Tag: COVID-19

I Got Vaccinated and My COVID Antibodies Are Off The Roof

Health Buzz

Fatigue started to kick in 12 hours after injection

Yes, I got vaccinated. COVID vaccine that is. It was a personal choice. I know there are still a lot of questions on vaccines that are still left unanswered, but I felt that I needed it. Not want, but need. As I’ve said, it was a choice and respecting the choices that other people make, such as not getting vaccinated, is paramount. As long as we keep our masks on and maintain our distance (even pre-COVID times, there are people who have no concept of personal space), we can all co-exist without prejudice and discrimination. We just need to constantly remind ourselves that we still have the right to decide what’s best for our bodies, yet we also have a responsibility to each other. As the basic law provides, one’s rights end where the rights of another begin (ok, I’m a frustrated lawyer lol).

Which vaccine did I have? I remember last year, around the time of the US election, while I was religiously watching the coverage (I wrote about it in my earlier article “Biden-Harris Presidency: What It Means To The World” https://columbusbee.blog/2020/11/08/biden-harris-presidency-what-it-means-to-the-world/) when in one of its news segments, CNN featured a doctor (or a scientist, can’t exactly remember now) who is part of the team that developed the Moderna vaccine. In the interview, she talked passionately about the work that they did and how much she believes in their product. She was so proud of what they have created that she even volunteered during the clinical trials. I thought that if this person made a conscious choice to get a jab of the vaccine while still on clinical trials and came out unscathed and praising the same, then it must be something good. Days later, I started researching about it, as well as the other types of vaccines (vaccines are based on different technologies, some cutting edge like Moderna and Pfizer, others old school like Johnson&Johnson and AstraZeneca).

So that’s how my love affair with Moderna started. It has always been my first choice, even if Pfizer would eventually beat her to the punch. During the course of my research, I found out that Moderna, along with Pfizer, uses the same mRNA (messenger RNA) technology. So in layman’s terms, what it does is to tell your body to create spike proteins that your natural antibodies would recognize. This spike protein mimics the viral antigen in COVID. So it essentially helps your immune system recognize the virus once you get infected so that the same can develop antibodies that can neutralize the spike protein (as to how, you’ll find out as you read along). It’s like fashion gurus knowing what to do when they see a fashion victim. Like a Meryl Streep to a Anne Hathaway in “The Devil Wore Prada” (alternatively, think of Prada as the spike protein, so conspicuous and recognizable, both original and knock off).

HealthNow app showing Moderna 2nd dose vaccination record. Hope to travel soon and see if this is acceptable digital proof of vaccination.

It took months though before I had the vaccine. Here in the Philippines, there is limited supply of vaccines, so there is a hierarchy in terms of priority groups. I fall under the 4th category, that’s why it took a while before I finally got it (thanks to the company I work for who gave me a slot when the first batch of Moderna vaccines arrived in the country). It was under the private sector vaccination program called COVIDShield and you register thru the HealthNow app. Then you get notified of the vaccination date and time (the date and time for your 2nd dose is also set) as well as location. So off I went to have my first jab on the said date. Other than quite disorganized (before going, you register thru the app where you will receive a QR code that can be scanned for your details when you get to the vaccination site, only to end up queuing and waiting because everyone has to go thru registration again), it was uneventful.

What was eventful though was what happened after. A few hours later, I felt numbness then pain on the injection site. Fatigue started to kick in about 12 hours after injection and you would feel feverish, tired, and sluggish for the next 12 hours. In my case, since the side effects manifested at night time, I was able to sleep it thru the night that when I woke up the next day, I realized that I have slept for more than 10 hours (I rarely have that much sleep nowadays). The pain on the injection site lasted for a few more days. Then before the first week since the jab ended, I had another bout with that feverish feeling. I thought it might be my immune system developing more antibodies.

When the time came for my 2nd dose (4 weeks or not less than 28 days between doses for Moderna), I kinda knew already what to expect, so off I went for round two. This time it was easy breezy, where I just presented the COVIDShield vaccination card that was issued during the 1st dose and they printed another card issued by the local government probably to signify that the private sector vaccination records are also captured in the government/public vaccination records. After which I was seated to be injected. There are a few things that you may opt to be particular about while in the midst of being injected during each dose. First is to check the vial for the brand name (I see Moderna label). It would be nice also to see the health practitioner shaking the vial so that the contents become cloudy and white. I also appreciate during my 1st dose that the health practitioner showed me that the syringe contains the correct dosage (0.5 ml) of the vaccine before injecting and that the syringe is empty after. These little details actually help ensure that you get not only the vaccine of choice but also the right amount of the same. There are a lot of documented errors during vaccination, such as the highly publicized local incident where the syringe wasn’t emptied by the health practitioner and those in the US, from vaccine dilution errors (there is no dilution needed for Moderna, unlike Pfizer where each vial still needs to be diluted making it susceptible to errors, where you may end up with either more of the vaccine or less of it) to look-alike product mix-up.

An article I stumbled upon about vaccination errors. With health at risk and limited vaccine supply, we can’t afford not to get it right the first time.

Then the side effects. I actually anticipated the potential side effects that I took some days off from work (I still have a lot of leaves so I might as well use them). I knew it’s gonna be worse than the first one, and true to form, Moderna delivered. Like groundhog day (or deja vu if you like that one better), fatigue sets in after a few hours, then the pain in the injection site. About 12 hours after injection, instead of feeling feverish, I was burning with fever (I can’t even remember the last time I had high fever) and chills that I have to wear a bathrobe over my clothes even after I turned off the aircon (and this is in a tropical country where it is very humid during this time of the year) just to keep me warm. It was like that the whole night and I was only able to sleep in the wee hours of the morning when the fever started to subside. I was still feeling feverish, tired, and sluggish on the second day, not to mention the excruciating pain on the injection area. My mistake was that I took the 2nd jab on my right arm (not left as incorrectly keyed in the app), which makes it painful and difficult to move if you’re right-handed. I only started to feel better on the third day.

What does this experience mean to me? Simple. It means that the 1st dose was effective. From my readings, the 1st dose is crucial given that it’s what they called the “primary” shot (that’s why it is uber important that you got the 1st dose right). It is the dose that gets introduced in your system for the first time. The reason why your body didn’t react as much is because it takes time for the body to develop antibodies that can neutralize the new viral antigen (spike protein). That’s also probably the reason why Moderna is very particular about the intervals between doses (not less than 28 days but not more than 42 days). You need to give your immune system time for antibodies to peak as well as not wait too long for the antibodies to decline. Moderna vaccine can already provide you protection 14 days after the 1st dose, but you would still need the 2nd dose which is what they called the “booster.” This 2nd dose is what completes the vaccination. The reason why your body did react as much is because you already developed antibodies from the 1st dose and your immune system is now active that causes you to experience all these side effects (and this is why the 1st dose was effective), boosting your immunity against the viral antigen. Think of it like Meryl Streep was already effective in repelling Anne Hathaway, but you still need an Emily Blunt to make her feel more like a fashion outcast.

I came across this ad while looking for a post-vaccination test that can determine whether I’m protected or not. This is the test that I took 3 weeks after my 2nd dose.

To prove my point, I took this COVID S-Antibodies (spike protein antibodies) quantitative test when I came across it. There are two types of tests out there, one is quantitative which depending on the technique or method, would detect the amount of antibodies in your system while the other is qualitative, which just detects whether you are positive (reactive) for antibodies or not (non-reactive) and can’t be used to determine the amount of antibodies. Why is this distinction important? My reason for taking the test (aside from proving a point) is to know not only if I have the antibodies (positive or reactive) but whether I have enough protection after being fully vaccinated. In order for me to know that, I need to understand first what is the protection threshold level which I can use as benchmark against the amount of antibodies that I have.

