Minamadali ng gobyerno ang delivery ng “minimized microgram” na Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines para sa mga batang edad na lima hanggang 11 taong gulang, ayon sa National Task Force (NTF) laban sa Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., noong Miyerkules.
Ayon sa prerecorded Talk to the People ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, sinabi ni Galvez na makikipag-usap siya kay Philippine Ambassador to the United States of America Jose “Babe” Romualdez para talakayin ang mabilis na pagdating sa bansa ng Pfizer doses para sa mga bata upang masimulan na silang mabigyan ng proteksyon laban sa kinatatakutang sakit.
“And ipu-pursue natin ang vaccination of children from 5 to 11 years old when they the formulated vaccine arrives,” ayon kay Galvez.
Nauna nang sinabi ng National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) na ang eksaktong iskedyul ng pagbabakuna ng age group na ito ay iaanunsyo sa sandaling dumating ang mga bakunang Covid-19 na angkop para sa kanila at ang mga angkop na syringe nito.
Hindi bababa sa 13.5 milyong mga bata sa ilalim ng edad bracket na ito ang inaasahang makakatanggap ng mas mababang dosis ng Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 na bakuna.
Samantala, sinabi ni Galvez na kailangang paigtingin pa ang mga kapasidad ng pagbabakuna ng mga local government units (LGUs) upang mapanatili ang programa sa pagbabakuna sa Covid-19, dahil malapit na ang pambansa at lokal na halalan.
“Our LGUs should remain focused on making the vaccines available to different barangays and cities and maintain their mega sites,” ayon sa kanya.
Hinihikayat ang mga LGU na magtatag ng mga mobile vaccination team sa bawat barangay, katulad na diskarte sa pagbabakuna na ginagawa sa General Santos City.
Sinabi ni Galvez na dapat panatilihin ng mga LGU ang accessible na integridad ng vaccination information system, kabilang ang mga probisyon ng vaccination card, travel authority at iba pa.
Binigyang-diin niya na ang mga “ayaw magpabakuna at ayaw kumuha ng kanilang mga boosters” ay nananatiling pangunahing problema ng gobyerno.
Taon taon, halos lahat ng tao sa buong mundo ay may New Year’s resolution. Sa panahon ngayon ano nga ba ang magandang New Year’s resolution na makakatulong sa sangkatauhan?
“Mula sa taong 2022 ay mamahalin at pahahalagahan ko ang Inang Kalikasan.” Isa ito sa pinakamagandang bagong pangako sa sarili na makabubuti para sa lahat hanggang sa mga susunod na henerasyon.
Marahil ay kailangan nating maranasan ang buhay sa bukid at gubat upang madama natin ang kahalagahan ng pagmamahal sa Inang Kalikasan. Subukan nating magpasyal sa parang, bukid at gubat upang makita natin at madama kung bakit kailangan nating bigyan ng mahalagang pansin ang kalikasan at ang nag iisang mundo natin.
Alalahanin natin na ang “simpleng” kapabayaan ay maaaring magdulot ng komplikado at masamang epekto. Ang maliit na kapabayaan sa kalikasan ay nagdudulot ng kapahamakan. Dahil dito ay maraming nasasayang na buhay, nawasak na pinagpaguran at nawalang pangkabuhayan. Ganon din, ang pagiging iresponsable at pagkaganid ng iilan.
Nawa ay maging kabawasan tayo sa halip na maging karagdagan sa impact sa climate change.
Kami ni Myrna ay matagal ng nagsimulang mag practice ng greening, composting at 5 R’s (recycle, reduce, repurpose, refuse, reuse). Dito sa amin sa bukid ang mga bagay na patapon na ay mayroon pang pakinabang. Gaya ng sa mga bunot ng niyog o coconut husk. Ito ay maituturing ng basura sa niyugan ngunit ito ay maraming magagandang pakinabang.
Maraming produkto ang pwedeng gawin sa bunot. Ang bunot ng niyog ay isang napakagandang growing medium para sa hydroponic application at container garden. Ang isa sa mga pangunahing dahilan kung bakit ang bunot ng niyog ay napakahusay na medium ay dahil sa natural nitong kakayahang mapanatili tubig sa mahabang panahon.
Ang geonet na inilalatag sa mga slope at nakakatulong para maiwasan ang soil erosion ay gawa din sa coconut husk. Ginagawa din itong matibay na lubid o coconut fiber rope at kutson na kung tawagin sa ibang bansa ay coconut coir mattresses. Dahil sa makabagong technology, ang mga ito ay nagawa na ring building material na ecocoboard.
