Alongside fighting the virus is fighting misinformation CLINICAL MATTERS Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana Misinformation and disinformation have made the COVID-19 pandemic much more difficult to deal with from a scientific standpoint. The uncertainty that is inherent to a new virus coupled with the...
A member of the Department of Health's Technical Advisory Group said there is a need to keep out the Delta coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variant as it is very dangerous. DOH/MB "We need to keep out the Delta variant which is very dangerous," Dr. Edsel Salvana said in a meeting with President...
60 percent more transmissible, with the Philippines logging at least 13 cases, with one death Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana Two months ago, the most horrific scenes of mass cremations were coming out of India. People were dying from lack of oxygen and bodies were washing up on the banks of the River...
The promise of freedom with COVID-19 vaccination Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana Among the most impacted segments of the population during this COVID-19 pandemic are the elderly and the children. After the first enhanced community quarantine from last year was lifted, the propensity of COVID-19 to...
“Never was so much owed by so many to so few,” was a line used by Winston Churchill to describe the heroism of the pilots of the Battle of Britain who sacrificed life and limb to defend freedom from the Nazis. The same sentence is more than apt to describe the efforts of our medical front...
How did Sinovac become the first vaccine to be available in the Philippines? Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana On June 1, 2021 the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the inclusion of Sinovac (Coronavac) in its COVID-19 vaccine Emergency Use Listing (EUL). The EUL is a list of vaccines reviewed by...
The statement of Manila mayor Isko Moreno against the mandatory wearing of face shields in public places created a buzz on social media recently. He is requesting that the government to restudy the policy and possibly revise it. According to Mayor Isko, if there's no scientific proof about the face...
Which vaccines work best for which variants? Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana As the Philippines surpasses five million vaccine doses administered, the rate of vaccination continues to accelerate and there is real progress in rolling back the pandemic. Countries that have vaccinated a significant...
The US CDC announcement was bold, but disconcerting Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana It came out of the blue. The US CDC announcement that vaccinated individuals were no longer required to wear masks was as bold as it was disconcerting. This followed a previous announcement that masks were not required...
The world is slowly opening up, but India’s is a grim reminder CLINICAL MATTERS Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released an infographic outlining what activities could be done by vaccinated persons compared with non-vaccinated persons. One...
And the answers we know for sure DON'T HATE, INOCULATE In the Philippines, the COVID-19 vaccination of the general public is eyed in August or September Vaccines save millions of lives every year. Prevention of deadly and debilitating illnesses, such as yellow fever, measles, and polio accounts for...
Why everyone’s participation is important in this fight HOPE IN VIALS This week's Philippine Panorama deep dives into the technicalities of the COVID-19 vaccine. Cover design by Jules Vivas It has been more than a year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the latest record-breaking...