Safety measures in place to combat the spread of Covid-19 could be a "recipe for disaster" for those falling into sedentary lifestyles and failing to take care of their health, UAE doctors have warned.
The outbreak prompted governments across the globe to introduce stay-home measures, including allowing many employees to work from home.
While restrictions are gradually easing in the UAE, medics said it is vital that residents do not stick to bad habits they may have formed during prolonged periods spent indoors.
Dr Sherief Elsayed, consultant spinal surgeon at Emirates Hospital in Dubai, said it’s imperative for people to focus on their physical and mental well-being.
“One of the biggest risks is inactivity,” he said.
Weight gain, low mood and poor diabetes control are just some of the ill-effects reported by health officials as a result of people spending more time at home during the pandemic.
Being indoors more regularly also means people are less exposed to sunlight, bringing down their Vitamin D levels.
Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency can include feeling weak or fatigued and it has also been suggested that it affects one’s mental health.
Dr Elsayed said although some people are very good at establishing and maintaining a routine during challenging times, “others need a nudge.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself if you haven’t been able to establish a routine as yet, but do start to make steps towards establishing one – with the aim of improving both your physical and mental health,” he said.
Doctors globally worry that patients who are in need of urgent assessment and care refrain from hospital visits because of their fears of contracting the virus - a so-called “Covid-Phobia.”
Reports suggest the number of patients attending hospital for heart-related issues decreased by 38 per cent in the US and 40 per cent in Spain since March.
Patients with chest pain, suggestive of heart disease, and even people with symptoms suggesting a stroke are avoiding hospitals.
“Naturally this leads to worse outcomes for such patients,” Dr Elsayed said.
Health officials have found that some patients are not having regular check-ups, be it for important eye conditions like glaucoma or visiting a doctor for diabetes.
People with type one and type two diabetes could see their diabetic control worsen during this time of inactivity.
According to consultant endocrinologist at Al Zahra Hospital, Sharjah Dr Brian Mtemererwa, a sedentary lifestyle is a “recipe for disaster for patients that have any form of metabolic disease such as diabetes.”
In 2019 it was reported by the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) that there are more than 55 million adults from the age of 20 to 79 that are diabetic in the Middle East and North Africa region and 15.4 per cent of adults in the UAE are diabetic.
Some patients with poorly controlled diabetes are at higher risks of contracting bacterial or fungal infections and may suffer from physiological reserves of vital organs like the heart and kidneys, said Dr Mtemererwa.
“When someone comes in with multiple organs that are already compromised and you give them a very serious systemic inflammatory response, similar to what happens in Covid-19, those patients tend to do badly,” he said.
Diabetic patients do not have a higher chance of contracting the virus but run the risk of worse outcomes when contracting it, he added.
According to the IDF, traditional methods of controlling diabetes include lifestyle modifications such as exercising, drinking water, implementing portion control and regulating stress levels.
Healthy nutrition is an essential component of diabetes management. It is vital for people with diabetes to eat a varied and balanced diet to keep their blood glucose levels stable and enhance their immune system.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention urges citizens and residents to boost their immunity by maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, avoiding close contact with anyone showing signs of respiratory illness and washing hands regularly.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
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Manchester United 0
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
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