There is this Youtube video of Dr. Been where he talked about antibody levels that are necessary for COVID protection. It is very informative and that became the source of benchmark level that I can use to compare against the quantitative test results. Going into the test, I know that the technique or method that will be used is one that measures antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the viral antigen (I found out after getting my test results that the method used was ECLIA or Electrochemilluminescence Immunoassay by Roche Diagnostics). In layman’s terms, in order for the virus to infect a cell, it needs to bind itself first to the cell, like a parasite (that’s why I always see viruses as parasites). That’s why viruses cannot survive long once they are outside of our bodies (such as when we sneeze or cough) since their host cells will die eventually. Our antibodies do the same by binding to the viral antigen. That binding strength increases over time, or what they call affinity maturation. Which means that high-affinity antibodies will have strong neutralizing capacity against the viral antigen particularly if directed on the RBD to prevent the virus from binding to the healthy cells. This particular test quantifies the amount of such antibodies.

(Top) Dr. Been Youtube video where he talked about protection threshold levels; (below) testing technique/method used (ECLIA) in the quantitative test that I took

Per Dr Been, the protective threshold level for RBD is 100 U/mL. However, such level is based on another quantitative technique called ELISA or Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay. Though there’s a study which results show that there is no significant quantitative correlation between the two testing techniques, I would like to think that since the two are the most commonly used techniques to detect antibodies, the RBD ELISA protection threshold level of 100 U/mL may still be applicable to ECLIA given that at the end of the day, both tests measure the amount of specific antibodies in the blood, which in this case are the high-affinity antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein RBD..

So how did my immune system fare? Well, not bad. As the title suggests, my COVID antibodies are off the roof! My high-affinity antibodies against the spike protein RBD are more than 2500 U/mL (compared to the RBD protection threshold of 100 U/mL). There’s a comment in my test results that says “Value obtained is above machine detection limit of 2500 U/mL.” I guess my high-affinity antibodies broke the machine. Funny coz aside from the comment, there’s another note that says “Specimen rechecked, results verified.” Maybe the medical technologist, quality control, and pathologist who all signed the results were dumbfounded. Even I was dumbfounded when I read the results and the comments/notes. Coz not only did it prove my point earlier about the effectiveness of the 1st dose and how the 2nd dose boosted the immune response, but I was also not prepared to acknowledge that my immune system is a superstar (the Meryl Streep of immune systems lol). I know that each person’s immunity is different and each person’s immune response to the vaccine varies, but I guess I could proudly say now that I made the right choice. No wonder why that doctor/scientist that helped develop the vaccine was heaping praises on the effectiveness of Moderna. It simply works.

My test results showed that my high-affinity antibody level broke the machine (lol)

Of course, continue to work on your immunity. Keep your immune system in tip top shape. I wrote about how I keep my immunity in check (“My Gut Feel Against The Virus” https://columbusbee.blog/2020/03/28/my-gut-feel-against-the-virus/) but take it easy on the probiotics particularly if you suspect you have SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth). I learned it the hard way (which is a topic for another article) but as mentioned in that article, I continue to listen to my body. I suggest you do too.

Make that choice today. Regardless what that is, be safe always.

Dogs and Mental Health: Meet Cotton (Maltese) and Candy (Phantom Toy Poodle)

Health Buzz

Cotton (maltese) and Candy (phantom toy poodle) sleeping in the same position. Isn’t that adorable?

The year 2020 has been one of the most constrained where we have experienced (and continue to experience) how the COVID pandemic has seized our everyday lives. I have written a few articles on COVID (https://columbusbee.blog/2020/03/28/my-gut-feel-against-the-virus/ and https://columbusbee.blog/2020/04/22/the-day-the-world-stood-still/) as well as how it impacted our lives (https://columbusbee.blog/2020/07/25/life-is-a-beach-first-of-two-parts/ and https://columbusbee.blog/2020/09/07/life-is-a-beach-second-of-two-parts/) but I haven’t really touched on how the same has affected our mental health. There is no denying that the restricted freedom, fear of contracting the disease, anxiety of what the future holds, paranoia that every single person you meet outside may be a potential carrier, and depressing news splash on our faces every waking hour (I dread reading the papers nowadays, anticipating what new inequities and abuses are committed during these trying times) are just some of the stuff that messes up our heads. Not to mention those who worry where to get their next meal, when they can find work again or get their business up and running, and how they can get basic services such as medical attention given the roundabouts that they have to go thru to meet these necessities only add up to the mental toll. Depression is real, each and every one of us is vulnerable.

Cotton and I meeting a friend at Starbucks

We use only about 10% of our brains and depression and anxiety occupying so much space do not make a healthy, balanced mind. It’s madness, right? How much more if one is already suffering from a fragile head? We may have our own coping mechanism, but what about those who do not know how to cope at all? Shrinks are expensive, and the concept of going to the shrink in a third world country is non-existent, the mere idea can be met with contempt. I remember that when Miriam’s (https://columbusbee.blog/2019/09/21/remembering-miriam-defensor-santiago/) meeting with a shrink in the US was dug up and used by her political opponents against her during the 1992 Philippine presidential election by unfairly branding her as “Brenda” (brain damaged) that partly costs her the presidency, such ignorance would be offensive by today’s standards (but gives me comfort and hope that a quarter of a century later, this somewhat parochial and bigoted third world civilization has evolved and started to embrace the worldly view that taking care of one’s mental health is nothing different than looking after one’s physical health, that it is ok not to be ok). Shaming people for seeking help should never be tolerated, much more use against them for shameless gains.

Candy and I waiting for our turn at the vet clinic. Isn’t she pretty?

My global manager once asked me how I was coping with the lockdown, knowing fully well that I love to travel. I told him that all my flights, both local and international, have been cancelled. As I’ve mentioned in one of my articles (https://columbusbee.blog/2020/02/23/italy-how-thou-i-love-thee-let-me-count-the-ways-part-1-of-2/), my feng shui for 2020 forecasted that my spirit essence is weak (which actually was true, where there were points in time last year where I doubted myself and my capabilities) and lots of travels were encouraged to lift up my spirits. I was due for a European tour last May, partly to do some soul searching and enriching by returning to Assisi on a supposed brief spiritual retreat. That didn’t happen, same with some local travels that were also booked. I then realized that I didn’t really answer his question, where all I can muster was to say “same old, same old.” This is now my opportunity to share how I am coping with the pandemic (hope he reads this) and how I’m taking care of my mental health.

Cotton and Candy when they were still a few weeks old

I just got my Fortune and Feng Shui book for 2021 and it says that both my life force and spirit essence would be very weak. From a mental health perspective, that does not sound very good. But same as last year, I cope with by writing thru this blog. It helps me unload my thoughts, views, and perspective, which I personally believe frees up space in my brain in the same manner as how we unburden ourselves emotionally thru sharing our problems with family and friends. Not only that it helps make space for something positive, but also the psychological effect when good comments flow in, such as the one below that was posted in the blog today. Telling someone that he has a gift is a gift itself, like a ray of light in an otherwise dark and gloomy skies. Imagine how that appreciation affects me mentally.

I learned from an early age that having dogs bring a different kind of happiness. Happiness is a state of mind, and what more gives us happiness than unconditional love. Dogs do that. They give us unconditional love and so much joy (particularly during puppy stage) that they won’t be called man’s best friend for nothing. That’s why it pains us when they passed on, which in my case, took me about a couple of years before I got my furbabies in 2020 since the last one, and more than a decade past before I got the last one. Knowing that the prospect of travel in 2020 is bleak, I decided to get myself a loyal companion to lift up my spirits and went for a maltese. His name is Cotton.

Cotton in his pen, yawning. Isn’t he a handsome pup?

Having been a quarantine furbaby, Cotton hasn’t developed a sociable personality. Though he considers my apartment as his kingdom where he reigns supreme, outside, he’s very shy, nervous, and timid. When I brought him to my sister’s place to play with his cousins (my sis has a maltese and a mini poodle), he just stayed in one corner, head down, and unmoving, even when his cousins were trying to play with him. When I first brought him to the groomers, the attendant told me that he just lied flat on his tummy while being bathed, like in a submissive position, afraid to stand up. When I brought him to meet a friend, he just lied on the floor the whole time that me and my friend were having our Starbucks drinks. I’m afraid he’s going to be a social pariah.

