Warm clothing, hot fatty food, and abstaining from alcohol will help prevent frostbite

February 21, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Due to severe frosts, medics urge the public to dress warmer, eat more hot, fatty food, and give up alcohol. An educational campaign to prevent frostbite is being conducted in the Vitebsk region, Yuri Derkach, head of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Healthcare Department, told a BELTA correspondent today. Prolonged frosts have led to an increase in the number of people suffering from cold injuries and frostbite of varying severity due to non-compliance with elementary preventive measures in the region. Since February 11, 176 people have sought medical help for frostbite, 84 of whom were hospitalized. Over the past week, 49 people sought help, 26 of whom were hospitalized. Medics are concerned about cases of death due to general hypothermia. Seven people died over the past week. Most of the deceased were of working age. According to doctors, the cause of their death was hypothermia against the background of alcohol consumption. Yuri Derkach recalled that frostbite occurs with prolonged exposure to cold, as well as with contact of the body with cold metal in the frost. Cold injuries can also occur at zero temperature if humidity is high, there is a strong wind, and a person is wearing wet clothes or shoes. General weakening of the body due to starvation, fatigue or illness, and alcohol intoxication are predisposing factors for frostbite. To prevent frostbite, medics recommend wearing appropriately warm, loose clothing, mittens, and shoes, eating hot food with increased fat content before working in the cold, and not forgetting about physical activity. In frost, synthetic clothing, rubber shoes, wearing tight belts, and consuming alcoholic beverages are unacceptable. According to Yuri Derkach, medics and law enforcement officers conduct joint patrols in severe frosts and help lonely passers-by get home if necessary. Doctors ask citizens to immediately report to law enforcement agencies or emergency service 103 if a loved one does not return home on time. According to the Republican Hydrometeorological Center, the air temperature on December 22 will be minus 13-20 degrees at night, and in the north it will drop to minus 21-25 degrees. In the afternoon, temperatures are forecast from minus 7 degrees in the south to minus 16 degrees in the north of the country. -0-