Napakaganda basura ng bunot ng niyog. Isa itong tunay na halimbawa ng “from waste to something useful” na makakabuti sa kapaligiran at makakadagdag kita sa ating mga maliliit na magsasaka.
Ngayong 2022, subukan nating mag recharge ng environmental awareness. Ngayon ang panahon upang turuan natin ang ating mga anak na magkaroon ng kamalayan sa pagmamalasakit sa kalikasan.
Word of the week:
The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth. – Revelation 11:18
Mayroong etnograpiya limang taon pa lamang ang nakararaan ang noo’y isang kandidata ng PhD na si Rachel Winter ng University of Sheffield na tumalakay sa asal ng mga kalalakihan sa Pilipinas pagdating sa pagkain at pumansin ng bahagya sa kalagayan ng pamamahala ng mga ospital. Ayon kay Winter, limitado ang resources ng 30% ng mga manggagamot sa mga pampublikong ospital sa kabila ng dami ng mga pasyente. Libre man daw ang pagpapaospital, nagbabayad naman ng mga gamot ang mga pasyente; meron tuloy na delay sa gamutan hanggang sa makahagilap ng pondo ang mga kaanak ng mga pasyente. Sa kanyang halimbawa (Kirby et al., 2014), ang oras daw sa distribusyon ng antibiotics sa mga batang may kanser ay konektado (correlated) sa kita ng kanilang mga pamilya, samantalang mas matagal naman ang paghihintay ng mga mahihirap.
Hindi na bago ang mga resulta ng pag-aaral ni Winter dahil meron naman tayong datos patungkol sa lumalalang kalagayan ng mga pasyente sa bansa na nangamamatay nang hindi man lamang magawang magpatingin sa doktor. 89 na araw ang ginugol ni Winter sa bansa para sa kanyang malalimang imbestigasyon. Hindi lamang siya nagmasid ng mga pangyayari, kundi aktibo rin siyang nakilahok sa etnograpiya. Walang bahid pulitika ang dayuhang mag-aaral, kaya marami-rami ang gumagamit ng datos niya noong 2017, maging ng kanyang maiksi ngunit puno ng basehan na pagtalakay ng kagalingan ng mga pasyente (at kanilang kahinaan).
Sources ni Winter ang nagsabing matagumpay ang PhilHealth sa pagpapatupad ng “accessible” na pangangalaga ng kalusugan ng bawat pangkat ng estado sa buhay, kabilang ang 20 milyong Pilipinong nasa talaan ng PhilHealth noong 2010. Target man ang mga mahihirap (indigents), hindi naman klaro kung sino ba silang mga tinutukoy.
Aniya: “(PhilHealth) aims to provide either reduced or free healthcare depending on the individual’s income. However, there are a number of problems with PhilHealth. It is aimed at impoverished people, yet it expects potential participants to understand and fill out the forms. Low education rates, especially amongst the poor, make this a difficult task.”
Napaaga ang dating ni Winter dahil kung hindi, mas mabibigyang-diin niya ang masalimuot na pinagdadaanan ng mga kasapi ng PhilHealth sa panahong 2020 at 2021 nang humarap (at patuloy pa) sa COVID-19 pandemic ang mundo. At mukhang hindi naman patatalo ang iskandalo sa Pharmally sa maanomalyang transaksyon para suplayan ang pamahalaan ng mga PPE at face shield.
Sa pagtaya ng World Health Organization noong 2011, 60% ng 1,781 pagamutan ay pribado at 40% naman ay pinag-mamay-arian ng gobyerno. Ayon kay Winter: “Again this limits accessibility to healthcare, as private hospitals are more expensive to attend but provide the best healthcare. Hospital administration has been decentralized from the state government to local government units. Although the Department of Health does still run a handful of hospitals, the responsibility of the majority rest with local government units (Sy, 2003). The structure and administration in healthcare service are extremely complex, and regionally differ. Mayors, city officials, senior doctors and the Department of Health all influence the healthcare facilities in each area. Power structures within the medical system seem to be an uninterpretable web of people from every aspect of healthcare provision. It would also seem that financial influences are particularly poignant in decision making abilities. For these reasons, ethnomedical healthcare is still commonly used. The continued use of alternative healing has been explained by financial hardship, proximity to a medical center, low education rates and cultural beliefs. Of these the former three have received the most political attention and finance as they are easier to quantify and rectify with the right resources. However, cultural beliefs and understanding of healthcare still do gain some attention.”