Cousins Finn (maltese) and Teddy (mini poodle)

Then I realized that Cotton may be supporting my mental health but I’m not doing anything for his. That’s when I decided to get his companion and went for a toy poodle. Her name is Candy. On the way home when I got her, she connected right away. She was sweet and licked my arm while lying on my lap. Unlike Cotton though, the first few days at home were hard and difficult for me coz she has been excreting liquid poop (yes, as in watery discharge) that I have to clean up the mess first thing when I wake up in the morning and when I get back from work in the evening. Cleaning up does not only mean wiping the floor and disinfecting, but also washing the paws. Worried that she has been suffering from diarrhea for days since I got her (I initially thought that she was just stressed out from her new environment as well as it might be due to a change in dog food), I decided to bring her to the vet to have her checked and tested and that’s when I learned that she contracted coronavirus.

Twin test results of Candy. Top bar is for parvovirus (single line means negative) and bottom bar is for coronavirus (double means positive).

You might think, “Oh no, COVID!,” and that I may also have contracted it too. Nope, it’s not COVID, and no, I don’t have it. Coronavirus in dogs (canine coronavirus is the more appropriate name) is different than what we humans have. Whilst the virus looks similar (with spikes that look like those in a crown, hence the term corona), the strain only infects dogs where the digestive system becomes compromised (unlike in humans where it’s the respiratory system that gets affected). It’s not contagious to humans but can get passed on to other dogs (which I suspect she got when she was staying with the seller awaiting delivery where there were other puppies as well from different breeders for rehoming). Good thing Cotton did not contract it, given that both have shared a pen for a few days. During that first visit to the clinic, the vet said that the virus is self-limiting, meaning that it will just clear on its own in a few days or weeks since just like any viral infection, there is no cure (only prevention thru vaccines). So she prescribed some dog food made specially for digestive care as well as probiotics (yes, dogs need probiotics too). But her condition worsened, where not only her diarrhea has not stopped, but also vomited her food, became lethargic, and lost her appetite (she has a huge appetite earlier, even when she already has the virus). So I decided to confine her in the animal hospital where fluids and minerals can be administered thru IV (intravenous) to keep her constantly hydrated, with occasional forced feeding (as she refused to eat) to get some food to her stomach, and to manage the symptoms thru antibiotics (antibiotics do not kill viruses, it only manages the symptoms such as diarrhea).

(Left) First few days of Candy on hospital confinement; (right) last few days in the hospital where she has regained some of her strength and good spirits

Ten days of confinement later, she was discharged and I brought her home. Poor Candy, she spent her 10th-11th week (since birth) being sick and 11th-12th week on hospital confinement. I was just glad and relieved not only that she tested negative for parvovirus (that’s the most deadly infection among dogs, my last one a couple years back died of parvo) but her coronavirus has cleared. Her poop also started to form. I never thought I would be so happy to see solid poop. She has regained her appetite and she was back in her playful mood. Cotton was also glad she was back.

Candy on the vet table for her shots

You might be wondering, with all these stuff that I have to go thru, worrying about my dogs ability to socialize or when they get sick or the day-to-day handling of their needs while also going to the office to work, how would that help me with my mental health? Isn’t that something more to concern about that one is better off without? True that it requires a lot, both physically and financially (you need to have a budget for the upkeep), but what they do for me mentally and emotionally is very much rewarding. I don’t see caring for my furbabies as a mental burden. I see it as a way to fill my thoughts and emotions with something more than stuff that makes up a depression. I would rather fill that space in my brain with more of these types of worries and concerns, than let it sink deeper into black hole or oblivion as a consequence of the lockdown and/or the stress that comes from work. Caring is loving (and holds true conversely), and what more puts us in a blissful state than love? Knowing that you can still find or give love during these dark times? The unconditional love that these furbabies give back is just gravy.

Resting after some rough play

So as we usher the new year, think about your own mental health, how to achieve that balanced mind. A healthy mind and body, as well as soul, make whole, complete self. If you think and feel incomplete (regardless whether you’re single, married, “it’s complicated” but still find yourself thinking that there’s still something missing in your life), then maybe God created dogs to fill the void. You can then say to your furbabies “you complete me.” They will still love you back even if they have no idea what you’re talking about.

The Day The World Stood Still

Health, Movie, and Positivity Buzz

New York, the current epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic in the Americas

A few days ago, the movie “The Day The Earth Stood Still” was shown on HBO. It’s probably the nth time I’ve seen it, not so much because I’m a sci-fi fan, but I truly like the message of the movie. Its reruns during these times have made the messaging more relevant, given that we are faced with a similar crisis. In this 2008 film, headlined by Keannu Reeves (popularly known for movies like Matrix trilogy and the more recent John Wick franchise) and Jennifer Connelly (wife of actor Paul Bettany a.k.a Vision and seen recently in Alita: Battle Angel), an alien adapts a human body (Reeves) with the sole intent to decide on whether mankind is worth saving or need to be annihilated (for all its crimes against both nature and humanity). Along with him came a weapon of mass destruction and spheres that will serve as shelter where animals can take refuge while the earth is being ravaged by locust-like alien creatures until no terrestrial being is left standing. Sounds biblical (Noah’s Ark) and its reference to it only shows how fiction imitates life. So scientists were gathered, among which is Connelly’s character, where she ended up helping Reeves escape when authorities tried to contain him. The crisis escalated when authorities tried to employ military solution on an otherwise scientific (and to some degree philosophical) issue. With this current COVID-19 crisis, it’s sort of life imitating fiction.

One of my favorite cities in the world. To New Yorkers, my heart goes out to all of you. Hang in there. This too shall pass.

So why am I talking about this movie during this time? While running from authorities, Reeves alien character started to understand human behavior. Towards the end of the movie, he learned that there is another side to us. While we can be destructive, we are also capable of change. While we can be selfish and always think of our own self-preservation, we can also love unconditionally and possess empathy, concepts that may be vague to aliens as these are not meant to be understood but to be felt. The message of the film is that in spite of our shortcomings, we can still change for the better. That in spite of human frailty, our emotional and sociological make up set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. This is very pertinent and relevant as we are dealing with a health crisis right now. You can look at the alien as the coronavirus trying to annihilate us all, unless we learn how to properly and appropriately deal with it (in the same way that Connelly’s character dealt with Reeves’) and the changes we have to make to survive the crisis.

Global COVID-19 pandemic as of April 22 (Johns Hopkins University)

Knowing how to deal with the crisis and the changes that we have to do will only be meaningful if we acknowledge how this crisis started. I came across the World Health Organization (WHO) timeline in its website (https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-04-2020-who-timeline—covid-19) which was last updated on April 12 and also stumbled upon a link that shows a more detailed timeline that fills the gaps in WHO’s account of events. This link directed me to an article published by Hudson Institute in its website (https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline) that was last updated on April 15. Wary of its credibility since it is the first time I’ve heard of this organization, I tried to check its reliability and was able to find a fact check site that rated articles published by this non-profit, conservative right biased U.S. think tank to be highly factual (https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/hudson-institute/). So below are the extracts from both WHO and Hudson Institute timelines (you can check out the sites for the full timelines) that I tried to piece together (verbatim) to get some sense out of what actually transpired these past few months.

