Best Posts in Forum: COVID-19

https://www.express.co.uk/life-styl...e-headache-sneezing-sore-throat-loss-of-smell

"According to data from the ZOE COVID Study, fully vaccinated people now make up nearly 30 percent of positive cases and so it’s critical to be aware of the symptoms of Covid after vaccination," said Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist on the ZOE COVID Study app.

He continued: "Our data shows post-vaccination infections are much more like a cold than the flu, with the top symptoms being runny nose, headache, sneezing, sore throat and loss of smell.

It’s estimated there are currently 15,309 new daily symptomatic cases in fully vaccinated people in the UK, cases in this group have been rising steadily for the last week and now make up 29.4 percent of the total new daily cases.

 

Canceled so Pfizer vaccinations can continue tomorrow at the Dgte Sports Complex

 

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/02...ng-swab-testing-as-travel-requirement/844650/

Although these changes are not certain at the moment (and the article says would have to be approved by the IATF-MEID), the discussions around it by the DILG are a cause for concern IMO. These changes would involve scrapping tests for Covid-19 as a travel requirement around the country. This, the article says, has already happened in Cebu province - I am unclear if that had any approval from IATF-MEID but I know that Cebu has a rising number of cases and two mutations detected. It was stated that "the DoH said last year that testing should only be mandatory for persons exposed to or showing symptoms of Covid-19" - how they know either of these things for certain is beyond me.

It is also stated that "As long as the person is following the minimum health standards such as wearing face masks and face shield, maintaining physical distancing, and regular washing of hands, these would be enough compliance (they would have at least 95 percent less risk of transmission)".

Apart from Covid-19 tests, they were also looking at lifting other travel requirements such as a travel order and local health certificates.

Again, IMO and as I read it, people need even more to look at the personal protection of themselves and of their loved ones at a time when it seems there may be a big reduction in safety measures (if I read it correctly that wearing facemasks/shields AT THE TIME will be enough evidence for travel and takes no account of the fact that the person wearing that protection may be infected and not continue to wear the PPE at the destination), a very long time before substantial vaccinations and a strong (but understandable) desire to get the economy back to nearer normal. IMO this would lead to an explosion of the virus to every island and move the Philippines way up to the top region of world rankings for cases and deaths.

 

BELOW is a copy of the "Abstract" for a study using the inexpensive and commonly available drugs: ********** and Azithromycin... (when compared to the drugs president trump used to defeat the SARS-Cov-2 virus) i say "commonly available" with the caveat that this stands true in most nations under normal circumstances... but perhaps not here on our island should an outbreak of the Covid-19 disease occur... because it is definitely possible these two drugs could go "out of stock" rapidly... but as for me and my family... we have already secured these drugs. NOTE: Cholecalciferol is "Vitamin D3" which is available OTC in most drug stores and online and is something you might consider taking regularly so your D3 level will be at the maximum proper level should you contract the Covid-19 disease...

here is the copy of the "abstract" and a link to the full report below:

"As the world faces COVID-19, the search for effective treatments against the disease and its complications has turned its gaze to drugs that are classically used in other infectious diseases. Some drugs are being examined for the recent evidence on its effects on viral replication and inflammation. The aim of the study was to assess the outcome of **********-Azithromycin-Cholecalciferol combination therapy on early stages (I-IIa) of COVID-19 patients. This proof of concept study was carried out on confirmed COVID-19 patients in Mexico City, from April 01 to April 20, 2020. Patients who met inclusion criteria were invited to take ********** (6 mg once daily in day 0,1,7 and 8) plus Azithromycin (500 mg once daily for 4 days) plus Cholecalciferol (4000 UI twice daily for 30 days). Treatment outcome was evaluated on the 10th day onward from the first day of the drug intake. Recovery rate of the 28 patients that received the combination therapy was 100%, the mean symptomatic recovery duration was 3.6 days and negative PCR was confirmed on day 10. Imaging findings of patients with pneumonia were improved on day 10. Transient and mild degree of adverse effect like diarrhea and nausea was noted by 3 (10.7%) patients. This study found that the combination treatment might mitigate disease progression without significant adverse effects. Further studies are needed in order to extrapolate these findings to moderate and severe COVID-19."

https://www.alliedacademies.org/art...nfected-patients-a-proof-of-concept-study.pdf

as a footnote: this is not the only study using **********... there is another one using... ********** + doxycycline + zinc + vitamin D3 with equally impressive outcomes

https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...tive-in-treating-covid-19/article32601262.ece

BOTTOM LINE: be proactive... get informed... and be prepared... because no doctor nor nurse nor any healthcare worker will care more about your case (or the case of a loved one) than YOU... information is power... get informed now before the SARS-CoV-2 virus comes knocking on your door... i wish the best for each you.

