Category: Blog Post

We are in the middle of a global outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus. It started in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. This virus affects both the upper and lower respiratory tracts, causing viral pneumonia named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to an article on Europe PMC, the elderly, men and those with chronic conditions are more likely to succumb to the COVID-19 virus.

Inflammation is associated with aging. It is the body’s initial response to COVID-19 infection. This has led to overwhelming cases of respiratory failure among the elderly.

Two-thirds of reported cases are men (73% vs 27%) and they are 1.5 times more likely to die (2.8% vs 1.7%). This is because of a difference in the anti-viral immunity of men and women caused by genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors.

The WHO guidelines on COVID-19 prevention are wearing a mask, sanitizing or washing hands, and keeping social distance.

But some cannot follow these guidelines. Not that they don’t want to, but they can’t. These are persons living with mental illness.

I’m a caregiver to a parent who has a mental illness. It is futile making them wear a mask when going out, keep social distance, or even wash their hands.

I had to find a way of protecting them from this virus since their age alone puts them in the high-risk category.

In my research, I found a few ways to boost the immunity of a high-risk individual.

1. Supplement with Zinc

An article published on PubMed Central discusses the potential of zinc as a prevention and a cure in the treatment of COVID-19.

Zinc is an important element in the development and function of the immune system. It is antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative.

Zinc deficiency causes 16% of all respiratory infections worldwide. Risk groups described for Covid-19 (the elderly and patients with chronic diseases) have a zinc deficiency. This predisposes them to infection and detrimental progression of COVID-19.

Food’s rich in zinc include oysters, crabs, lobsters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, and dairy products.

Plant sources also contain phytates, these reduce the absorbency of zinc. Animal products are therefore better as food sources of zinc.

2. Increase Vitamin C Intake

Evidence shows that Vitamin C can cure the immune system. It stimulates the generation and optimal function of white blood cells. It is a potent antioxidant and an immunomodulator (an agent that changes the immune response or the function of the immune system).

Age weakens the immune system. The elderly must meet their Vitamin C recommended daily intake to strengthen their immunity.

A controlled study was done with elderly participants who had pneumonia. Results showed that Vitamin C supplementation improved respiratory function.

My parent also smokes cigarettes. Smokers and those exposed to second-hand smoke usually have a vitamin C deficiency. This is because smoking increases oxidative stress in body cells and the metabolism of vitamin C. 

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient the body cannot store. It is important to meet the required daily intake through diet or supplementation.

Food sources include citrus fruits, berries, kiwis, guavas, bell peppers, and green leafy vegetables.

3. Add Vitamin D to Their Diet

The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the skin produces vitamin D. It has an antiviral effect, is an anti-inflammatory, and is an immunomodulator.

Age and melanin lower the skin’s ability to absorb Vitamin D from the sun.

A recent analysis reported that people with Vitamin D deficiency had a 64% risk of community-acquired pneumonia. The low concentrations of Vitamin D compromise respiratory immune function. This may increase the severity and mortality of Covid-19 infection.

Food sources of Vitamin D include fatty fish, mushrooms, eggs, and soy.

Conclusion

A cure for COVID-19 is yet to be found and made available to the public. Having a way to boost the immunity of a high-risk individual who cannot take the necessary precautions is quite a reprieve.

Using supplements is recommended when the required nutrient levels are not obtained from other sources. Increasing the intake of these nutrients will boost immunity and reduce the severity of COVID-19 infection.

Consult your doctor before taking any supplements so as not to exceed the recommended daily intake.

For the record, I’m grown. But not yet a psychiatrist.

I see your smirk. Yep. I see you thinking that this is just another childish dream…

But why a psychiatrist? Here is my story.

First, I digress.

In 2016, Kenya was documented to have 88 psychiatrists, going to 100 as of today. These serve a population of 47.6 million (according to the 2019 census). Are you shocked yet?

On 11th December 2019, a Mental Health Task Force was formed by the order of the President. On 7th July 2020, the task force urged the government to declare mental illness a National Emergency of epidemic proportions. This shows how bad a place we’re in mental health-wise as a country.