Nov. 17: A 55-year-old resident from Hubei province contracts COVID-19, according to data seen by the South China Morning Post, possibly the first coronavirus case. (Hudson) 

Dec. 1: The first coronavirus case now recognized by Chinese authorities is recorded in a Wuhan hospital. The patient was initially suspected to have been infected by an animal (likely a bat) in the Huanan Seafood Market, a narrative now in dispute as researchers propound alternative origins, including that lax security procedures in the Wuhan Institute of Virology led to its escape. (Hudson)

Dec. 8: The first suspected human-to-human transmission is recorded by Wuhan doctors. A patient is observed to have the virus but denies ever visiting the seafood market. (Hudson)

Dec. 25: Wuhan doctors suspect disease transmission from patients to medical staff, further evidence of human-to-human transmission and the first instance of a threat to healthcare workers. Wuhan hospitals have experienced a steady rise in infections since the first cases. (Hudson)

Dec. 27: A Guangzhou-based genomics company sequences most of the virus, showing an “alarming similarity to…SARS.” Samples of the virus are distributed to at least six other genomics companies for testing. (Hudson)

Dec. 31: Taiwanese public health officials warn the World Health Organization (WHO) that the virus is spreading between humans. The WHO never publicizes the warning. (Hudson)

Dec. 31: The same day, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission declares that it has no evidence of human-to-human transmission and informs the WHO of the outbreak. (Hudon). Per WHO, China reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province. A novel coronavirus was eventually identified. (WHO)

Jan. 1: The Wuhan Public Security Bureau summons eight people to its headquarters, including Dr. Li Wenliang, who initially warned the public about the virus, accusing them of spreading “hoaxes.” Dr. Li signs a statement confessing to his “misdemeanor.” The fate of the other seven is unknown. (Hudson)

Jan. 1: An official at the Hubei Provincial Health Commission orders a genomics company to cease “testing samples from Wuhan and to destroy all existing samples.” The company’s labs had sequenced the virus’s genetic code in December with results suggesting a highly infectious virus similar to SARS. (Hudson)

Jan. 1: WHO had set up the IMST (Incident Management Support Team) across the three levels of the organization: headquarters, regional headquarters and country level, putting the organization on an emergency footing for dealing with the outbreak. (WHO)

Jan. 3: China’s National Health Commission (NHC) orders institutions “not to publish any information related to the unknown disease” and orders labs to “transfer any samples they had to designated testing institutions or to destroy them.” The order did not specify any testing institutions. (Hudson)

Jan. 3: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Robert Redfield receives reports on the novel coronavirus from Chinese colleagues. The chief of staff to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar informs the National Security Council. (Hudson)

Jan. 4: WHO reported on social media that there was a cluster of pneumonia cases – with no deaths – in Wuhan, Hubei province. (WHO)

Jan. 5: WHO published its first Disease Outbreak News on the new virus. This is a flagship technical publication to the scientific and public health community as well as global media. It contained a risk assessment and advice, and reported on what China had told the organization about the status of patients and the public health response on the cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. (WHO)

Jan. 5: Six days after its China Country office was “informed of cases of pneumonia with unknown etiology” in Wuhan, the WHO “advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China based on the information available on this event.” (Hudson)

Jan. 9: Chinese authorities announce publicly that a novel coronavirus was behind the recent viral pneumonia outbreak. (Hudson)

Jan. 9: Xinhua News Agency first reports on the outbreak. (Hudson)

Jan. 10: WHO issued a comprehensive package of technical guidance online with advice to all countries on how to detect, test and manage potential cases, based on what was known about the virus at the time. This guidance was shared with WHO’s regional emergency directors to share with WHO representatives in countries. 

Based on experience with SARS and MERS and known modes of transmission of respiratory viruses, infection and prevention control guidance were published to protect health workers recommending droplet and contact precautions when caring for patients, and airborne precautions for aerosol generating procedures conducted by health workers. (WHO)

Jan. 11: China reports its first known death due to the virus. (Hudson)

Jan. 12: Chinese authorities share the virus’s genome with the rest of the world. (Hudson)

Jan. 13: The first case outside China is reported Thailand. (Hudson)

Global COVID-19 confirmed cases by country and by city as of April 22 (Johns Hopkins University)

Jan. 14: Nearly six weeks after Wuhan doctors raise the possibility of human-to-human transmission, the WHO issues a statement stressing that Chinese authorities recorded no cases of human-to-human transmission. (Hudson)

Jan. 14: WHO’s technical lead for the response noted in a press briefing there may have been limited human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus (in the 41 confirmed cases), mainly through family members, and that there was a risk of a possible wider outbreak. The lead also said that human-to-human transmission would not be surprising given our experience with SARS, MERS and other respiratory pathogens. (WHO)

Jan. 14: Hubei Provincial officials hold a teleconference with Ma Xiaowei, the head of China’s National Health Commission, who details the threat posed by the new virus. A memo from the teleconference raises the possibility of human-to-human transmission. (Hudson)

Jan. 15: Japan records its first case of coronavirus. (Hudson)

Jan. 15: China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing initiates internally its highest-level emergency response, which includes directions to hospitals to take protective precautions and to begin tracking cases. The directions are marked “not to be publicly disclosed.” (Hudson)

Jan. 18: Wuhan authorities allow nearly 40,000 to gather for the Lunar New Year celebration. (Hudson)

Jan. 20: Dr. Zhong Nanshan, a leading authority on respiratory health who came to attention for his role fighting SARS, confirms that the disease spreads from person-to-person. The head of China’s NHC investigatory team also confirms cases of human-to-human transmission in Guangdong province, indicating spread between provinces. (Hudson)

Jan. 20-21: WHO experts from its China and Western Pacific regional offices conducted a brief field visit to Wuhan. (WHO)

Jan. 21: The CDC confirms the first American case, a Washington resident who had returned from China six days earlier. (Hudson)

Jan. 22: WHO mission to China issued a statement saying that there was evidence of human-to-human transmission in Wuhan but more investigation was needed to understand the full extent of transmission. (WHO)

Jan. 22-23: The WHO Director- General convened an Emergency Committee (EC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) to assess whether the outbreak constituted a public health emergency of international concern. The independent members from around the world could not reach a consensus based on the evidence available at the time. They asked to be reconvened within 10 days after receiving more information. (WHO)

Jan. 23: Chinese authorities announce first steps for their lockdown of the city of Wuhan. Travel from Wuhan to other countries continues uninhibited until group restrictions are put in place on Jan. 27. (Hudson)

Jan. 24: France records Europe’s first and second cases. (Hudson)

Jan. 25: Australia and Canada record their first coronavirus cases. (Hudson)

Jan. 27: The Chinese government suspends group travel to foreign countries (individuals would still travel abroad unencumbered), three days after massive outbound traffic begins for the Lunar New Year. Over those days, travelers journeyed to Japan, South Korea, the United States, Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and South America. (Hudson)

Jan. 28: A senior WHO delegation led by the Director-General travelled to Beijing to meet China’s leadership, learn more about China’s response, and to offer any technical assistance. 

While in Beijing, Dr. Tedros agreed with Chinese government leaders that an international team of leading scientists would travel to China on a mission to better understand the context, the overall response, and exchange information and experience. (WHO)

Jan. 30: The WHO declares the coronavirus a global health emergency, while expressing confidence in “China’s capacity to control the outbreak.” The organization recommends against border closures, visa restrictions, and quarantining of healthy visitors from affected regions. (Hudson)

Jan. 30: Several provinces and cities extend the Lunar New Year holiday until at least February 13 to halt commerce and travel. (Hudson)

Feb. 1: Responding to the prior day’s announcement that the United States would suspend entry of foreign nationals who had visited China, Chinese officials criticize the move as “neither based in fact nor helpful” and “certainly not a gesture of goodwill.” (Hudson)

Feb. 2: The first coronavirus death outside China is reported: a 44-year-old man in the Philippines. (Hudson)

Feb. 3: WHO releases the international community’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to help protect states with weaker health systems. (WHO)

Feb. 5: The Chinese embassy in Canberra criticizes Australia’s travel ban on entries from mainland China. (Hudson)

Feb. 7: Dr. Li Wenliang, considered by the Chinese public to be the foremost champion of spreading information about coronavirus, succumbs to the virus at the age of 33. His death leads to an outpouring of national anger over information suppression. (Hudson)

Global COVID-19 deaths and recovered as of April 22 (Johns Hopkins University)

Feb. 7: Shortly after Dr. Li’s death, the hashtag “#wewantfreedomofspeech” trends on Chinese social media platform, Weibo. The same day, along with other related topics, it is deleted by censors. (Hudson)

Feb. 11-12: WHO convened a Research and Innovation Forum on COVID-19, attended by more than 400 experts and funders from around the world, which included presentations by George Gao, Director General of China CDC, and Zunyou Wu, China CDC’s chief epidemiologist. (WHO)