 

We went to the BDO at Robinsons yesterday, not much of a queue and got in no problem with face mask BUT the guard told us that as of next week visor type face shield or no entry.

 

About an hour ago a rescue truck surprisingly dropped off a returning Aussie neighbor in the house (Combado Bacong) close (50 meters) to mine and the wife (who has been here all this time) said the two of them will be in quarantine for 14 days and her brother will do the food shopping and place on a table in front of their gate.
I wasn’t aware the flood gates have opened. Maybe the US mail can start arriving.

 

the point here is that young people are now filling up the ICU beds

 

Seems like it will be up to the governor to make the decision to extend or nor extend the N.O. quarantine. Are there new local virus cases this week?
I would hope, if there is no EQ, certain precautions are still taken, such as masks, social distancing, and if you feel sick go to the hospital. With no mass testing available, peeling the onion might be necessary.
The current Dumaguete entrance system is not sustainable.

 

The biggest game changer will be a vaccine (a year or more away), new drugs (unlikely for a very long time), combinations of existing drugs (many have been stated as effective but none have yet been selected for mass use) ... or knowing if people are immune.

Knowing the immune status is achieved by ANTIBODY testing - up to now testing is for the ANTIGEN (the virus itself) and this tells the person if he is currently infected.

Testing for the antibody will tell the person if he HAS been infected (even if he was not aware as the symptoms were very mild or non-existent). I queried many times on this forum why they were not doing antibody tests but the answer was they didn't have one! Now they have.

So, if people can be identified as immune (but not currently infected) then those people should (hopefully) be able to go out and return to work. No one knows currently how many that is - it could be millions in a country the size of the UK. They can return a country to nearer normality as they can work, go shopping, visiting cinemas etc.

One major problem I can foresee is how to identify them as, obviously, some people not tested will say they are immune (and many people will have self-tested at home)! The pubs will re-open and be filled 'self-declared immune' who are either (i) immune (good - but not tested so they did not know), (ii) uninfected but not immune and (iii) infected. So '(iii)' will be a great danger to '(ii)'.

The other problem is getting hold of the antibody test kits - let's hope all countries can get hold of kits so that we have a better understanding of the level of immunity within a population and can specifically identify those who are now immune.

Btw, there have been cases of recovered individuals who showed symptoms a second time but the evidence is that they are not spreaders. IF immunity is weak or short-lived then we are back to square one.

 

National Enhanced Community Quarantine Unintended Consequences
1. Cebu Pacific(Cebgo) and Philippine Airlines(PAL Express) have shut down all Domestic and International flights to mitigate the spread of Corona 19 virus.
2. The provinces likewise have shutdown the ports which affect inter-island commerce from the shipping lines like 2GO.
3. The airports have shutdown which are under control of the national agency CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines)
4. The goverment owned PhilPost which relies on the airlines and sea for sending and receiving mail and parcels is shut down.
5. The low numbers of Corona 19 cases reported is the result of provinces being unable to receive testing kits and supplies and being cut-off for sending their samples to the University of the Philippines in Manila for analysis.
6. The military is using it's resources fighting insurgents rather than assisting in this crisis.
7. This virus is spread by humans which the National Enhanced Community Quarantine was intended to reduce exposure and it does.
Discussion:
While the National Enhanced Community Quarantine was not intended to impede Commerce it has done just that.
There has to be government/private dialog between the airlines and shipping companies and a mechanism to shoulder the expenses incurred of flying and shipping Cargo Only without passengers. CEBGO is currently making two flights a day from Manila to Cagayan de Oro and General Santos. Restoration of flights to our 7,000+ islands as cargo only is possible but the government has to enable it and shoulder their share of the expense. Bulky or non critical materials could be shipped by sea for ships without passengers.
Policy makers need to consider what we need to improve the National Enhanced Community Quarantine.
shaky