Pinatotohanan ni Winter ang aking pag-analisa noong nakaraang Miyerkules na hindi nailalapit sa mga tao ang serbisyong pangkalusugan at lumalabas tuloy silang mangmang sa karapatang mapaglingkuran ng pamahalaan.
Agawan ng credit ang mga taga suporta ng mga lokal na opisyal sa Laguna, partikular sa kapitolyo nito. Pinasinayaan umano ang bagong gusali ng LPH San Pedro District Hospital ilang taon pa lamang ang nakalilipas. Nang makakita ng larawan ng bagong gusali, may mga nag post sa social media malapit sa araw ng inagurasyon ng ospital (pakiwari ko’y sinasadyang nilang naka-acronym ang pangalan ng ospital dahil dalawang beses mababanggit ang salitang “hospital” as in “Laguna Provincial Hospital, San Pedro District Hospital”). Ganito ang Facebook posts na patunay na mababaw ang paglilingkod-pangkalusugan kung meron man:
M.B.D.L: Ang ganda naman (ng larawan). Good job, (gov).
J.S.: Yang lugar na yaan sa loob ng United San Pedro, dati sinimulan ni (gobernadora) at hindi natapos kaya itinuloy ni (gobernador)
L.L.: San po yang LPH-San Pedro District Hosp?
R.S.: Sa may Holiday Homes yan Phase 1
O.R.: Nalibot ko na buong San Pedro walang ganyang Building
O.R.: L.L., dko din alam kung saan banda yan.hahahah
Makikita sa logo ng ospital ang taong 1992. Malapit iyon sa 1990 kung kailan pinirmahan ng noo’y Pangulong Corazon Aquino ang panukalang batas (orihinal na mula sa H. No. 6338). Nasa https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1990/03/09/republic-act-no-6928/ : “Approved on March 9, 1990: An Act establishing a ten-bed municipal hospital in the Municipality of San Pedro, Province of Laguna, to be known as the San Pedro Municipal Hospital, and appropriating funds therefor.”
Ulitin natin: 1990 ipinasa ang batas at merong nakalagay sa logo ng ospital na 1992, kaya ang inagurasyon/implementasyon ay sa pagitan ng 1990 at 1992. Ngunit dahil sa paglalaro (playing around or renaming) ng pangalan ng ospital, nakadaragdag ito sa kalituhan, imbis na pag-usapan ang kalidad ng paglilingkod o kung paano ito mapapaunlad. Pasok ito sa 2012 Annual Audit Report na available sa COA website at nababanggit doon ang palitan ng mga pangalan ng siyam na ospital sa Laguna (pati na rin “retained”, “old” and “new” names) sang-ayon sa Resolution No. 280 s.2012 and Provincial Ordinance No. 9 s.2012.
Sa bagong pangalan, merong inagurasyon? Sa bagong gusali, may bagong bayani ang mga pasyente? Nawa’y magsanib-pwersa ang propesyong medikal sa pampubliko at pribadong sektor, gayundin ang mga nasa “public office” na may kaakibat na “public trust” nang sa gayon, matutukan talaga ang kalagayan ng mga pampublikong pagamutan para sa universal healthcare at mabigyan ng karampatang atensyon ang mga mahihirap nating kababayan.
Ang mga negosyante ay isang natatanging grupo ng mga tao. Hindi lang iba ang iniisip nila, iba din ang kilos nila. Mayroon silang personality traits, habits at mind-sets upang makabuo ng mga ideya na nabubuo sa pagitan ng insanity at genius.
Kung nag iisap ka kung ikaw nga ba ay isang negosyante, basahin ang sumusunod na listahan. Maaaring wala ka ng lahat ng traits at skills na babanggtin dito, ngunit kung meron kahit isa o dalawa, ito ay isang magandang pahiwatig na ikaw ay may dugong negosyante.
Mga senyales na ikaw ay isang entrepreneur:
Nagmula ka sa isang pamilya na hindi nagtrabaho bilang mga empleyado. Ayon sa family history mo, ang isa o parehong mga magulang mo ay self-employed.