Feb. 14: France reports the first coronavirus death in Europe: an 80-year-old Chinese tourist. (Hudson)

Feb. 16-24: The WHO-China Joint mission, which included experts from Canada, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore and the US (CDC, NIH) spent time in Beijing and also travelled to Wuhan and two other cities. They spoke with health officials, scientists and health workers in health facilities (maintaining physical distancing). (WHO)

Feb. 19: China expels three Wall Street Journal reporters in response to an op-ed headline. (Hudson)

Feb. 21: Iran reports its first coronavirus cases from an unknown source. (Hudson)

Feb. 23: Italy first reports a major surge in coronavirus cases; Codogno, near Milan, becomes the first Italian town to lock itself down. (Hudson)

Feb. 26: A São Paolo man, recently returned from a trip to Italy, becomes the first coronavirus case in Latin America, according to Brazilian health officials. (Hudson)

Feb. 28: Nigeria confirms the first coronavirus case in Sub-Saharan Africa, a businessman traveling from Milan to Lagos. (Hudson)

Feb. 29: The United States reports its first coronavirus death, a patient near Seattle. (Hudson)

Mar. 11: Deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction, WHO made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. (WHO)

Mar. 12: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian insinuates in a tweet that COVID-19 originated in America and was spread to China by the United States military. (Hudson)

Mar. 14: Friends of Chinese businessman Ren Zhiqiang report that he has disappeared. Ren had authored an essay blasting the CCP for its slow response to the outbreak, blaming its speech restrictions for exacerbating the crisis. (Hudson)

Mar. 16: WHO and partners launch the Solidarity Trial, an international clinical trial that aims to generate robust data from around the world to find the most effective treatments for COVID-19. (Hudson)

Mar. 18: China revokes press credentials from Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post reporters. (Hudson)

Mar. 21: Chinese state media outlets circulate reports that “an unexplained strain of pneumonia” may have originated in Italy late in 2019. (Hudson)

Mar. 23: The Hubei Provincial government lifts restrictions on Hubei Province, with the exception of Wuhan. (Hudson)

Mar. 26: Spanish microbiologists report that tests sent to Spain by the CCP detected positive COVID-19 cases only 30% of the time. (Hudson)

Mar. 26: Researchers from University Hospital Ostrava in the Czech Republic report that 80% of the coronavirus antibody test kits received from the Chinese government were defective, likely because antibody tests cannot detect the illness in its early stages. (Hudson)

Mar. 29: The Dutch Health Ministry recalls over 600,000 faulty medical masks received from the Chinese government. (Hudson)

Mar. 31: The Chinese Health Commission admits it has been omitting asymptomatic cases of coronavirus to date and will begin including asymptomatic carriers in its daily counts. (Hudson)

Apr. 14: The Washington Post reports that, in 2018, U.S. Embassy officials sent official warnings to Washington after visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology. One cable concerned the Institute’s research on bat coronaviruses and warned that their potential transmission “represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic.” (Hudson)

Apr. 15: Sources report that the growing consensus among U.S. officials is that the virus originated in a unit studying bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is central to China’s effort to become the global leader in identifying and combating viral outbreaks. (Hudson)

Photo courtesy of Mike Massie

Just like in the movie, the fear of the unknown pervaded the atmosphere, where man’s destructive nature has manifested. Why was the information on the virus and its potential transmission contained from the rest of the world in the early days of contagion? It was not until Jan 14 when WHO technical lead acknowledged that there may be limited transmission. That was more than a month since Chinese doctors first suspected of human-to-human transmission on Dec 8. Those five (5) weeks were crucial, where time is a function of viral transmission and that the spread would definitely have multiplier effect. Why were 40,000 people in Wuhan allowed to gather for the Lunar New Year celebration, six (6) weeks after the first suspected transmission? It reminds me of Philadelphia’s Liberty Loan Parade of September 1918 (featured in National Geographic channel), where more than a week into the Spanish flu virus spread among 600 sailors, the state didn’t cancel the parade and went on with it on September 28 that attracted some 200,000 people (story is also on CNN.com). Philadelphia ended up with more than 12,000 deaths and about 47,000 reported cases in six weeks. A century and a year later, seems like history repeated itself.

Still, the alien (in this case the virus) lives with us. Why did WHO recommended against border closure or travel ban more than two (2) weeks after its technical lead announced that there may be ‘limited transmission’ (a term that, in the context of a flu-like illness, is borderline oxymoron)? How did WHO utilize the information it received from Taiwan on Dec 31 about the potential human-to-human transmission? What did governments of countries with weak health systems do after WHO released the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan on Feb 3?

There are lots of questions which would likely be left unanswered. One bright spot though was Dr. Li Wenliang. Just like Connelly’s character, Dr. Li tried to understand the alien (in this case the virus), defied and went against the foreign secretary (played by Academy award winner Kathy Bates) and the military (in this case the Chinese authorities) and changed the outcome by facing the crisis with courage, conviction, sense of humanity, and a heart. Like Connelly’s character, Dr. Li became a hero to the world. Unlike Connelly’s character who lives in the hands of the alien, Dr. Li died in the hands of the virus.

(Left) Jennifer Connelly, plays the fictional heroine in the movie who saved the world from total annihilation; (right) Dr. Li Wenliang, the real life hero and whistleblower who succumbed to the same virus he tried to protect the world from. Our prayers are with you and your family.

There are lessons to be learned by just simply going through these series of events. Like anything else, information is key. I can find solutions to a problem if I have all the pertinent and relevant information that I need. Censorship may be a norm under authoritarian regimes, but during these health crises, nothing can be achieved if vital information is suppressed or withheld. Time is of the essence, where the sooner we acknowledge the problem and share essential information, the better the likelihood of a positive outcome. We can set aside ideological differences for the sake of international cooperation. Politics has no space in crisis like this, much more disinformation, especially when lives are at stake. We can prove that in spite of our destructive nature, there is still that other side to us, where we can still care for and look after each other. A watershed opportunity for us to change.

I’m looking forward to the day that the world would stand still and reflect on what we have done (sin of commission) and haven’t done (sin of omission). That day when we accept our mistakes and missteps, that we are our own worst enemy (and not the virus). That day when we start to believe that we can potentially become the virus of future past. Not until we own up to and be held accountable for our sins and frailties that we can truly move on and heal as one.

My Gut Feel Against The Virus

Health and Positivity Buzz

(Disclaimer: The blogger is not a doctor, microbiologist, virologist, or homeopathic specialist. He is none of such kind. What you will read in this article comes from his own personal experience and common sense.)

Italy, the current epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. My heart goes out to all of you.

During these past few days that I have been on self-quarantine (only goes out to buy food and groceries but always with a mask and alcohol spray on hand not only to protect myself but also to protect others), I’m besieged with both heartwarming and disappointing news. I was already set to write an article with working title “The Politics of Toilet Paper” which would be about how a health crisis (or any other crises for that matter) brings out the best and the worst in us. On second thought though, what good will that article bring during this time when COVID-19 cases are rising and lives taken? So such article may not be appropriate at this time that I have to rethink that one. In the meantime I have been wondering how I can help in my own little way through this blog.

What drove me into writing this article instead was the news of the death of the Dad of someone I know. He died before knowing that he tested positive of COVID-19. Because of quarantine protocols, his family wasn’t able to say goodbye as his remains have to be cremated right away. I know the feeling. I went thru a similar situation where I wasn’t able to say goodbye when a loved one passed on. Believe me, I went through all the phases: grief, sorrow, anger, denial, depression, and eventually acceptance. It is only through the latter that one can truly move on. It’s not easy, but at the end of the day you still have a life to live and you have to stay strong for those you still hold dear.