Now, how much will it cost you to be treated by a psychiatrist?

An article by The Standard gives an estimate of between 50,000KSH to 100,000KSH, not including the consultation fee.

The minimum consultation fee for a psychiatrist in Nairobi is 3000KSH.

Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital- the only government psychiatric hospital in Kenya with a bed capacity of 1500, charge a down payment of 10,000KSH for admission. (I won’t even mention the condition of the hospital)

Back to my story:

I am raised by a single parent diagnosed with schizophrenia.

From an early age, I had to learn to take care of myself and my parent. I became a caregiver as a child and grew up really fast. I remember getting up, fixing my breakfast, and getting dressed for school all by myself- in kindergarten.

I used to stand on a dining seat to reach the gas cooker so that I can make pancakes for supper. (I’m now a splendid cook by the way!) Then try to wake her up to eat because her medication made her sleepy. If I succeeded, it would earn me a beating… why did I wake her up? If I didn’t, God help me if she woke up in the middle of the night hungry.

I also tried to remind her to take her medication. Yes, tried. I had to do it in a way that would not trigger her rage. I had no right to tell her what to do. Doing it the wrong way would earn me a beating. There was no right way of doing it. I won’t describe her kind of beating; all I can say is I had a few visits to the hospital.

I’m the firstborn in a family of 3, and until the age of 11, it was just me and my mother.

One skill I perfected was how to tell when she was about to have a psychotic episode. I learned to see the signs. It was a matter of survival for me. One sure sign was when she cleaned for 24 hours straight. Day and night. When that happened, I knew she was gone.

Now, imagine a child living alone with a parent who is having a psychotic episode… Let me paint you a picture. Imagine yourself living in perpetual fear. 

That was me. I couldn’t even sleep. She tried to stab me in my sleep a few times. There are times I woke up in cold water, either soaked in a bucket filled with cold water or a soaking bed. It got to a point where I had to hide under the bed or in a closet to sleep. And pray she doesn’t find me. I had nightmares for a long time that progressed to hallucinations due to lack of sleep. We had this cycle of visiting a therapist every time she came back from the hospital.

I suffered from chronic tonsillitis. If I was sick during that time, it got worse for me. She would make me gargle Dettol antiseptic (that thing burns!) or eat Dettol soap. I would end up vomiting with serious stomach complications. With tonsillitis comes severe fever. That was the time the soaking in a bucket of cold water happened the most… It was her way of getting rid of the fever.

Living with her was scary. Living without her was sad. Her stays in the hospital were long, going for months. For a very long time, I couldn’t understand how my mother could be a totally different person from the sweet soul that she was.

In the mid-1990’s she retired on health grounds and we moved to a house she built in the village. My sister was born a few months later, and I was promoted to be a mother. That was also the very first time I saw her go fully psychotic.  

You see, her colleagues and friends used to rush her to the hospital as soon as they noticed slight changes in her behavior, so it never got to that point.

In the village, it was a whole different story. We lived in the same compound with a relative, but he only took her to the hospital when she was at the point of being a danger to herself and others. There is a time she disappeared for over 6 months. I went through hell. My sister was about a year old.

After a while, he stopped. He would just tie her to her bed and overdose her with her medication for days until she was calm. I watched the mother I knew slowly fade away… she was now a shell of her former self, disoriented and detached from reality.

I asked the relative why he no longer took her to the hospital and he said that the doctors had informed him she could never recover and live a normal functional life like before. That shocked me to the core, and I lost all hope.

Just before I sat for my KCPE, I came across a psychiatry textbook in my mother’s things. It sparked my curiosity. I could now understand what was really going on with her.

As I delved into the world of psychiatry, I discovered mental conditions scarier than what I had seen, that are managed successfully. My dream of becoming a psychiatrist began, and it kindled the hope of seeing my mother cured.

Fast forward to my KCSE. I couldn’t meet the cutoff mark to join a public University, and with no money for a private University, my dream was shattered.

So, I became the next best thing to a psychiatrist. A writer.

But hey, didn’t Lupita say that my dreams are valid?!

Welcome to Agape MindSpace, a family caregiver’s haven.