Ayaw mo sa status quo. Hindi ka nagtatanong kung bakit ginagawa ng mga tao ang mga bagay na ginagawa nila. Nagsusumikap kang gawing mas mahusay ang mga bagay na ‘yon at handa kang umaksyon para dito.
May tiwala ka sa sarili. May nakilala ka na bang negosyante na pessimistic o may duda sa sarili? Kung wala kang tiwala sa sarili mo, paano pang maniniwala ang iba sa iyo? Karamihan sa mga negosyante ay napaka-optimistiko sa lahat ng bagay sa kanilang paligid. Napapagkamalan silang mayabang pero ang totoo, malakas lang ang tiwala nila sa sarili.
Passionate ka. May mga pagkakataon na umuubos ka ng sobrang na oras kahit hindi ka kumikita ni piso. Ang passion mo ang nagsisilbing fuel sa kakaiba mong drive.
Hindi ka tumatanggap ng ‘hindi’ bilang sagot. Ang isang negosyante ay hindi sumusuko – kailanman.
May kakayahan kang lumikha ng mga hindi inaasahang partnership from scratch dahil sa iyong kakaibang kakayahang mag connect ng dots. Parang may magnet ang personality mo dahil sa nakakahawang passion mo.
Nag uubos ka ng mas maraming oras sa kasosyo mo kaysa sa iyong asawa o significant other.
Nag-drop out ka sa kolehiyo tulad nina Bill Gates, Steve Jobs at Mark Zuckerberg.
Ang araw-araw na biyahe mo ay papunta sa iyong opisina mula sa kwarto hanggang sa sala.
Isa kang lousy na empleyado at malamang na natanggal sa trabaho. Huwag mag-alala, hindi ka nag-iisa. Huwag mong kunin ito bilang isang senyales na ikaw ay isang masamang tao. Minsan nasa DNA mo yan.
Kahit na wala ka ng lahat ng mga katangian sa itaas sa ngayon, malamang na mas mabubuo mo ang mga ito sa paglipas ng panahon. After all, ang pagiging isang negosyante ay lifestyle, hindi isang trabaho o hobby.
Kung sa palagay mo naman ay may dugo kang entrepreneur, ano pang hinihintay mo? Ngayon pa lang ay mag isip ka at mgaplano ng sisimulang negosyo na swak sa passion mo.
An alarm clock is not meant to offend but as a reminder for something we might forget – anniversaries, birthdays, reunions, debts, bills payable, etc. May the sound of revelries and merriments of the new year serve as an alarm clock for all of us to remember our duties and obligations to our families and to society. Start the year right! Abandon bad habits! Avoid toxic people! Love yourself more! Pray without ceasing! Remember God is good all the time. Like the mythical Santa Claus, God “sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you are bad or good so be good for goodness’s sake.”
Some people, especially the elderlies tend to forget many things in their daily activities like keys, eyeglasses, maintenance medicines, even the names of their neighbors. That is part of growing old. The sad part is when progressive dementia sets in because no amount of alarm can bring back their memories. But I guess not all old people suffer from dementia. Many got old but not senile like my grandmother who died at the age of 100. My mother is turning 90 and can still go to the grocery store alone and unguarded. Perhaps senility is hereditary so I have to be thankful it doesn’t run in my blood.
The alarm clock I am talking about is not the literal clock you hang on your wall, or one you place on your bed’s side table, or one you carry on your pocket, but something that reminds you of someone or some events and it comes in many forms – music, photos, voice, scents of perfume, sound of the falling rain, flowers, etc. Believe me, all of these can bring back memories of yesteryears.
I have this penchant of remembering people by the song that I hear. When Luciano Pavarotti and Charlotte Church songs are being played, I remember my son Mike; when it’s hard rock, I can feel Jeff as if he is just beside me. All the people close to me have a particular song in my heart that reminds me of them like an alarm clock. Here are some of them: former Judge Amy Belulia – Monalisa; Palasig – Destiny; Joy Alvero – Are You Lonesome Tonight; Judge Loida Capuno – Knife; Preciosa Macapuso and late Judge Joselito de la Rosa – Saan Ka Man Naroroon; Mayor Vicente B. Amante – Sana’y Wala ng Wakas and Sandy Belarmino – Totoy Bibo.
It may sound crazy but it’s true. Try it. I’m sure you will remember a particular person or event in a particular song or when you are browsing a family photo album. Start with Auld Lang Syne and for sure you will suddenly reminisce about your graduation days in high school and in college and will soon find yourself traveling down memory lane with a smile on your face.
