THE EDITOR: Knives, forks and spoons were invented to reduce the spread of infections from eating with hands.

How many people in TT, India and other countries where the covid19 virus is spreading rapidly know how to eat with a knife and a fork? How many eating places provide knives and forks?

My grandpa, Dr Reginald Fitzroy Armour, who lived through the 1918 pandemic, practised medicine where combatting infectious diseases was the greatest challenge. He always stressed and taught the importance of eating with a knife and a fork.

Also, why didn't Dr Hazel Othello, during a Ministry of Health's media conference, address the extreme rise in alcohol consumption which is the root of this covid19 spike in TT?

Would it not be prudent to suggest they deal with it as PM Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica successfully dealt with it last year by imposing a temporary ban on alcohol sales? Borders have been open since and life is almost back to normal.

Everyday at work in ER most of the cases I see are directly or indirectly related to alcohol. (Even little children getting injured in alcohol-induced domestic violence, family fights and other violence. Not to mention the rise in uncontrolled comorbidities.)

We mourn the alarming loss of lives and accelerating spike in covid19 infections because of the alcohol consumption which fuels this rapid spread of the virus.

Meanwhile Angostura boasts a 45.5 per cent increase in profits for the first quarter of 2021. It has published this admitting it is due to local consumption despite no Carnival this year. Which normally depends on the influx of tourists during the Carnival season for the boom in alcohol sales.

If we add the massive increase in domestic alcohol sales by Angostura, Carib and imported alcohol is there not a 100-200 per cent increase in alcoholism?

DR FITZROY ARMOUR

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