Last night, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, declared the Coronavirus a National Disaster, after 61 reported cases in South Africa have been confirmed.
According to the World Health Organisation, the virus, now regarded as a pandemic, has infected more than 150 000 people in at least 110 different countries, since its first reported cases in Wuhan, China, in December last year.
As the world grapples with the pervasive repercussions of the outbreak, The Nutrition Network, wishes to pay tribute to the millions of healthcare professionals at the frontlines, fighting tirelessly against this global pandemic.
The sudden and rapid spread of COVID-19 has placed tremendous strain on global health care systems, leaving healthcare professionals vulnerable, as they face an elevated risk of exposure. According to an article published in the Business Times in early March, China alone had reported nearly 3400 cases of infected healthcare workers. These numbers are expected to rise exponentially across the world in the coming weeks.
While much has been written on the public health measures to prevent the spread of the disease, ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals is imperative, not only for the protection of their own health but to safeguard against further transmission of the virus.
Healthcare professionals are encouraged to adhere strictly to hospital standards and protocol when treating patients to minimise their risk of exposure.
While everyone remains vulnerable, the immunocompromised appear to remain the most vulnerable to fatalities. Nutrition Network Dietitian, Tamzyn Murphy, provides some insights on how nutrition can help protect and improve our immune systems: “Proper nutrition ensures that your immune system has all the building blocks it needs to move, deploy, fight, and defeat infection. Getting sufficient protein from high-quality animal sources is key. These include meat, fish, poultry, organ meats and eggs. Ensure that you also get 20 minutes of summer-sun each day or supplement with Vitamin D3. Probiotics from fermented foods such as yoghurts, kefir, and sauerkraut also promote healthy immune function. Eat as much real, whole food as possible to stock up on these immune-supporting nutrients. Avoid pro-inflammatory processed foods like added sugar and seed oils to prevent your immune system from malfunctioning.”
In solidarity with the millions of healthcare professionals around the world, and to encourage as many people as possible to join our solution-focused approach to combating the epidemic, the Nutrition Network is extending a 50% discount on all our courses to anyone from affected countries over the next month.
As social distancing has been encouraged as a primary preventive measure during this time, our e-learning platform ensures that you easily access our various training courses to stay relevant, up-to-date and well equipped with the necessary information to ensure optimal health.
We at the Nutrition Network wish to extend our sincerest appreciation to all our medical professional heroes around the world. We stand with you in support, as you continue to serve, protect and save lives. So too, do our thoughts, well wishes and prayers remain with all those affected by this pandemic. May this serve as an opportunity to unite us all, as we brave this challenge with hope and courage.
To receive the 50% discount on our online trainings, apply the coupon code THANKYOU2020 at our online course check out: https://courses.nutrition-network.org/