So what are my thoughts about this virus? It helped that I have a doctor for a sister who initially told me that like SARS earlier, the virus that causes COVID-19 also belongs to the same family of coronavirus. The primary mode of transmission is thru droplets, which demystify the earlier notion that it is airborne (in a way that tuberculosis is spread). So it is only transmitted when someone coughs or sneezes (this is where social distancing makes real sense) and not thru breathing the same air that an infected person also breathes. It is spread further when an infected person, thru his hands, get in contact with the droplets and body fluid such as when he covers his face when he coughs or sneezes and then touches anything from doors, elevator buttons, grocery items, etc. Anyone who touches the same and get his hands in contact with soft body tissues (membranes) like the eyes, nose, and mouth will potentially get infected, given that the virus can live in surfaces for sometime (no one really knows how long it can survive outside of its host, but apparently it can live longer on smooth surfaces compared to uneven ones like in clothing materials). This is where frequent hand washing or disinfecting (thru spraying alcohol) is essential, as well as cleaning all surfaces that are being touched or used (such as door handles, elevator buttons, eating utensils, even grocery items like those chips in foils where you touch the potentially infected packaging before eating the contents with your hands). On the other hand, the mask is a protective gear that you may need when in enclosed spaces such as elevators, cars, or when social distancing may subconsciously be forgotten (like queuing in a supermarket check out counter or drugstore). So my thoughts are that this is no different than how one catches a flu or a cold virus and how one fights and recovers from the same may also work for this virus.

Though COVID-19 virus may be more deadly than its cousins (though casualties from flu and cold virus infections worldwide are significant particularly during winter), there has been no cure but only prevention thru getting vaccinated. As of this writing, there is still no vaccine in sight for COVID-19 (unlike its cousins where you can now get vaccinated for certain flu virus strains) and having that vaccine available may take a while. So how do you fight a virus that is nothing more than a flu or cold virus strain but can wreck havoc on our internal organs? Methinks that the answer lies in the gut.

As some would say, the best offense is a good defense. Our bodies respond to any foreign matter or substances that breach our first line of defense (skin, mucus membrane, etc.). This is triggered by our immune system. Our immunity will fight off anything from microbes (bacteria and virus) to body organs (such as organ transplant). It is the same immunity that will help in our recovery and may even hold back future invasion (ie developing immunity to certain bacteria strains which infection you have recovered from previously). That’s why when we were kids, every time we get sick, we actually develop resistance and immunity. Unless one is immuno compromised (such as having weak immunity by taking immuno suppressant drugs for transplant recipients or suffering from a hyper active immune system resulting to autoimmune diseases), it is imperative that we need to keep a healthy immune system not only to hold the fort but to keep our defenses in check.

How do I keep my immunity in check? How do I support my immune system to fight viral infections? There are five (5) ways and all these are from my own personal experience. But before I share the same, there is one very important thing to note: you need to first understand your body. You need to know how to listen to your body. I know the stages that my body would go thru when I get sick. It would start with a sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, feeling feverish, darkening and thickening of phlegm or sputum (the last two would already confirm that I have an infection), coughing, asthma, lightening of phlegm or sputum, coughing to expel the sputum (the last two means that I’m on my way to recovery). I have observed before that my body does not respond well to synthetic medicines (pharmaceuticals). That’s why I hate getting sick. Coz aside from what my body goes thru when I get sick, the medicines I’m taking (at least before I ventured into alternative medicines) have different effects on me, depending on what medicine I’m taking. It may come in the form of drowsiness, shaking of hands, lethargy, and overall weakness. So it exacerbates what one would already consider a miserable situation. So understanding and listening to your body would tell you what works for you. This leads you to explore and discover the best health alternatives and options.

So after years of understanding and listening to my body, the first way of keeping my immunity in check is keeping my gut healthy. A strong and healthy immunity starts with a well balanced gut. It can be achieved by having a healthy biome in the gut. This is where probiotics come into play. For those who are not familiar with probiotics, these are good bacteria that reside in the gut and intestines. A healthy person would normally have a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria. When bad bacteria overruns the good ones, that’s when our immunity is compromised and weakens our defenses. Taking antibiotics when we get sick will kill the bad bacteria but will also kill the good ones. So I never had antibiotics in the last 20 years (except when I went thru my spinal surgery last year) because I have become a probiotic advocate. Right now, I’m taking different probiotic supplements and have tried different strains, such as those produced in Japan, New Zealand, and US. Probiotcs are also found in natural sources, such as yogurt, kimchi, and balsamic vinegar. If you decide to start on a probiotic regimen, choose the one with multi strains, coz there are nuances in the roles that these good bacteria play in our bodies.

The second way is preempting the progression of the infection. At the first sign of symptoms (in my case sore throat), I would already take my herbal and organic supplements. An effective way of suppressing the initial infection is by taking manuka honey. I discovered manuka honey in one of my trips to New Zealand and has proven to be very potent in fighting and helping recover from initial stage of the infection. By preempting its progression, you are effectively preventing a full blown infection. In my case, this means my body won’t have to go thru subsequent stages after the initial sore throat. This means I have averted a miserable situation.

New Zealand, where I have discovered some of the best herbal and organic supplements

The third way is supporting your immune system fight against the virus thru the use of enzymes and certain essential amino acids. I know that unlike amino acids, little is known about beneficial enzymes (or some would not even know what enzymes are), but based on my readings, I have discovered that there are enzymes that can actually help kill viruses and other microbes. Our bodies produce enzymes (such as digestive enzymes) but there are enzymes that are not found in our bodies that can actually assist in destroying viruses. Viruses (and other microbes), just like any other organism’s survival instinct, would produce what they call biofilm or ‘envelope’ to protect themselves. This biofilm is impenetrable for most pharmaceuticals and can actually mask the virus that our immune system may not be able to detect its presence. You can liken it to Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility. So while it is already wrecking havoc on our internal organs, particularly our respiratory system, our immune system may have a hard time getting into the virus because of this biofilm. Aside from the biofilm, the virus also has a protein shell (capsid) that protects the nucleus (nucleic acid). To kill the virus is to get to its nucleus. So with this dual protection (biofilm and shell), our immune soldiers (T-cells) will have to fight harder. Compounding this is the ability of the virus to replicate itself. Think of it like the fight scene between Doctor Strange and Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War where in this case, the virus is the former (when he replicated himself) while the latter is your T-cells.

There are at least two enzymes that I’m taking and at least one essential amino acid when I feel that I’m about to get sick. These are serrapeptase and nattokinase for the enzymes and lysine for essential amino acid. Serrapeptase is an enzyme produced by bacteria of silkworm which the same uses to dissolve the cocoon when it becomes a moth. Nattokinase on the other hand, is derived from the Japanese fermented soybean called natto and produced by a particular type of bacteria during the fermentation process. Apparently, both enzymes can penetrate through the biofilm in the same way that it can dissolve the cocoon (in the case of serrapeptase). Once the biofilm is dissolved, the cloak of invisibility is removed. To breach the protein shell, some of the supplements I’m taking contain hydrolytic enzymes such as protease and cellulase. These enzymes break down proteins into amino acids thru hydrolysis. Since both biofilm and shell are made of proteins, this combination of enzymes that are not produced by our bodies will work together to break down the proteins, hence destroying the virus shield and exposing the nucleus This is when the other enzymes produced by our bodies can digest the nucleic acid, hence “killing” the virus. However, some of these enzyme supplements have side effects, such as thinning of blood. So if you are suffering from low blood pressure or taking any blood thinning drugs, you have to avoid taking these supplements. Lysine, on the other hand, is an essential amino acid that can apparently suppress viral replication. It’s called “essential” coz it’s one of amino acids that are not produced or found in the body.

The fourth way is to have inflammation in control. I came across this newspaper article yesterday (https://technology.inquirer.net/97774/covid-19-lung-patterns-show-few-clues-for-treating-pneumonia) which only further validates what I’ve known all along: the root cause of all illnesses is inflammation (at least from my experience). The infection (bacterial or viral) is the trigger but what will cause complications is the uncontrolled inflammation. Pneumonia, one of the known complications from COVID-19, occurs when the lung’s air sacs (those that are filled with oxygen from the air we breathe and permeates thru the blood vessels for it to run throughout our extremities) are inflamed. Inflammation occupies space, so the more inflamed the sacs are, the less oxygen is absorbed by the body. I know this coz my Mom had several bouts of pneumonia two years ago and her oxygen levels have to be constantly checked even until today (she also has a standby oxygen tank at home in case her oxygen level drops). Older people have lower lung capacity not just because of old age but also due to other underlying health conditions that they are suffering from. That’s why their oxygen levels need to be checked constantly particularly when they are exhibiting symptoms. As we all know, oxygen is essential for all our body organs to function (including our brains).

