PITLOCHRY PRIMARY SCHOOL

LIFE ORIENTATION TASK 11 TERM 2 LESSON PRESENTED BY : Miss Ngema

IntroductionThis week I like us to take a closer look and put more emphasis on common things that we can apply in our daily life as we are faced with this pandemic of a COVID19 outbreak. These are the things such as food that boost the immune system, basic hygiene principles, substance abuse and common diseases. How do we maintain our personal diet and nutrition at this time?We need to boost our immune system in order to allow our bodies to stand against the corona virus. Without a strong immune system our bodies would not be able to fight battles it is exposed to. You should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods everyday to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, proteins and antioxidants your body needs. Drink enough water, eat fruits, vegetables and nuts. Eat whole grains, e.g. brown rice or starchy tubers like potatoes as well animal sourced foods such as milk, meat and eggs. For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar and salt.

Below are the images that display a well- balanced diet

• Eat healthy and beat the spread of COVID-19!!!!!!

Basic hygiene principles of COVID-19

• This means being as clean and hygienic as possible. Practice the following basic principles in order to help stop the spread of the COVID-19.

• Wash your hands often with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds or use alcohol based hand sanitiser if you can not wash them.

• Avoid touching your face, especially if you have a running nose and itchy eyes, and do not shake hands with anyone.

• Cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm, or cover your mouth with a tissue and dispose it immediately after use then wash your hands.

• Use clean eating utensils and do not share them.• Maintain a social distance of about 1-1.5 metres.• Always wear a mask covering your mouth and nose in a public place.

The kit on the right hand side is very useful for the prevention of the COVID-19 spread

Substance abuse

Substance abuse is when you take drugs that are not legal. It is also when you use alcohol, prescription medicine and other legal substances too much in the wrong way. Substance abuse differs from addiction. Many people with substance abuse problems are able to quit or can change their unhealthy behaviour. Addiction is a condition that is difficult stop even when your condition causes you harm. In relation to COVID-19, substance abuse is a burning issue because it is one of the hazardous ways in the spreading of the virus. When people are drinking, they share, they can’t maintain social distancing and they lose self-control which may also lead to engaging in unprotected sex. As the country was locked down to help flatten the curve of the virus, alcohol sales and usage had been suspended in order to fight with the spread of COVID-19 but, as the measures of lockdown began to ease, the alcohol ban has been lifted under certain circumstances, not because it will no longer have a negative effect but because it contributes to the economy of the country.

Common diseasesThese are the diseases that are common to most people around us and some are chronic illnesses.They include Tuberculosis known as TB, diabetes, epilepsy, obesity, anorexia and HIV and AIDS….recently we are exposed to the Corona virus. It is established that people who live with these common diseases are at high risk of contracting this COVID-19 because their immunity is weak and cannot fight against illnesses. It is also important to know that these diseases are manageable even though some are incurable. How to manage these diseases?• TuberculosisThis a potentially serious infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria that cause T.B. are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. When people are infected, symptoms underlie, when they come to existence, they usually include blood-tinged cough, weight loss, night sweats and fever. There is treatment for T.B. but the course depends on the patient’s level of illness.

DiabetesThis a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose). The symptoms include :• hunger and fatigue• Frequent urination and excessive thirst• Dry mouth and itchy skin• Yeast infections• Slow healing sores or cuts• Pain or numbness in your feetDiabetes is manageable. There is no cure for it, you just need to take your prescribed treatment and maintain your diet and nutrition.

Obesity and anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder causing people to obsess about their weight and what they eat. It is characterised by a distorted body image, with an unwarranted fear of being overweight. It can show by indicating the following symptoms:• Inability to maintain a normal weight• Fatigue• insomnia• Hair thinning or falling out • Dry skinThe only way to treat this condition is to seek help and work together as a team, maintain your eating lifestyle and work out the body.

HIV AND AIDS

HIV is an abbreviation to Human immunodeficiency virus that cause AIDS, which abbreviates Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. This virus causes AIDS and interferes with the body’s ability to fight infections. The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen or vaginal fluids. It carries the following symptoms:• Within a few weeks of HIV infection, flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat

and fatigue can occur. Then the disease is usually asymptomatic until it progresses to AIDS. AIDS symptoms include:

• Weight loss• Fever• Night sweats• Loss of appetite

HIV/AIDS Treatment

There is no cure for this chronic condition, only antiretroviral treatment (ARV’s) These can be taken to slow down the virus in the immune system.People need to eat healthy, practice safe sex and exercise regularly. Covid-19 also forms part of the common diseases and should be treated with extra care by following all the basic principles.

Learner’s activity

.List the basic hygiene principles of COVID-19• What is tubercolusis and what are the symptoms?• What does HIV and AIDS stand for?• How can one boost the immune system with food?• Which foods contain vitamin C and which ones contain proteins?• How can we manage obesity and anoxeria?• What is substance abuse?