Life could still be hard even during this new year because the pandemic is not yet over and many parts of the country are devastated, but with kindness and hope in our hearts, we can take it as an alarm clock to remind us of our dwindling relationship with God so we can have a better life ahead. Let us all pray for peace and progress in our beloved country.
Have a prosperous New Year.
The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali. Photo Credits: Wikipedia
Virtual Reality (VR), an exciting piece of technology that is currently being ramped up in today’s technological climate. Virtual Reality allows us to experience multiple adventures and worlds that we could not otherwise experience for a variety of reasons. With the human mind being one of the most curious things in the world, it will always try to seek and push the boundaries of what a piece of technology can do. A lot of excitement currently revolves around VR that several companies have developed multiple VR headsets over Augmented Reality (AR).
At first, VR headsets were wire-bound devices and required high spec PCs. As technology got better came the emergence of wireless VR Headsets. The most popular one in the market right now is the Oculus Quest 2. It is a very impressive piece of technology that allows one to experience virtual reality unencumbered by wires which makes it quite exciting, I might add.
Currently, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) and other tech companies are exploring other possible uses of VR other than for entertainment purposes. Research is ongoing as far as developing more advance applications of VR including for medical purposes or possibilities of enhancing the ability to work from home.
The new reality of work from home caused by the pandemic is an area where adaptation of VR can help people communicate with coworkers and interact with them as if they are talking to each other face-to-face. This idea has popped up with so many companies wanting to embrace this form of interaction to save office space and be assured of working safely as far as getting infected by viruses.
During my initial experience with VR, it felt kind of creepy talking to someone whom you know physically occupies a space far from you. By wearing the Oculus Quest 2 Headset and trying several different head movements, you may be able to experience the ability to see the image or avatar of your officemate and be able to talk to them as if they are right next to you. Now, that is pretty cool!
Now let’s focus on what is essentially the meat of the Oculus Quest 2 – the video games. I am going to be reviewing three of these games that are currently available in Oculus Quest 2, namely:
1. Beat Saber
2. Trover Saves the Universe
3. Resident Evil 4 VR
I’ll share with you my experience and how I felt about playing them.
Beat Saber
Beat Saber was the very first game I tried out on the Oculus Quest 2. It is easily one of their best sellers and is the game they use to market the device. Beat Saber is a music rhythm game that involves swinging two sabers to the beat of the music.
This game gives you the really unique sense of immersion. It gives you feeling of being in a long hallway of a club where you see all the different color lights and sound blaring while you swing the sabers at targets. All this while trying to avoid red walls to keep your combo meter up.
Beat Saber is the prime game that every person who wants to try out virtual reality for the first time should play. It gives you an idea of what to expect from the game and how it can immerse you in the game. It has this addictive quality to it that you just want to keep playing while giving you a decent workout with some of the movements you need to make while playing the game.
Beat Saber has a decent soundtrack, but I felt like there was not enough. If you wanted to get more songs, you have to buy them as DLC in order to play them. Another great feature of the game is the community surrounding the game. There is a very active “modding” community that allows users to add in more songs outside the playlist and also customize how the game will look to make it more intense and immersive.
Definitely get this game if you want to experience virtual reality for the first time.
Next week, I’ll talk about “Trover Saves the Universe”. In the meantime, keep on “modding”!
The Quest 2 is not about complicated setups, advanced room-scale tracking systems with body sensors and cable pulleys or complicated multi-tier software compatibility layers to get Leap motion working inside a VR game on a not officially supported platform. It is the polar opposite of that and arguably the best effort we have seen thus far to actually bring VR to the masses by making it more accessible. Credits: GSMArena
Kahit muling napasalang sa malaking panganib dahil sa mabilis na pagtaas ng mga kasong Covid ay nananatiling positibo ang kaisipan at paninindigan ng ating mga health frontliners.
Huling linggo ng Nobyembre 2021 matapos mabalita ang Omicron Variant ng Africa ay naghanda ang bansa sa posibleng pagpasok nito.
Agad tinutukan ang mga clinical studies ng mga bansang naunang nakaranas ng paglaganap ng omicron variant at inalam at sinuri ang mga epekto nito sa kalusugan ng mga pasyente.