To keep inflammation from going haywire, I used to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as mefenamic acid. I have opted for non-steroids coz as a kid, I used to take corticosteroids for my asthma (another illness from inflammation) and I didn’t like the side effects on my body. However, NSAIDs also have side effects, like gastritis, so I have to look for herbal or organic alternatives that have anti-inflammatory properties. This is where I’ve discovered curcumin, oregano oil, and magnesium. Curcumin is the essential nutrient in turmeric known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Oregano oil is not only known as anti-inflammatory but also anti microbes. Magnesium is a mineral that is known to control inflammation. I don’t only take these supplements when I’m sick. I take these daily as preventive medicine. But I take it in moderation. As they say, a pound of cure is worth an ounce of prevention.

Lastly, I also ensure that my immunity doesn’t go out of control particularly when I’m sick. As per the newspaper article (which I’ve known already for a while), in certain conditions, our immune system can go crazy in its attempt to fight infection, to the point that it is also attacking the infected organs (similar behaviour as autoimmune diseases when the immune system goes out of control and attacks healthy cells). For this, I’m taking colostrum. Colostrum is the first form of milk derived from cows or any other mammals. It apparently has immuno properties that can keep a balance immunity therefore reducing the probability of the same getting out of control.

My journey to alternative medicines did not occur overnight. Nor has my doctors’ blessings. It took a lot of readings (and to some degree a leap of faith) and experimenting different herbal and organic supplements and discovering the ones that actually work for me. I can’t exactly say that it is effective (I don’t have any scientific or medical proof of any correlation between my health status and these herbal and organic supplements). Some would call it self-medication, but I would like to see it as holistic wellness. What I know is that I don’t have to take pharmaceuticals to get thru every flu or colds. What I know is that I passed my pre-surgery battery of tests last year (which I wrote about in my earlier article on MLNRD where I even mentioned that I have a heart rate of an athlete) in spite of my unhealthy eating habits and no exercise or sports. What I know is that any infectious bacteria that my body will catch will not develop resistance against antibiotics coz I’m not taking any. I must be doing something good.

So before you embark on your own discovery, you need to understand and listen to your body. Take time to do some readings (which you have plenty during this period of quarantine) and find what alternatives can be potentially applied for your specific condition. Coz it doesn’t follow that just because it works for me means that it would also work for you. You have to take into consideration your health condition before embracing alternative medicines.

To quote University of the Philippines Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo “the most effective response to public health emergencies is our ability as a community to look out for each other.” This is my way of looking out for the rest of the world. You can do the same by sharing your own experiences that may help pave the way to recovery. Now that you know what I have been taking these past few years, you can do your share by only buying what you need and not hoard health supplements. Doing otherwise means that you are depriving those who may need it the most, those who are in a life-and-death situation. Let’s shed the greediness during these challenging times. You don’t want to be the subject of my unwritten article “The Politics of Toilet Paper,” do you?

Be safe everyone and look after each other. Say a little prayer as well.

Italy: How Thou I Love Thee? (Let Me Count The Ways) – Part 2 of 2

Travel and Positivity Buzz

Amalfi Coast (Italy)

I mentioned in the first part of this article that I’ll be going on my 3rd trip to Italy in spring. Unfortunately, both Italy and the Philippines (as well as anywhere else in the world) are going thru health crisis from the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Just a couple of nights ago, Metro Manila (a cluster of cities that include the capital Manila and the central business district Makati where I live) has been declared under what they call “community quarantine” for 30 days to contain the spread of the infection. In other words, lock down. We cannot fly out of Metro Manila to any destination in the country. Though we are still allowed to fly out internationally, thing is, with the rising incidence of COVID-19 cases in the country, the Philippines is now one of the countries banned by Qatar from entering their territory. Since I’ll be flying Qatar Airways with layover in Doha, that means I have to wait and see how this crisis pans out.

Stunning landscapes (Amalfi Coast)

Italy is the current epicenter of the pandemic in Europe where some of the European countries have banned travel to and from the said country. This means that flying there would compromise the other legs of my scheduled Europe trip. I don’t want to spend my holidays on quarantine in another country (I’d rather stay at home then), so would likely forgo the trip to Italy this year. I suppose my wish on Trevi fountain (to return someday) will not happen this year, so I have to find other destinations where I could regain my good spirits. As shared earlier, my feng shui says that my spirit essence is weak this year, which explains why I’ve been feeling down at the start of the year. My feng shui also says that more travels will help uplift my spirit essence, but under this worldwide pandemic scenario, not sure really which place is safe to go (can’t travel domestic as well under this community quarantine). Maybe one of those eastern European countries like the underrated Slovenia or see again Croatia and Montenegro. At this point in time, I honestly don’t know. I even haven’t thought of what to do with my flight bookings.

Short stops for stunning views (Amalfi Coast)

So while pondering on where to go next, why don’t I take you thru the second time I went to Italy. This happened two years after my first trip. If I remember it right, at that time I was contemplating of going to Turkey, Israel, and Jordan. However, that was the time when the crisis then was terrorism particularly in that region, so I have to change my travel plans. It was my sister who broached the idea of Amalfi Coast. I haven’t heard of that place before, so when I checked it out online, I knew right away where I want to go.

View from my hotel terrace (Naples)

So I booked a flight (via Frankfurt) with Malaysia Airlines. At that time, it wasn’t really a popular airline given the mystery around the disappearance of one of its airlines, but fact is, it has a very good safety track record prior to that incident. So I wasn’t that concerned about their safety record when they went on promo where I got a business class seat for $1,600 only (before taxes and surcharges) which is a good buy in a time when the prevailing rates for the same seat class are more than $3,000 for roundtrip fares from Manila. Since it’s one of the Southeast Asian carriers, I knew that topnotch hospitality service is expected which is common among airlines in the region (sorry to say but the best service that I have experienced among airlines that I’ve flown with regardless of seat class are those that are from the region like Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and even our very own Philippine Airlines). Regardless whether you are flying in a Boeing or Airbus, business or coach, it’s really the staff that counts, people who try to make a difference and in this case, Southeast Asians are arguably the best.

The City of Naples and Mount Vesuvius

My first stop was Naples (you can pronounce it the way American English would pronounce it where the first syllable is pronounced as nay, since Italians or specifically Neapolitans are already getting used to it, but you can please your host city by just saying Napoli pronouncing the first syllable as nah). From the airport to the city, my first impression was the place is filthy. This became more apparent when I started walking around the city. What crossed my mind then was that Neapolitans have no concept of a waste/garbage can. There were litters everywhere! It seems that it’s cool to just drop your trash and just move on, expecting that someone will follow thru and clean it up for you. Not cool at all. I’m not a clean freak, but I still have the decency to respect my environment, and when I say environment, that includes people around me. Apparently, there’s a prevailing notion there that the farther you go south (of Italy), the dirtier it gets (Naples is on the southern part of the country).

National Archaeological Museum (Naples)

One of the things that I love to do when visiting a place for the first time is to check out its museums. So I did just that in Naples where I went to its National Archaeological Museum. I can’t remember whether I enjoyed it the same way I would enjoy other museums in my past travels, or whether it has vast collections of artifacts. But just like any museum, my takeaways would always be that sense of history and ancestral way of life and the important gift that every visit to a museum would give which are lessons of humanity.

