is how the Corona virus is spreading to so many countries. It is unsettling because until now they have not found a vaccine that works although doctors and scientists are feverishly looking for one. Remember the Ebola crisis that started in Africa somewhere and killed so many people including the doctors and nurses who were treating the sick people ? It became a very serious problem that brought together many countries to fight it so eventually it was controlled.
Often the animals carry the sickness. It was found that monkeys were responsible for spreading Ebola but in other cases it may be other animals. We still do not know what started the spread of Corona virus. Some say that it was spread by bats that the Chinese eat but the Chinese eat all sorts of things that you and I may never do while the Europeans eat somethings that no Asian worth his salt will dare to eat. It is a fact that the humans are omnivorous that can bring in its own set of problems. In essence we are what we eat and of what quality. We should understand that food is not something universal. If we do not eat it, it is not food although others may call it so.
It is also known that the vegetarians are in general healthy people but we the non vegetarian people can't have enough of animal protein that can bring in its own set of problems. Pork meat can carry tape worms or other types of worms while beef may carry tuberculosis germs . In many countries where people eat beef and pork , the animal hygiene is less than what is standard so people get sick. Chicken are not all that safe to eat if they are not raised in clean environment and with proper care.
I am particularly worried about the Western countries where half cooked beefsteaks are served because that is what the customer wants. Cooking any meat thoroughly kills all the germs it may carry but the restaurants will serve you raw meat if that is what you want. They don't care. So it is up to us to examine what we eat and how our food is prepared under what conditions. I like to see how the cook prepares my meal. Once we were in a Mongolian restaurant near Orting where the cooks had a giant hot plate or a wok where they cooked your food in front of you which was very nice.
Another thing that often worries me is the practice of hugging and kissing to show friendliness that can transmit germs easily from person to person. I like the Indian way of greeting each other by bringing the palms together and saying Namaste but some imitate the Western culture so hugging and kissing on the cheek is also spreading among the younger generation.
Finally , it is all up to us to learn to live a healthy life, take precautions that are simple but very effective and keep our house and surroundings spotlessly clean. The world we live in is now more connected than ever bringing in all sorts of trouble from far places. We must not take anything for granted so should examine the expiry date of foods that we buy. Some people live on canned goods but that is a very unhealthy way of living because we all know that the canned goods are preserved with all sorts of preservatives that have long term health problems associated with them.
There is nothing better than fresh vegetables that are organic meaning they do not use pesticides on them and there is nothing better than fresh eggs from self supporting chickens. The deep orange colored yolks are the best. Live fish if you can find them is always better than dead fish and fresh cow milk with full cream is better than the refrigerated kind you buy in the grocery stores. Our Mother Nature provides us with all the good things to eat but the crooks adulterate them before selling them so that they can make money. Just don't be taken in by their fancy advertising.
Fresh fruits like bananas , papayas, avocados, oranges and others are better if you can find them. Sometimes you have to go to a farmer's market where you can buy all sorts of fresh farm produce like fruits, vegetables , milk , cheese etc.
The precarious living sounds awful but it does not have to be.
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