Naunang umatake ang Omicron sa ibayong dagat. Ngunit katulad ng ibang naunang variants, pinangambahan natin na papasok at papasok din ito sa Pilipinas. At hindi na nga naiwasan ito dahil sa kawalan ng pag iingat ng maraming naging kampante noong bumaba ang kaso ng active cases sa buong bansa. Naging dahilan ng mabilisang pagdami ng kaso ang pagiging iresponsable ng ilan kagaya ni Poblacion Girl na nag-skip ng quarantine protocols at nag-party.
Maaaring hindi isolated case si Poblacion Girl. Sa umiiral na ugali at kawalang pagpapahalaga sa kaligtasan ng iba ay mayroon pa tayong ilang kababayang tulad ni Poblacion Girl. Sila yaong mga inuuna ang pagsasaya at pagyayabang bilang balikbayan kasukdulang labagin ang health protocols na ipinag uutos ng pamahalaan para sa kaligtasan ng nakaarami.
Sa kabila ng mas pinabigat na hamon, hindi natitinag ang mga health frontliners. Para sa kanila “and’yan na ‘yan at hindi na maibabalik ang nakaraan.” Ang nagdudumilat na katotohanan ngayon ay maaaring si Omicron ay nasa ating tabi na at padapo-dapo na ngayon sa sirkulo ng ating mga kababayan – ito ngayon ang tinututukan.
Bukod sa mabilisang contact tracing at mass testing, isolation at home quarantine at desiminasyon ay lalong pinagbuti ng ating mga health frontliners ang mga mass vaccination programs laban sa Covid-19 sa paniniwalang mas mabilis malalampasan ng bakuna ang pagdurusang idudulot ng panibagong surge ng virus.
May pangamba man ang bawat isa dahil sa pangyayaring ito ay hindi dapat maging malaking hadlang upang makapagpatuloy ang ating Bagong Normal na Pamumuhay. Halos dalawang taon na nating kapiling si Covid-19 subalt ligtas pa rin ang mayoryang mamamayan at ito ay dahil sa positibong kaisipan at paninindigan ng ating mga health frontliners.
Samahan natin ng mataimtim na dasal ang ating mga pagkilos, pagsasakripisyo at pakikipaglaban sa Covid-19.
The revisedOratio Imperata for Protection Against the Covid-19 Virus (CBCP, The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines)
Merciful and compassionate Father, we come to you in our need to seek your protection against the COVID 19 virus that has disturbed and even claimed lives.
We ask you now to look upon us with love and by your healing hand, dispel the fear of sickness and death, restore our hope, and strengthen our faith.
We pray that you guide the people tasked to find cures for this disease and to stem its transmission.
We thank you for the vaccines developed made possible by your guiding hands.
Bless our efforts to use these vaccines to end the pandemic in our country.
We pray for our health workers that they may minister to the sick with competence and compassion.
Grant them health in mind and body, strength in their commitment, protection from the disease.
We pray for those afflicted. May they be restored to health. Protect those who care for them. Grant eternal rest to those who have died.
Give us the grace in these trying times to work for the good of all and to help those in need. May our concern and compassion for each other see us through this crisis
and lead us to conversion and holiness.
Grant all these through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
We fly to Your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petition in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
Natuklasan ng mga French scientist ang isang bagong variant ng Covid na may pansamantalang pangalan na ‘IHU’ na hinihinalang galing sa Cameroon sa west-central Africa.
Ang bagong variant na mula sa lineage ng B.1.640.2 ay pinaniniwalaang nakahawa ng 12 indibidwal sa France, ayon Institute IHU Mederranee Infection, isang research team na sinusuportahan ng French Government. Ang IHU variant ay may 46 na mutasyon at 37 deletions, ayon sa report.
“For twelve SARS-CoV-positive patients living in the same geographical area of southeastern France, qPCR testing that screen for variant-associated mutations showed an atypical combination. However, it is too early to speculate on virological, epidemiological or clinical features of this IHU variant based on these 12 cases,” ayon kay Philippe Colson, ng IHU Mediterranee Infection, Marseille, France.
Ayon sa pag-aaral, ang unang pasyente o index case ay isang fully vaccinated na adult na bumalik sa France kamakailan mula sa Cameroon.
Tatlong araw pagkatapos bumalik ay nagkaroon siya ng banayad na mga sintomas sa paghinga. Ang kanyang nasopharyngeal sample na nakolekta sa kalagitnaan ng Nobyembre 2021, “ay nagsiwalat ng isang hindi tipikal na kumbinasyon na hindi tumutugma sa pattern ng variant ng Delta o ng Omicron, ayon kay Colson.