The castles of Naples: (left) Castel Nuovo (right) Castel Dell’Ovo

The city itself is like an open museum. There’s the Piazza del Plebiscito with its massive square where the church of St. Francis of Paola is on one side and the Royal Palace on the other. Around the city are numerous remnants of its past, from castles to churches, from old architectural heritage to various squares (piazza). To give this city a postcard perfect scenery, there’s Mount Vesuvius as backdrop to an already beautiful landscape and seascape, a fitting and dramatic addition to a place that’s very rich in history. I will give you a closer look to this majestic volcano later on when I take you thru Pompeii.

Piazza del Plebiscito (top left) and other city sights

The city coastlines are a marvel to watch. I love the leisure walk on the long promenade along the coastline, enjoying the view of the sleeping volcano and the tranquility of the Mediterranean sea. I don’t know what magic or spell this body of water has on me, but every time I’m in a place within its reach (such as Barcelona, Malta, Dubrovnik, Budva, Mykonos, and Santorini), it always gives me that feeling of joy, awe, mystery, and serenity. Though it doesn’t surprise me knowing that my feng shui element is water, which may explain why I’m always drawn to it. It’s like my own unicorn. Stopping for some gelato during these walks is just icing on the cake. One thing I noticed is that the farther you go along the coastline away from the city, the cleaner it gets.

City coastline and promenade (Naples)

Next stop is Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. Speaking of open museum, nothing would probably beat Pompeii. If you’ve skipped your history class, you’ve probably missed out on one of history’s events of monumental scale that teaches and leaves every generation a lesson. This is when the whole city of Pompeii was buried by lava and thick volcanic ashes and other debris instantly when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Known as an ancient sin city, it was preoccupied by human frailty that it has lost any sense of safety. Long before I read about Pompeii in history books, as a young kid, I’ve watched a biblical movie that showed what happened to this ancient Roman city and its people. Every now and then, it feels like history’s repeating itself. This health crisis that we are facing now particularly in my country is nothing different than Pompeii. We’ve been preoccupied by power (as they say, power corrupts) and greed that our leaders, decision makers, security and safety agents have essentially failed us. As a people though, there’s still hope. I think that’s the only difference between Pompeii then and our country now. People got buried then and didn’t get the chance to escape. We still have a chance to escape from this vicious cycle of power and greed. It’s not the virus that will change our ways. It’s the lesson we get in every adversity as a result of our own frailty. That is if we as people are willing to take heed the lessons of history.

(Left) Ancient city of Pompeii (whole city escavated from thick volcanic debris; (right) on top of Mount Vesuvius crater

So to show how strong I was (mind, body, and spirit), I started climbing the sleeping volcano. Mounting the volcano thru its rocky trail can be tiresome, to the point that my whole body almost gave up. At that point, I was already muttering “what the hell was I thinking?” I still have other places to visit and it’s not worth being adventurous at this leg of the trip if I break my back (that was long before my spinal surgery, but was already suffering from slipped disk condition). Then I saw two elderly couple in canes climbing down on their way back to the slope. I thought if this lovely couple was able to make it to the top, then why can’t I? After my newfound inspiration and strength (mind and spirit, body is still weak), I decided to go all the way, knowing fully well that the trip back would be more perilous than the way up, with more chances of rolling down the slope with a single misstep.

Sorrento (Italy)

On to what I have been looking forward to all trip: Amalfi Coast. It’s one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, where a series of quaint towns sit along it. First of the towns is Sorrento. It is popularly known as the home of limoncello, a native liqueur from Sorrento lemons. Every time I would dine in Italy, it would almost always come with a shot of limoncello at the end of each meal and now I know where it comes from. It has this strong acidic (like concentrated lemon juice) yet sweet taste that is soothing to the throat and kind of have a cleansing effect on the palate. Along the way, you can see lemon trees lining up the road. The town proper is scenic at the very least, where narrow avenues are lined up with colorful buildings.

Positano (Italy)

Next town is Positano. One of my favorite places in the world, this town is perched on a cliff (like Santorini), so it is hilly with steep and narrow alleyways lined up with shops that sell anything from clothes, arts and crafts to items made from lemons (perfumes, essential oils, liqueurs). It’s a very picturesque town, where colorful buildings adorn the cliff that meets the sea. There is a small beach, which adds an essential element to an already postcard perfect landscape and seascape. Its beauty is mesmerizing, that you’d be captivated enough you wouldn’t want to leave.

Amalfi (Italy)

Then there’s the town of Amalfi (where the coastline is named after). It has a bigger beach than Positano, but doesn’t have the same wow factor. Don’t get me wrong, it has its own charm, where anyone who comes here would still be captivated by its resort-like vibe and the mountain backdrop filled with houses. Plenty of dining options to choose from, more than probably what Positano can offer.

Ravello (Italy)

The last town is Ravello. It probably has the most rustic charm among the towns, where it has able to preserve a few remnants of its heritage. It’s the smallest among the four towns, yet endearing enough to make you linger a little bit longer than you would normally give places like this. Since it is on the farther end of the coastline, the calming sea views on one side and the mountainous terrain on the other side are some of its highlights.

Island of Capri (Italy)

A trip to Naples won’t be complete without taking a side trip to the island of Capri. Known as the playground of the rich and famous, I know now why some of the world’s biggest celebrities are drawn to it. Though not blessed with nice beaches like those in Mykonos and Santorini, this island has a certain charm that kind of cast a spell on you. The whole time you’re there, you’re kind of spellbound, The island is divided into two towns, one called Anacapri on one side of the island and Capri on the other side. Anacapri is steeper, which makes it more difficult for walking. There’s a small cluster of shops and restos at the town proper. This is where I had lunch with a friend named Matthew who I met in the trip. A Korean-Canadian IT guy based in Canada who is off from work for two months to traverse the whole Mediterranean coastline starting from Barcelona to Marseille to Monaco to Amalfi Coast and onward to Venice. What an adventure! But what I was more amazed at was how he was able to take time off from work for two months! How I wish I can travel for two months as well. So now I have that same itinerary in my bucket list and hopefully can cross it out in the near future.

(Left) A south american lady asked to have a photo with me (not sure if it’s because she learned I am from the Philippines or I am just naturally charming lol; (right) who says only Japan and Korea have cherry blossoms?

Funny though that in spite of all his travels, Matthew hasn’t heard of tiramisu. Each of us had one and he can’t stop raving about how good it was that I ended up giving him my own plate. Tiramisu is pretty common in the Philippines, so I thought since this guy just discovered how delightful the said dessert was, he might as well go crazy on it. After lunch, we went to the other town (Capri) and this is where most of the shops and restos are, selling anything from clothes to ceramics to souvenir items. We also went to see the Blue Grotto, a cave on the other side of the island where we have to take a speedboat to get near the entrance then transfer to a smaller boat that could fit into the cave. Once inside, you’ll probably be awed with the most beautiful shade of blue water that’s very sharp up close and piercing thru your senses. The last time I’ve experienced that wicked blue color was in Malta’s own Blue Grotto.

Blue Grotto with Matthew (Capri)

On the trip back to Naples, we met this German couple who struck a conversation with us. They shared stories about their own travels, how they love South of France (another dream destination of mine) where roads and parking lots are filled with luxury cars (of course, Germans love their cars). They said it’s everywhere. Matthew has just been there (where he mentioned that you can actually see the sea floor with corals, that’s how crystal clear the waters are which actually explains why I fell in love with Mediterranean sea in the first place), so they told me that I should also visit. Yeah, cool. Then the guy shared how he and his wife can afford all their travels, by taking us thru their investment strategies. See, who says travel is all leisure?

Capri cabs and speedboat

Looking back, that’s one of the trips that I truly enjoyed. Though I have already counted the ways I love Italy in the first part of the article, yet there are still so much more why I keep coming back. The country is a complete package. Its natural beauty is already worth a visit, the harmony between the land and Mediterranean sea is just enticing to feel and see. The magical effect of the sea on me is why I love to be anywhere near it, and Italy’s coastlines are just perfect spots to commune with the sea. But again, more than its beauty, I love Italy because of what it offers for the mind, the body (did I mention that Naples is the home of Neapolitan pizza and ice cream?), and the soul, which makes it, hands down my favorite country.

I love Italy!