“The mutation set and phylogenetic position of the genomes obtained here indicate, based on our previous definition, a new variant we named ‘IHU,’ dagdag pa ni Colson.
Idinagdag pa niya na ang mga datos ay “isa pang halimbawa ng unpredictability ng paglitaw ng mga variant ng SARS-CoV-2”.
Gayunpaman, hanggang sa isinusulat ang balitang ito ay wala pang natutukoy na kaso ng IHU sa ibang bansa at hindi pa ito nalagyan ng label na variant of concern ng World Health Organization.
Inatasan ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ang Philippine National Police (PNP) na magsagawa ng surprise visit sa lahat ng Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine (DOH-BOQ) at Department of Tourism (DOT)-accredited quarantine hotels sa bansa dahil sa mga ulat na ang ilanghotel ay nag-aalok ng “absentee-quarantine” arrangements sa mga returning overseas Filipinos.
Sinabi ni DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año kay PNP Chief PGen Dionardo Carlos na magtalaga ng police units sa iba’t ibang quarantine hotels upang magsagawa ng surprise inspections upang malaman kung lahat ng indibidwal na sumasailalim sa quarantine ay talagang nananatili sa mga hotel.
“The DILG through the PNP will help the DOH-BOQ and the DOT in monitoring all individuals subject to quarantine. All those found absent from the facilities will be charged together with the hotel or facility management and staff in cahoots with these individuals,” ayon sa kanya.
Kukunin ng PNP ang mga pangalan ng lahat ng sasailalim sa quarantine mula sa DOH-BOQ at pisikal na susuriin ang kanilang presensya sa mga hotel.
Inatasan din ng DILG Chief ang PNP na tulungan ang local government units (LGUs) sa National Capital Region (NCR) sa pagpapatupad ng 30% indoor capacity at 50% outdoor capacity sa ilalim ng Alert Level 3.
“I have also directed the NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) to do random inspections of all business establishments to make sure that the operational limitations are followed, and only the vaccinated can access restaurants, leisure establishments, malls, public transportation, and similar establishments,” ayon kay Año.
“Well, it looks like the Omicron wave is upon us, ayon kay Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega sa isang panayam noong Lunes habang ang bilang ng Covid-19 active cases ay patuloy na tumataas .
said on Monday seems to be upon the Philippines as the Covid-19 infections continue to increase.
Sinabi ni Vega na ang Pilipinas ay nakararanas ng “steady increase” ng kaso ng Omicron tulad ng nangyari sa buong South Africa at Europe.
“Our numbers have doubled and this is the start and we are very sure that this will peak. When it will crest down and decelerate, we don’t know. But what is very important is that we are prepared for this omicron virus,” ayon sa kanya.
Sa huling dalawang araw, ang Department of Health (DOH) ay nag-ulat ng mahigit na 4,000 na new active cases araw-araw, kabilang ang 4,600 na naitala noong Linggo, ang pinakamataas na impeksyon mula noong maitala ang pinakamababang 168 na new active cases sa bansa na naitala noong Disyembre 21, 2021.
Bagama’t nagdudulot ng banayad na sintomas ang variant ng Omicron, binigyang-diin ng Vega na ang mataas na transmissibility factor nito ay maaaring magresulta sa maraming pasyente.
“We are preparing our health systems capacity, our testing, our isolation so that we are all prepared for another ride in the waves of this Omicron virus.We only have about 115 TTMF beds all over the country. That means if you have an exponential growth in this Omicron, we might have problems in terms of isolation or quarantining these Covid-positive patients,” ayon pa rin kay Vega.
Idinagdag pa niya na inihahanda na rin ng gobyerno ang mga temporary treatment and monitoring facility (TTMFs).
Sa bukod na online media forum noong Lunes, iniulat ni Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire ang 11 imported at tatlong local cases ng Omicron variant. Sa 11 kaso, siyam ang umuuwi sa ibang bansa at wala nagpakita ng malalang sintomas o nagresulta sa pagkamatay dahil sila ay asymptomatic o may banayad na sintomas.
“All reported local Omicron cases – located and traced – have completed the minimum 10-day isolation and have been tagged as recovered prior to the release of the whole genome results,” ayon kay Vergeire.
Health Undersecretary and Treatment Czar Leopoldo Vega. Photo credits: PNA
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